Your Identity on SurrealPolitiks

Here at SurrealPolitiks, we take your privacy very seriously. Your entire experience on our site is encrypted using SSL, and we have a number of layers of security built into the site to keep your information safe. We require strong passwords in excess of 12 characters for administrators, and offer all users the option of Two Factor Authentication (2FA).

We also offer what could be described as social features on the site, and this allows you to interact with other users. Because of this, it is important for you to understand how you present yourself to other users.

When you register with SurrealPolitiks.com, it is almost always done by making a purchase. Because of this, we require your real billing information (unless you are paying with cryptocurrency), and in the case of products to be shipped, we require your real shipping information, no matter how you paid. Also, regardless of your payment method or the nature of your purchase. we require an email address that you check regularly so our site and its operators can communicate with you regarding your account.

None of these details about your identity are made visible to other users by default. You choose how you appear to other users on this site, and during the registration process you are asked how these details are to be presented. 

The fields that other users can see are your “Username” and your “Display Name“. The screenshot below shows how these present on this website.

 

Please note that this is the “Your Profile” link in the sidebar menu (which on your mobile device may be at the bottom of the screen). This menu only appears when you are logged in.

This is a very different function from the “My Account” link in the top menu, pictured below.

 

Think of it like this. The “Profile” page is how you present to other users, and the “My Account” is your private information. It is true that they have some overlap in functionality, but they have different purposes on the site. For example, you can change your Display Name, or your password using either function. Among the notable differences, your billing information, First and Last Name, and order history are limited to the “My Account” page, and your interactions with other users are limited to the “Profile” page.

But, to keep matters simple, just think of it this way.

Account = Private
Profile = Public

When you register at checkout, you are asked for your real billing and shipping information. These Are Not Made Public.

 

You are separately asked for your Username and your Display Name. THESE ARE MADE PUBLIC!

 

You are reminded of this information being made public when you fill out these fields.

 

Note that the warning appears when you click inside the box to fill out the information.

 

To reiterate, this is how these fields present on your public profile.

 

You can change how these fields appear any time you want, using the My Profile feature on the site.

To Change Your Display Name

To change your Display Name

1. Click “My Profile
2. Click Edit
3. Click in the text field box beneath “Name (required)”
4. Enter your new Display Name
5. Click Save

 

To Change Your Username

Before you change your username, you must understand a few things. This site uses software called WordPress, and your Public Profile is a function of a feature called BuddyPress. WordPress was not designed for Usernames to be changeable. This is an added feature that we have made available for your convenience and privacy protection, but it is imperfect.

Your username creates the link to your public profile. For example, if your Username is “MyNiftyName” your profile link will be https://surrealpolitiks.com/members/MyNiftyName/profile/

Because of this, when you change your username, the links to your public profile will change to the new name. For Example, if you change your name to “MyNewName” your profile link will now be https://surrealpolitiks.com/members/MyNewName/profile/

When you interact with other users on this site, for example if you @mention somebody in a public comment, that activity will display and link to the Username that created the comment. When you change your name, the link will not be updated. Anybody who sees that activity, will see the old username, and if they click the link to it, they will not find your new page. This is important to understand, both because it leaves traces of something you may be trying to hide, and because it will make it more difficult to find you for users you may want to interact with.

This will change the login credential that you use to login. So if your login name was “MyIsNotCool” and you change it to “IHaveACoolName”, you will need to log in with “IHaveACoolName” from now on. If you have saved your login credentials in your web browser, these will no longer work!

For these reasons, we encourage you to choose your username carefully at registration. If you must change it, please change it as soon as possible, and please do not change it again unless you really need to.

1. Click the “My Profile” Link in the right hand, or bottom menu.
2. Click Settings
3. Cllick “Change Username
4. Enter your new Username
5. Click Save

 

We hope this document and its illustrations have helped you understand your identity as presented on this website. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact us.