Delete or rename unused launchpad ID

You can rename the user yourself after logging in.

The problem is that launchpad ID ~ahn (Arhan) is owned by someone else. It either needs to be deleted or renamed so that I can change my own ID from ~ahn.netrek.org to ~ahn.

If the ID is already owned by someone else then there's nothing we can do, you'll have to choose a different ID.

The ~ahn ID is owned by someone else who registered it over 2 years ago but has had no activity at all and is not reachable. I am asking that this unused ~ahn ID be changed so that I can claim it. I see several other examples where such unused old ID's were renamed so that it could be used by someone more active. Examples include:

https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/launchpad/+question/64313
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/launchpad/+question/63115
https://answers.edge.launchpad.net/launchpad/+question/8315

Thank you.

In fact, a search for "username" on LP answers shows quite a few of these inactive ID reclaim requests that were done beyond the above 3.

Ahn, please get in touch with the current account holder and try to get his permission first. If he's agrees or he is unresponsive (please CC <email address hidden>) for more than two weeks (please remind me about it), we can ask our admins to give you "ahn" username.

I will use this URL to contact the current account holder: https://launchpad.net/~ahn/+contactuser since his email address is not public. I have no way to CC you on that form, so I will send you a separate email copy of the message. Thank you.

I have received a reply from the current account holder (email addresses stripped here, but original reply has been sent to <email address hidden>):

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Krzysztof Gumienny <email address hidden>
Date: Fri, Jun 19, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Subject: Re: Disabling your account / renaming your Launchpad ID.
To: ahn <email address hidden>

On 2009-06-16, tue, 16:51 +0000, ahn wrote:

> I am contacting you to see if you are willing to give up your Launchpad
> ID (http://launchpad.net/~ahn). You had registered it over 2 years ago
> but have had no activity since. I would like to claim this '~ahn' ID
> because I use it across all of my open source projects. I have made
> this request to Launchpad administrators via this URL:
> https://answers.launchpad.net/launchpad/+question/74159, and they asked
> me to contact you to see if you reachable.

No problem, you can use that ID. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it
was simply removed after such a long time, so thank you for asking :)
Use it and give it a new, better, more productive life ;)

--
kind regards,
Krzysztof 'Arhan' Gumienny

Can you ask him to go to https://launchpad.net/people/+me/+edit and change the name, then? That way you'll be able to use it.

I could request this from the current account holder, but it seems you are asking me to jump through several hoops when there are many prior instances where these ID rename/takeover requests have been done by LP without much issue (references listed above). Also, while I am actively using my LP login, there is a small chance that the ID could be taken between the time it is changed by the current account holder and when I see its availability and can claim it. The email I forwarded to <email address hidden> should reveal the current account holder's private email address, which should verify that it is authentic and tied to that ID. So, it would be faster and more reliable for LP to make this change. Could you reconsider your request?

It is best if the other user renames his account, because even the most detailed email forwarded by you could be a fabrication. Plus it doesn't get an admin involved.

That said, this seems extremely unlikely to me in this case... if Danilo can confirm the details, let's get an admin to do the renaming.

I was able to get the current account holder to change his ID so that I could take it over.