Hey there Lions!

I have some changes to announce:

First order of business, the Dishonorable Mention (DM) list has been removed. I announced here in the Den that this action would be taken into consideration by the Keepers and asked that anyone who wished to add anything to the conversation to submit whatever was on their mind. After giving it some time so that everyone had a chance to speak their piece, I read each message and concluded that removing the list would be in the best interest of the general public. As for the arguments to keep DM, I understand it's frustrating to have someone else use the same name when you've already established a recognizeable persona. However, I'm afraid that the opposing side not only held the majority but (more importantly) made some very valid points; namely that listing names of non-participants was an invasion of privacy and that DM promoted abuse rather than solving anything.

As I've always said, there's no way for Gryff Names to enforce our No Repeats rule on everyone. While we appreciate our fellow Gryffindors getting the word out there for those that wish to join our community, that doesn't mean everyone will follow suit. Our No Repeats rule will still stand, but all that means is that the duplicates will not be listed here. We can only encourage you to be creative when choosing a nickname.

Second order of business, we're changing the procedure for name submissions. If you're already on the list, then you don't need to concern yourself for you've been grandfathered in. However, new submissions and name changes will have to prove that they are who they claim to be. Instructions, which will be added shortly.

If you have any other concerns regarding Gryff Names, please contact us.

To Godric be the Glory!

Hey Lions!

I'd like to thank my fellow Keepers for running the place while I was away these past few days. I had such an eventful weekend, between vampire hunting and my muggle half sister having her fourth child, that I didn't have the time or means to check in on things here, never mind make updates. It was good to know the Keepers had things covered, so I didn't have to worry about anyone getting frustrated from a lack of response.

However, I did notice one suggestion that came in while I was away, and the contents of which I have heard from others. Generally, it went like this:

I think you should put the nicknames in alphabetical order rather than the usernames. That way it is easier to see if your nickname has been taken instead of going through the whole list.

When I made the transfer to Gryff Names, I knew from the beginning that I wanted the list to be alphabetical by usernames. Now, my fellow Gryffindor makes a very good point, and I certainly took that into consideration when initially constructing Gryff Names, but I decided that it was not my priority. There were a couple factors that decided this, but what it came down to is organization. Rather than moving the line of associated information up or down The List every time a Gryffindor requests another nickname, we list by username. It's easier to maintain! You may call that lazy, but I call it practical. It's easy enough to make mistakes in the HTML coding without making it more complicated for the Keepers.

We've included directions for the easiest method of finding a nickname on the top and bottom of the page so you don't have to look through the entire list. However, if you're not up for that, we're glad to tell you if a name has already been claimed when you submit a request. Also, I will not be adding a second list because that would be twice the work to maintain. One list only, please!

To Godric be the Glory!

Hey Lions,

As the Head Keeper of Gryff Names, I read all of the messages that are sent in through our contact forms, whether that be your submissions, comments, or what have you. For every message that leaves an email address, one of the Keepers or myself will reply, depending on who gets to it first. (Usually myself since I try to check the emails every day.) Most importantly, I take all suggestions into consideration in the hopes of building a better site.

(I did consider using a picture of butterbeer to replace the mug currently gracing Gryff Names, Fred Weasley, but none of the pictures I found inspired me. Feel free to send anything in that you like.)

That being said, I do not appreciate the nastiness some have used to get their message across. I apologize if I've ever given the impression that I'm not open to discuss your concerns, but you could have at least tried before resorting to unnecessary name-calling. The aggression that has been turned toward Crookshanks I find especially baffling. If you're unsatisfied with the way Gryff Names is run, then you should be directing your ire toward me. She may have started the Nickname List, but it has been in my hands (with the help of my fellow Keepers) as of October 3rd. Every page on this site has been added with my permission if not by my hands.

Due to complaints, the future of the Dishonorable Mention page is currently under discussion amongst the Keepers, though you may feel free to Contact Us to submit your input. In the meantime, the page will remain but the names listed will be removed until further notice. I'll make an announcement here in the Den when the final decision has been made.

Thank you for your patience.

To Godric be the Glory!

P.S. Fair Warning: Any comments that contain cussing will be removed from the Den. If you want to swear, send it through Contact Us for me to read. I'm trying to keep what's open to the public PG rated. Thanks.

Hey Lions!

I want to thank everyone (especially Charms) who took the time and consideration to discuss this with me. Who knew there would be so many differing opinions on numbers?! However, we have reached a decision. Numbers will be allowed in nicknames, but with the understanding that you will use them.

Here's a quote from the updated FAQs page:
We expect way too many people to be joining Pottermore in the future to avoid repeats, and so you're expected to honor The List's system by always making use of those numbers. How else would we differentiate between Henry and Henry VIII? That being said, I must stipulate that numbers such as "6" and its Roman numeral counterpart "VI" will be considered one and the same.

Accepted: Person A = Henry VIII aka Henry the 8th or Henry8
Not accepted: Person A = Henry VIII, Person B = Henry the 8th, Person C = Henry8

Again, thanks for all the input, lions. You were a lot of help.

To Godric be the Glory!

Hey Lions!

Just wanted to announce a couple new additions. We now have a Dishonorable Mention list for name-thieves and a FAQs page.

Also, allow me to make brief introductions of the current Keepers of Gryff Names:

- Charms (aka SunBat151) who didn't know what she was getting into when she agreed to help maintain The List. Muahahaha!
- Bolt (aka StoneFirebolt200) who had a much better idea of what was going on, yet decided to jump on board anyway.
- Red (aka MistRune11) who inspired some of the latest changes.
- Crookshanks (aka VineHallow211) who started it all.
- Fae Runewild (aka RuneWild145) who takes her sweet ass time getting things together.

To Godric be the Glory!

Hey Lions!

Clearly I shouldn't announce the deadlines I give myself when I can't stick by them. I should have known better. Wizards tend to get a little careless around this time end of the year, letting loose for the sake of the holidays. Halloween can be almost as hectic as Christmas, and creatures of all kinds respond to the excess magic in the air with restlessness.

The majority of work in the MoM's Beast Division is about pest control, but I still don't envy those in Misuse of Muggle Artifacts. Routing out the boggarts that find their way into muggle Haunted House mazes can be tedious, but I'd rather do that than hunt down an enchanted cauldron in a muggle store full of "trick" cauldrons before the next unexpecting muggle walks off with it.

So my apologies for the wait, but the site changes will happen when they happen, the owls' internet debut will be put on hold, and additions to The List may be slowed down some for the next few days. In the meantime, we've caught wind of a muggle adopting a runaway crup, and I'm the lucky one who gets to spend my weekend undercover to evaluate the damage and extract it. Awesome.

To Godric be the Glory!

Oh boy, do you lions know how to make a List Keeper feel popular! We've got a number of new submissions the past couple days. (Keep 'em coming, folks!) Compound that with some outside interference and I may have fallen a little behind in the schedule I had planned for improvements on the site. We're all caught up in maintaining The List (for now), so hopefully I can get cracking on that owl photo shoot shortly.

That being said, I couldn't help but notice the impatience from some of our fellow Gryffindors when they didn't receive a more prompt response to their submissions. While I do apologize for the delay, I have to ask that everyone give us time to keep up with the demand. Though I may be in the Beast and Being Division of the Ministry of Magic, I've not been put in the Centaur Liaison Office just yet, and therefore much of my time is spent earning my wages.  If you're concerned about when your name is added, then be sure to include your email address in your submission and you will receive a message when it's done. In the meantime, all I can ask is that you take comfort in my reassurance that all submissions and comments are looked over for consideration.

Anyway, make sure you complete the Pottermore Beta Survey! It's our privilege to explore the site early in order to help the creators make it a better place, so take advantage of the opportunity. Especially since this survey provides space to leave actual comments.

To Godric be the Glory!