# Naming Accounts Consistently

## Consistency in online account names

During the CYF course you will make accounts online. (Such as Slack, GitHub, Google Classroom, LinkedIn...)

You should always use your real name. It must **always be the same name**. Don't use any other words apart from your name. Do not ever put your birth year or age in your user name. These things can harm your job prospects so start as you mean to go on.

Trainees use the same name everywhere in their work with CYF. 

CYF recognises **you may need to keep your birth name private**.  When we say real name, we mean the name you go by. It does not have to match your birth certificate or any other legal document.  

Your profile picture does not have to be a picture of you. It must be safe for work, consistent and unique, so you don't get mixed up with other people. If you need to keep your photo private, you can use [Robohash](https://robohash.org/) to make a unique profile picture.

## Summary

* Don't use cute handles or put the year of your birth in your username.
* Use the **same username and picture** across all CYF accounts. This also means professional profiles like Linkedin and Github.

This policy was changed on 5 August 2021.


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