changing twitter handle / name - advice needed

hannonle

I'm thinking of changing my twitter handle but will it effect things like rafflecopters and twitter comps that I have entered but which haven't ended yet?

If, say, in two weeks someone tries to find me at my old username will it still re-route them to the new-named account?

(I searched before posting but couldn't find this asked before)

Thanks in advance.

hazyjo

Why don't you just open a new twitter account? Keep the old one going still? That's what I did when I got close to following 2,000 users.

Jx

Spanjj

If a host is running a contest properly then it should be storing your unique Twitter ID number rather than your screen name. I would be surprised is Rafflecopter wasn't doing that. Your unique id number stays the same regardless of your username.

As for other contests, hosts will probably pick a winner from the tweets / retweets. Your previous tweets / retweets will be converted to the new name when you make the change so they should still be able to find you.

Therefore I'd say you'd be safe to change it

gholmes724

Rafflecopter stores the twitter ID you give it, it does not have the facility to update if you change your twitter name and there is no 'unique id number'

Rafflecopters just store the information you give it. That's why it's so easy to spot cheaters because they haven't filled theirs in.

Spanjj

Well I certainly hope that's not true! But for argument's sake I've decided to go straight to the horses mouth:

'Helloo!

I'd like to know how you store Twitter entries to competitions and whether you store the user's unique user id or whether you just store their screen name? I.E. if some changes their screen name, will all their previous entries to Rafflecopter contests be void? (I hope not!)

Any info would be greatly appreciated,

Many thanks,
Angela'

Will be interesting to hear back. As for the existence a 'unique id number', it very much indeed does exist. I've been working with the Twitter API for a number of years and I'm pretty sure I didn't imagine it

gholmes724

I run Rafflecopter Competitions on my blog. I can see exactly what they store. It all goes onto a spreadsheet. Once it is there it does not update.

gholmes724

This is what a rafflecopter stores:

Entry Number

Name

Email

Option

Extra info

Time

IP address

It DOES NOT update your twitter name if you change it after entering.

Spanjj

Like a downloadable document? I think you can only download that when the contest is finished. Says on the site: 'When it's over, export a CSV for offline processing'. CSV might not have everything on there, you don't need the user id once the contest is over and the prize has been given away.

Aaaaannnyyyyway! I've asked them directly so we'll find out for sure soon!

brightonman123

best keep the @name the same, but can change screen name to whatever you like!

RavenRae

I changed my name and it did not change on Rafflecopter

The host contacted me and asked if the winning twitter ID was my old account.

What I did hannonle after that was created a new account with my old name and just put a message on there to say I had a new account.

So no, Rafflecopter will not change an existing entry to your new name - you fill in that field after all not RC.

HTH
xoxo

Autumnella

I changed mine. I just risked that my twitter entry probably wouldn't have won anyway. My original username had the word b.... in it so I was worried people would discount me as didn't want to post it on their twitter page.