Much better would be if I could pick names to display for other people. That way when my friend chooses a silly nonsense pseudonym I can replace it with the name I want to see.
This is a feature steam added that I really liked.
1. You have a canonical URL that identifies the user.
2. The user can have any name they want, and the name will only change if you are in a chat room, adding a (2) if they are a duplicate name.
3. Finally, you can add tags and a nickname (separately) so you can always see whatever name YOU assign to the person and the person in question can represent themselves anyway they want.
Steam is one of the few social networks I participate in because I truly believe it adds some value to the basic digital distribution model. Say what you will about the ability to resell games or DRM or what have you, it is a compelling product.
