A username is a name that is given to a user on a computer or computer network. It can be a phrase, word, combination of a number of characters, which is also referred to as login ID, an account name, user name, user ID. It uniquely identifies and gains access to a computing system, software, a website that needs user authentication. For instance, a computer system may have many accounts; each account will have a different username.

The username is commonly created with the combination of a user's full name and alias. Generally, it means a username is a short form of a user's full name and surname. For example, the name of a user name is John Smith; he may have the username site, which may be created with the combination of the first four letters of the alias or last name followed by the first letter of the first name. In order to customize their settings or set up an online account, many websites give permission to users to choose a username. For case, a username may be given by a bank to access your banking information.

Also, on the web, in terms of messages to a particular message board, you may require to select a username. Furthermore, in order to use the service, email services like Hotmail need users to select a username or login ID. Usernames play an important role in order to use online service and same computer with the personal files and settings. For example, a username allows users to maintain their personal identification when they used any website.

Almost a username always has a password, which is often required for users to log in to the website or other related services. The combination of username/password is referred to as a login. In case you need to enter the correct username and password to access your email account on the web so that you can access your messages.

Once you have logged into your email account, you may see your username on the display screen; however, your password will be secret. For multiple websites, users can create secure accounts with the help of keeping their passwords private. Most usernames do not allow for space, and they can only have letters and numbers. When you create an email account, it needs a username and password in which your username will be the part before the "@."

Username is commonly used in IT and IT-enabled systems that have a multi-user access mechanism, this is why because it is widely adapted authentication and authorization technique and better security feature to keep secure your information. A username serves as authentication as it identifies a user and password. In most situations, a user creates the username and sets the password accordingly, and the length of this username is between six and 14 characters.

Moreover, the authorization is completely dependent upon the correct input of username and password; therefore, if a username is discovered by a hacker, it cannot pose serious threats alone and can be used for unauthorize purpose by the hacker or a person with malicious intent.

What is my username?

With most services, you mainly create a username, or it is assigned to you. If you have created your username and you forgot the name you choose, you can try your email address instead of your username to access your account. If you are trying to log into a service by using an email address, you can try a number that you have entered at the time of creating your account.

If the above suggestions do not work, most of the services have a feature to forgot passwords and a username that can send your username via your email. Most of the time, a link of forgot username or password is found around or under the username and password fields. It needs to remember that when you are creating the username, it may be case-sensitive when entered. Therefore, you can try to enter your username after turning off the Caps Lock key (if it is enabled).

Is Username the same as Email Address?

A username is a name that identifies you on a website or server; generally, it is given to a user on a computer network or computer system that manages secure user accounts. However, it is a constraint of the system your account exists in, and it depends on your discretion. It is most important to understand what is actual usernames and how they are stored, which can be more beneficial to know why it is more important to keep high secure username. Usually, users think about keeping high secure passwords, but it is also important to select a better username.

Usernames and Email Addresses

A username is simply a phrase, word, combination of numbers, or characters used by a Web server to recognize users with their accounts on the server or network. In general, a username includes ASCII code that represents symbols, punctuation, Roman alphabet letters, numbers; it also represents space characters in some cases that may be white space or tab space. However, the working process of username is dependent on the kind of applications that are used on the server. In this scenario, although an email address is not for act as a username, it can function as a username.

Username Storage

When the user accounts are enabled by the server, generally, they are stored on the server in a database. Within the database, the username will be stored along with a password created by you that offers security as no one can access the account without the correct password. For instance, the database may have a table within the server that contains usernames and passwords. When you try to log in by using your email address as your username, the server will find your email address and corresponding password in the database. Then, you enter the password; the server will match your entered password and allow access if the password has matched. Otherwise, the account will not be accessed.

Secure Username Practices

Although you will not set the password like your username, it can be. There are more chances for your email address to be your username in certain services, such as your email. However, it is not considered a best practice to use your email address as a username for all of your accounts. If a hacker or unauthorized person hacks your one account and identifies your password, he can get access to your all account that you have set your email address as your username, which can be more harmful in terms of security. You can avoid this issue by using different usernames across different services; also, you should be use services that can encrypt or hash password information.

What can we use username, user name, or user-name?

You can use "user name" when referring to a real name or full name. If you are referring to an identity used with a password, you should not be used the space between the user and name and use "username." So far as the "user-name" is concerned, it is rarely used.

Why should not be used one username for Everything?

There are some online services and websites that use your email address as your username; some services don't do like this. This approach either works, but there are various services that do not use an email address as a username and need users to create a new username with a combination of letters and numbers. The next text will be your username that will be used to log in to that service when you use it. Sometimes the service may apply a condition for a minimum number of characters and sometimes limits the number of characters for username. Some of the services will not allow you to use your email as a username, while some allow you to use your email address and a password to log on. Why is it so? The reason for that is discussed below?

A reason is that some services use an existing number or member ID to identify you on the network. The IDs or numbers like credit card number, student ID, Social Security number, auto-club membership, bank account number, and health care member ID are already used to identify someone's account information. Consequently, an online service sometimes may ask you to use that IDs or numbers for your username. Although most time, services need you to create a new username with a combination of characters or numbers, and that's different from your student ID, Social Security number, auto-club membership, bank account number because they want to keep your username more secure.