Today, we are excited to announce a new update for the Microsoft Tech Community that brings some important changes and enhancements to the platform. In this blog post, we will explain what these changes are and why they matter for you as a community member.

Display Names without Spaces

One of the most noticeable changes in this update is that we have begun asking affected users who have spaces in their display name to change them. This means that if you still have a display name that contains spaces, such as John Doe or Jane Smith, you will need to update it to a single word, such as JohnDoe or Jane_Smith. You can change your display name at any time from your profile settings.

Why did we make this change? There are two main reasons. First, we wanted to fix some user experience issues with the @mention feature, which allows you to tag other users in your posts and comments. It was previously not possible to tag users with spaces in their names. Now, you can simply type @ followed by the display name, like this: @JohnDoe. This is much easier and consistent, and it also makes the @mentions more visible and clickable.

Second, we wanted to prepare for a new user interface that we are planning to launch in the early fall. This new UI will have a more modern and streamlined look and feel, and it will also introduce some new features and functionalities which don’t work if the display name has a space in it. We will be sharing more about this update in the coming weeks and months.

We understand that this change may require some adjustment for some of you, and we appreciate your understanding and cooperation. We believe that this change will improve the overall user experience and prepare the platform for the future.

We will approach this update in two phases, between now and end of August 2024 we will present affected users with a pop up and ask them to update their display name. This pop up can be dismissed.

Phase 2, starting from September 1st , we will require all affected users to make this change.

Registration Experience

Another change that we have made in this update is to improve the registration experience for new users. Previously, when you signed up for the Microsoft Tech Community, you had to choose a display name. The process for doing this was confusing and we observed some users would leave before selecting a display name. Now, we have simplified the process by suggesting a display name for you based on your first name. You can then change this if you want or keep it as it is.

For example, if your first name is John, we will suggest JohnS123 as your display name. You can then change it to something else, like JohnDoe or JoDoe, or keep it as john_doe. You can also change it later by going to your settings.

We hope that this change will make the registration process easier and faster for new users, while still allowing users to choose their own display name if they wished to do so.

Bug Fixes

Finally, we have also fixed some bugs and issues that were affecting the platform. Here are some of the most notable ones:

We fixed an issue where images on the events pages would break out of the box on the page, causing the layout to look messy and distorted. Now, the images are resized and cropped to fit the box.
We fixed an issue where there was no accessible text for screen readers on the ‘Accepted Solution’ check icon. This icon indicates that a post has been marked as the best answer by the original poster or a moderator. Now, the icon has text that says, ‘Go to Accepted Solution’, which can be read by screen readers.

We are always working to improve the Microsoft Tech Community platform and make it the best place for you to learn, share, and connect with other Microsoft enthusiasts and experts. We welcome your feedback and suggestions, and we thank you for your continued support and participation.

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