why do people bother announcing a name change on MN?

[Dahitsnotme]

whats with the typical opening line on some chats: "hi there, name changed obviously.."
Obviously! If one cares about not being traced he/she will change their name but why so important to make a point?
Am I missing something?

Because, depending on subject, the troll hunters will be all over someone they think is new!

Otherwise people may think they re a troll with no posting history.

They're helping other users to know that they ar genuine, not trolls and that they've been around a while (and know what a name change is!) In addition to posting something identifiable which can be linked back to other posts.

Say I posted here about my horrid mother in law, she could recognise some details, look back at my other posts and see my thread in relationships where I cheated on DP or my thread in pregnancy loss or my thread in AIBU about my political views.

Helps to cover your tracks.

Because they want to signal that they are a regular poster whose NC due to not being outed on a sensitive issue, rather than potentially a troll/goady first time poster.

So people know they’re regular users of the site, and not someone making a first time post, especially if it’s a subject that could be considered suspicious, e.g by the poo troll.

I don't get it either.

Especially the old 'very outing, people in RL know me on here so I've changed names' etc and then give a super detailed account of their great aunt sleeping with the builder or something - surely if you knew the story you'd guess who had posted, regardless of name changing?

The reason, as others have pointed out already is twofold.

1, if it is a thread that could be viewed as somewhat controversial, it is so people don't think the OP is a troll. (Although there's nothing stopping trolls saying the same so that doesn't really work, does it?).

2, if the details in the thread reveal who you are, then nobody can search your username and previous posting history to find all your other threads about suffering from piles, or suspecting your dh is having an affair with your cousin, or that you loathe your MIL, or you accidentally ran over and killed your NDN's cat, or you've been sacked from your job - or anything else.

managedmis The issue is not that someone may recognise the story, the name change ensures that if people recognise it, they can't link it to the rest of your posts. So you could post about your aunt under a new name safe in the knowledge RL people won't also see your posts about arguments with your partner, annoying work colleagues and secret health problems posted under your usual name.

But they'd still know that you'd still gossiped on MN about your aunt?

I get why people do it but it's irritating when they give random examples of well known threads as "proof" of being a regular poster, pretty much always including penis beaker That thread has been mentioned so many times I eventually looked it up.. .I mustn't have a sense of humour as I didn't find it funny