Ability to advanced search on ALL one's own past usernames

I'd be in favour just for interest in what I've posted in the past. To retain anonymity it would be important that no-one else could do it, ie, I couldn't search for all of your posts on all of your user names, nor could you find all my posts on all my user names.

I like the idea of MN sending me a zip file off all my posts on all my user names, but on email, completely outside of MN. If necessary, for added security, I would be prepared to set up a new email account to which they could send the file which is not the one I sign in with or anything.

Is that the sort of thing people are thinking of?

I'd be in favour of this

I'd much rather this wasnt an option. It would make it really quick for someone who knows your log in details (abusive partner?) to access all your old posts in one go. No thanks.

I would appreciate this option as well.

I have no idea about hackers. But how about also giving us the ability to delete any of our own historical posts, say from over a year ago? I love using the archive for info - it's invaluable. I wouldn't want there to be mass deletions; otoh I would like to check all my own posts and judiciously delete any that could be connected and put together to identify me. This is detailed work, best done by the MNer themselves. For example, if you looked at which schools I've commented on, it wouldn't take you long to work out first of all where I live; then if you added other bits of info, you could identify me with some ease. Indeed this has been done with some MNers. I'd like to just delete the most identifying posts from the past while continuing to contribute my magnificent wisdom to the archive oeuvre.

As I said it is a bit of a faff to get to. An entire listing of all posts on the other hand would give any hacker far more information.

Most likely everyday danger to users is from dc or ex working out password and gaining access to conversations we wouldn't necessarily want them to be party to.

Change your name and passwords often.

Surely just the list as it stands (and any outing info in your login) is most interesting to a hacker? They won't gain anything from the ability to see all posts in one list - once they have the list of names they can advance search the posts for each name without being "you"

"yes please. I have no idea what I may or may not have shared over the last almost 14 years." - me, too. I also don't want to lose innocuous posts which don't identify me. It would be great to see a "whole MN history" and be able to check it over.

There will always be a risk that staff will behave unprofessionally no matter what security is in place, the only way to secure data is to ensure that leaks will be punished by the law. That means non disclosure agreements and serious consequences.

I used to work in finance and had access to accounts of well known people in the public eye, I did not take that information because it would be stupid, illegal and unprofessional to do so. That is how data protection works. This is a fact of life that has escaped Emma Healy until now but will undoubtedly be made very clear to her today and in the future!

MN has been hacked before and the whole F4J debacle also went on for a long time and tested the limits. Long term posters know from experience that the solution is user awareness. Regular namechanges and password changes, changing of real life identifiers in posts etc.

Right now if someone stumbles across your password or username they can see some of your posts until you work it out and/or namechange (as many of us do as a matter of regular habit now). Old usernames are a bit of a faff to get to and as such not immediately downloadable. Make that a one button search and you have made a mischief seeker's quest a lot easier. I vote don't.

yes please. I have no idea what I may or may not have shared over the last almost 14 years.

I would be interested in this idea. Have a reasonable number of NCs over several years. I post under different names for family & personal stuff, work stuff etc. If details were hacked, anyone who knew me could identify me in an instant.

Couldn't agree more IamXXhearmeroar

She was paid, six month internship, close connections on staff. All on the other thread where concerns are being expressed.

Do we know if Emma was an unpaid intern?

Surely this functionality would make life easier for hackers?

You can already see your past usernames in the account setting so can look that way?

The whole reason MN took off so quickly and strongly back in the day was the ability for posters to change names, something which was very restricted on other parenting sites.

I think the answer to all of this is to have strong security surrounding staff contracts and perhaps an educational intro for new users on their own online security.

The widespread VPN use recommendation is all very well but perhaps people don't realise that you need to use a good quality secure VPN because any one you use can in essence see everything you are doing online so logins, passwords etc.

Sorry for the slight derail there!

And yes, I've been here just shy of ten years - there are a lot of names to search through when looking for a particular post, it's rather hard to find the one I'm looking for. And that's when I know what I'm looking for, and I'm not just doing a data tidy up!