What's the etiquette when you recognise someone on here?

[Notlostjustexploring]

I've just stumbled across a thread and realised I recognise a poster in real life. What is the etiquette? Do I say something? I can't work out or not if I'd want to know, but a look through my own posting history, although intermittent, is at times a pretty intimate view on my life.

The thread in question was fairly non contentious, and the poster is a friend, but not so close that we'd know every detail of each others lives anyway.

Do I let them know so they can name change? How would they feel if they knew I could look at their entire posting history and know it was them? (I've not looked btw, although it's on the internet, it still feels like a breach of privacy!!)

What do I do?

I'd want to know.
Then I could choose if to name change or not.
I would also like to know who you are, of course. Although I find the whole 'I know who you are' thing abit OTT....
How are you investing so much time into reading one person's posts? I couldnt tell you who anyone is, because I dont look at posting history.

Plus situations are so widespread. Jobs. Home set ups. Partners. Issues. We all think we are so unique, but there's carbon copies of us all over the place.

Still, I think the right thing to do is tell the person you know, if we all wanted to be totally transparent our usernames would be our real names, and none of us would tweak our posts (ie. The favourite DP has an outing hobby, I cannot say because I'll be RECOGNISED - cycling, trains, scuba diving, standing on one leg for hours, cam girls )

As previous posters have said, who you assume person is, may not be!

The stuff I post about is so dull that it wouldn't bother me if I was recognised. I am an open person so I don't have secrets (aka I have a big mouth and can't keep my own secrets).

I've been recognised on here before, by someone who is a friendly acquaintance - she texted me to see if it was me. I was happy to confirm it, as I mostly just post to witter on about unimportant stuff.

Complete anticlimax. I met up with said friend today, she'd mentioned that she'd posted something on a forum, and I basically lept right in with "btw I saw you on Mumsnet". It was her, but she wasn't remotely bothered that I'd recognised her, so massive non issue.

Looking through someone's previous posts when you know who it is feels a bit like being asked to feed a friend's pet and because you've got a key you start rummaging through their cupboards.

@FredtheFerret that’s why I advanced searched and it was definitely the person I knew. Job, recent life event, area and even the username when put together was definitely her. She had written a post on aibu then put the same thing with for word on Facebook.