Multiple Name Changes

Sock puppeting without being goady is just a bit sad, it doesn't really cause any grief.

Using different names around the site on different threads is perfectly acceptable isn't it?

Don't pull them up on it on the thread - most of the time you're going to be guessing. Report it to MNHQ so they can check. Then you don't get told off!

I don't see how any of these ideas would make any difference at all.

I usually name change every few months because I don't want to be identifiable to certain people I know. If I think I've given too much away I name change. When I'd been a member for a few moths a real life acquaintance asked if it was me after something I'd posted.

But this time I changed because I wanted to talk about something very personal and didn't want it to be easy to cross check with other posts. It would be simple enough to just re-register with a different email address, so banning it would be pointless.

Not too easy as such. It needs to be easy because most posters are genuine with genuine reasons for wanting a NC. But I do think it would be a good idea to a) relinquish names that a user hasn't posted front in 1-3 months, b) display the number of active usernames within the last month alongside the UN and c) make all but a select few categories have a deletion time frame so that posters like me don't feel like their UN has built up too much identifiable history.

But MNHQ can see exactly what you are doing, so if you were being goady, they would be able to deal with it.

I don't!

I do!

I don't!

I do!

I've accidentally sockpuppeted before quite badly actually. I'd changed my NN to a previous one in the posting box (a name that I don't mind personal info on), come back to reply and forgot to do that and accidentally posted under the current NN, then replied again a few days later having had a recent name change. Luckily it wasn't while having a row with anyone but looking at usernames alone, my POV was a bit over represented!

" if you could relinquish previous names or just have the names you have used in the last few months"

so what would happen to the 'relinquished names? would they go back in the pot? so others can use them? don't think that would really work...? (so what would be the point of relinquishing them??)

Why do people get so hett up, as others have said, you can easily sign up for a spare gmail address, and get another user account if you want to be GF - stopping name changes will NOT stop trolls / GF / and sock puppetry

What we need is to continue to report those people, not give more than we can afford to, and stop trying to control the masses due to the actions of a few wankers

I think they did try a name change relinquish years ago and it was very difficult to do. Maybe if there was an automatic rollover (use it or lose it) type thing it could work though?

LittleBear and Chipped I'm so glad that your lives are lovely and simple that you cannot imagine why people would need hundreds of namechanged.
Nancy, Lola, and violet have all given examples of why it becomes necessary. Many people have complicated lives, not necessarily in the public eye, but they are watched by others (ok, sounds paranoid, but really not).
Name-changing every few weeks keeps people safe. But the time they've been here even only five years, that's hundreds of usernames.
Lots of us have been here far longer than that!

Wannabe yes they do. Sometimes people need to name change quickly to get advice quickly. AND as I said, it's easy enough to register again under a different email address. You can get throwaway temporary email addresses now.

So this wouldn't fix the trolls at all.

I nc a lot (or I used to before the system stopped letting me) mainly because I think I am on the edge of being outed

Name changes could be approved by MN HQ. Nobody needs to name change that urgently that they can't wait a few hours for an approval.

I moderated on a site where you could change your name but only every seven days I think it was. You will never stop trolling altogether but limiting name changes would reduce trolling significantly. Also, they could prevent posters from using more than one name on the same thread.

Years ago there was a poster called globetrotterInVietnam who had her ability to name change removed because of the number of sockpuppets she used. I don't imagine she's the only one but she's the one I remember.

I namechange regularly. There's nothing wrong with that and if I couldn;t....or if people here judged me as a troll because I had a large number by my name, then I wouldn't come here.

Other forums do allow namechanges...also, people are forgetting that it's very simple to grab a throwaway email address and just register again under a fresh name.

SOmeone could do that daily if they wanted to. So all this outcry is silly and misdirected really.

I have to change my NN regularly due to my DPs stalking ex

I have loads of usernames because I post really sensitive identifiable information a lot of the time