[wp-trac] [WordPress Trac] #43037: Login error message "Invalid username. Lost your password?" is confusing

[WordPress Trac]

#43037: Login error message "Invalid username. Lost your password?" is confusing
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 Reporter:  afercia                    |       Owner:
     Type:  defect (bug)               |      Status:  new
 Priority:  normal                     |   Milestone:  5.0
Component:  Login and Registration     |     Version:  2.8
 Severity:  normal                     |  Resolution:
 Keywords:  has-screenshots has-patch  |     Focuses:  ui, accessibility
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Comment (by subrataemfluence):

 Replying to [comment:5 SergeyBiryukov]:

 You are right. If a user forgets both Username and Email address, it would
 be a complete mess!

 I have uploaded a modified diff file which uses specific error messages
 for Username and Email address.

 > Replying to [ticket:43037 afercia]:
 > > While this link makes perfectly sense when users enter a wrong
 ''password'', it doesn't when they enter a wrong ''username''. The error
 is a wrong username, why I should ever be offered a link to retrieve my
 password?
 >
 > I think it still makes sense when they enter a wrong username. If a user
 only remembers the email address, password reset email can be used to
 remember the correct username (the email contains the site name and the
 username).
 >
 > Same for "Invalid email address" error, if a user only remembers the
 username, they can use the password reset form and then check their
 inboxes to find where the email went.
 >
 > Maybe the link text could be changed to something else (e.g. "Lost your
 username?", "Recover account", "Try password reset"), but I think the link
 should stay. There's already a "Lost your password?" link below the form,
 but it's not very noticeable, and getting an error message without any
 hint for a resolution is not very user-friendly :)
 >
 > Replying to [comment:2 subrataemfluence]:
 > > Since self hosted WordPress does not really provide any inbuilt
 functionality for retrieving username/email address
 >
 > It does allow you to see the username in the password reset email if you
 remember the email address.

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Ticket URL: <https://core.trac.wordpress.org/ticket/43037#comment:8>
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