my life on mumsnet

Not so sure about the deleting stuff to be honest.

I also try to reveal little about myself. But there was once I was in a really tough place economically, we are running our own business. (Initially it was purely home economics with cutting gas bills and money saving advice) I did not think I had said too much, until somebodys HUSBAND came own with his brand spanking new id (he said as much) and gave very good and specific advice, I had the inkling he had sussed my business name. For that reason I asked mnhq to delete thread, but they refused because others had taken time to give good advice!

For me, it was a security issue, if somebody knew both my business name (they would easily get directors address and phone number) AND that the business was in trouble, it could be disastrous for me from a business perspective.

Which brings us back to sensible posting, but when do you know if you in hindsight has posted sensibly or not? And if you have to be so guarded that you cant reveal anything, how can you go about getting any support and advice when you need it?
The moment you start posting, and people start asking questions, it can easily take other directions than you anticipate.

If no-one knows your posting name then there's no problem is there? Just be careful...

It's not like that boy who's got to marry sarah palin's daughter who had a load of stuff up on his facebook/myspace, some of which was a bit embarassing.

The only way someone can link your chat name to you is if you put a lot of detail/photos on your profile, if you tell them, if they hack your computer or mumsnet servers.

The first two you have control over, the second two are pretty damn unlikely. What makes you think your posts are interesting to anyone other than other MNers? I can't imagine that any outside agencies are particularly interested in my views on BLW...

why do you think your children would read it?

i never post anything that i would not want my DH or my mum to read, for example.. nothing thst would embarass me or my family..

answer is to name change for really personal stuff or not tell your children your posting name

always good to bear in mind that the t'interweb is not a cosy little private place, it is vast and nothing is really confidential

But Soupy what if you just have a very clever determined DS who cleverly works it out for himself?

Gosh, signing off mumsnet just because your children can read seems a bit extreme. You won't stop needed advice just because they can read (IME)! Ds can read and knows my posting name and I suspect WILL search one of these days and find all sorts of stuff about him but none of it is horrible.

I've posted about problems with ds and tbh if he reads them he'll see that I love him and have just wanted to be a better parent and find strategies that worked when we had problems.

How about you don't let your children know your posting name?

Quint, I agree, I really don't like the tought of DS being able to look up all my innermost secrets. MN is rather like a personal diary for many, we post our random thoughts and feelings all too easily.

stitch I have been thinking along the same lines as you for quite some time now, but am still unable to post. Thankfully I mainly hang around in chat for this very reason.

I have made a vow to myself. The minute my oldest reach an age where he is able to use a computer, and google, without help, I will log off mumsnet for good. I just dont want them to get the idea that they can search for what mum has been saying, it terrifies me, especially if they find threads in Parenting, where I am asking for advice regards to the kids. I think seing old threads relating to behavioural issues, and my own inability to cope sometimes, can be devastating. In a sense, it is like opening a diary to the past, and nobody wants their children to read their diaries?

I think threads should expire like chat threads do.

It will be cost efficient to mumsnet too, as the database would be smaller.

I put a memorial on a site for my lost babies once, it helped me grieve and my Dp's other daughter somehow found it and caused all kinds of problems for me with it.
I agree with what you are saying stitch, but only because I've been caused the trouble before now. I probably wouldn't have given it a second thought otherwise.

I don't mind if ds and dd read these in years to come.

The only answer is, don;t post on internet message boards. They are most definitely not made for privacy.

I do try not to post anything that I could be embarrassed by. I am not ashamed of my opinions, if I make a mistake or feel I have been rude/hurtful, I apologise.
Personal stuff, I rarely post and I am not ashamed of having personal problems any way. And as it is highly unlikely that I am ever going to be famous, i don't think that anyone would be bothered to search any information on me anyhow.

'my' chat name not 'by' chatname

I think about this sometimes. Particularly as I stupidly forgetfully used by chat name on another (business related) social network.

No - I wouldn't want my posts deleted at all

I am really looking forward to sitting down with my DCs when they have children pouring over my (by then) hilarious views on child rearing.

I do however, tend to be careful about what I write here in light of that. I am careful never to write negatively about the children or about my DH.

As to my views on societal issues, I tend to the tolerant spectrum on these topics, except for smacking, and if in the future someone decrees that smacking children is a necessary part of child rearing, I would still be out there (and on here) telling everyone that that is a ridiculous idea!

So no, I definitely don't support deleting threads from the past - those threads will be of such hisoric interest in years to come. It will be an almost unprecedented view inside the day to day lives of families in the early 2000's, something that social historians would love to have available to them for other eras

I'm with VS in that I'm happy to stand by, or explain, any views I've posted. I rarely name change for delicate matters.

If I'm pilloried in 2032 for bootcamping, keeping chickens or thinking that God created Morph from clay, then anyone smart will recognise it for what it was and the airheads can enjoy reading having it read to them from the DM.

Some would say organised, some would say sad.

Bloody 'ell Soupy, you are organised

Doesn't bother me at all. If it did I wouldn't post it or I would post it under another name (of which I have several under more than one email address)

It doesn't bother me in the least.
I name change or post in chat for anything I don't want people to know it's me.
As for theological debates etc, If I'm going to be persecuted for my beliefs then I'm going to be persecuted. I wouldn't hide them.

My life on here is a diary. One I keep meaning to print off. I would hate to lose some of it.