Old Code Comment: "nb: HN Usernames Are Case Sensitive"
Posted3 months agoActive3 months ago
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calmneutral
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20/100
HNUsername PoliciesLegacy Code
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HN
Username Policies
Legacy Code
In 10+ year old code I saw this comment that said HN usernames are case sensitive.
It doesn't look like this is true anymore, thankfully. Can anyone confirm?
The author found an old code comment claiming HN usernames are case sensitive, and is seeking confirmation if this is still true, sparking a discussion about the current state of HN's username policy.
Snapshot generated from the HN discussion
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- 01Story posted
Oct 16, 2025 at 7:34 AM EDT
3 months ago
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Oct 17, 2025 at 5:31 PM EDT
1d after posting
Step 02 - 03Peak activity
1 comments in 30-36h
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Step 03 - 04Latest activity
Oct 18, 2025 at 5:49 PM EDT
3 months ago
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ID: 45604114Type: storyLast synced: 11/17/2025, 10:09:07 AM
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I just tried with a lowercase L and it worked.
and
https://news.ycombinator.com/user?id=mankinas
Both lead to your profile. I suspect if they were case sensitive this wouldn’t be the case.