Today, March 21, 2017, ISC has implemented a change to the PennKey registration page to allow new users to check the availability of and select a PennKey user name of their own choosing, in addition to being able to select from a list of automatically generated names. The new feature checks the PennNames service for availability of the requested name as the user types, and alerts the user of error conditions (e.g., "too short", "too long", "not available") in real time. If the user enters an available 3-8 character name (or chooses one of the pre-generated options) the "Continue" button takes the user to the next step of the registration process, which remains unchanged. As before, users are warned to choose carefully, since their PennKey username may appear as part of their email address, as well as in other public forums.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding this change, please contact ISC Client Care at help@isc.upenn.edu.