diff --git a/src/cmd/tui/tui_groups.go b/src/cmd/tui/tui_groups.go
index 2293219..4fdb07e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/tui/tui_groups.go
+++ b/src/cmd/tui/tui_groups.go
@@ -125,8 +125,7 @@ func (m mainModel) Update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, tea.Cmd) {
 				for k, v := range dupProtect {
 					if _, ok := selected[k]; !ok {
 						for _, user := range users {
-							split := strings.Split(user.Names, "/")
-							if split[0] == v || split[1] == v {
+							if user.Shortname == v || user.Longname == v {
 								selectToggle(item(k))
 							}
 						}
diff --git a/src/cmd/users.go b/src/cmd/users.go
index 591558e..012d280 100644
--- a/src/cmd/users.go
+++ b/src/cmd/users.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package cmd
 import (
 	"os"
 	"os/exec"
-	"slices"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -34,8 +33,8 @@ func UsersCmd() *cobra.Command {
 				seen_users := []utils.User{}
 				user_sb := []string{}
 				for name, usr := range utils.Users {
-					if !slices.Contains(seen_users, usr) {
-						user_sb = append(user_sb, utils.Users[name].Names+" ->"+" Username: "+usr.Username+" Email: "+usr.Email+"\n")
+					if !utils.ContainsUser(seen_users, usr) {
+						user_sb = append(user_sb, utils.Users[name].Shortname+"/"+utils.Users[name].Longname+" ->"+" Username: "+usr.Username+" Email: "+usr.Email+"\n")
 						seen_users = append(seen_users, usr)
 					}
 				}
diff --git a/src/cmd/utils/commit.go b/src/cmd/utils/commit.go
index a3ad371..06f5c6b 100644
--- a/src/cmd/utils/commit.go
+++ b/src/cmd/utils/commit.go
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ func add_x_users(excludeMode []string) {
 // helper function to select groups of users to exclude in the commit message
 func group_selection(group []User, excludeMode []string) []string {
 	for _, user := range Users {
-		if !(slices.Contains(group, user)) {
+		if !(ContainsUser(group, user)) {
 			excludeMode = append(excludeMode, user.Username)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/cmd/utils/user_util.go b/src/cmd/utils/user_util.go
index 033c189..7a509ea 100644
--- a/src/cmd/utils/user_util.go
+++ b/src/cmd/utils/user_util.go
@@ -1,84 +1,75 @@
 package utils
 
 import (
-	"bufio"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
+	"slices"
+
+	"encoding/json"
 )
 
 // This util file is used to handle users and their information
+
 type User struct {
-	Username string
-	Email    string
-	Names    string
+	Shortname string   `json:"shortname"`
+	Longname string   `json:"longname"`
+	Username  string   `json:"username"`
+	Email     string   `json:"email"`
+	Ex        bool     `json:"ex"`
+	Groups    []string `json:"groups"`
+}
+
+type Author struct {
+	Authors map[string]User
 }
 
 var Users = map[string]User{}
 var DefExclude = []string{}
 var Groups = map[string][]User{}
 
+func ContainsUser(users []User, user User) bool {
+    return slices.ContainsFunc(users, func(u User) bool {
+        return u.Shortname == user.Shortname && 
+               u.Longname == user.Longname && 
+               u.Username == user.Username && 
+               u.Email == user.Email && 
+               u.Ex == user.Ex &&
+               slices.Equal(u.Groups, user.Groups)
+    })
+}
+
 func Define_users(author_file string) {
 	// wipe the users map
 	Users = map[string]User{}
 	DefExclude = []string{}
 	Groups = map[string][]User{}
 
-	file, err := os.Open(author_file)
+	var auth Author
+
+	data, err := os.ReadFile(author_file)
 	if err != nil {
-		print("File not found")
+		fmt.Println("Error reading author file: ", err)
+		os.Exit(2)
+	}
+	err = json.Unmarshal(data, &auth)
+	if err != nil {
+		fmt.Println("Error unmarshalling json: ", err)
 		os.Exit(2)
 	}
-	defer file.Close()
 
-	scanner := bufio.NewScanner(file)
-
-	// eat a single input
-	scanner.Scan()
-
-	// reads the input of authors file and formats accordingly
-	for scanner.Scan() {
-		input_str := scanner.Text()
-		group_info := []string{}
-		if strings.Contains(input_str, ";;") {
-			input := strings.Split(input_str, ";;")
-			input_str = input[0]
-			group_info = append(group_info, strings.Split(input[1], "|")...)
-		}
-		info := strings.Split(input_str, "|")
-		if len(info) < 4 {
-			if len(info) > 0 {
-				if info[0] == "" {
-					info[0] = "(empty string)"
-				}
-				fmt.Println("Error: User", info[0], "is missing information")
-				} else {
-					fmt.Println("Error: Some user is missing information")
-				}
-				fmt.Println("Please check the author file for proper syntax")
-			if input_str == "" {
-				fmt.Println("empty line found in author file")
-			} else {
-				fmt.Println("author file input:", input_str)
-			}
-			os.Exit(1)
-		}
-		usr := User{Username: info[2], Email: info[3], Names: info[0] + "/" + info[1]}
-		Users[info[0]] = usr
-		Users[info[1]] = usr
-		// Adds users with the ex tag to the defExclude list
-		if len(info) == 5 {
-			if info[4] == "ex" {
-				DefExclude = append(DefExclude, info[2])
-			}
+	for _, usr := range auth.Authors {
+		Users[usr.Shortname] = usr
+		Users[usr.Longname] = usr
+		if usr.Ex {
+			DefExclude = append(DefExclude, usr.Shortname)
 		}
+		
+		group_info := usr.Groups
 		if len(group_info) > 0 {
-			// Group assignment
 			for _, group := range group_info {
 				if Groups[group] == nil {
 					Groups[group] = []User{usr}
 				} else {
-					//TODO: Try and find a cleaner way of doing this
 					usr_lst := Groups[group]
 					usr_lst = append(usr_lst, usr)
 					Groups[group] = usr_lst
@@ -86,17 +77,12 @@ func Define_users(author_file string) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	if err := scanner.Err(); err != nil {
-		os.Exit(2)
-	}
 }
 
 func RemoveUser(short string) {
 	usr := Users[short]
-	split := strings.Split(usr.Names, "/")
-	delete(Users, split[0])
-	delete(Users, split[1])
+	delete(Users, usr.Shortname)
+	delete(Users, usr.Longname)
 }
 
 func TempAddUser(username, email string) {