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Original poster

Have you ever recognised someone on here?

106 replies

HowdenMinster · 26/06/2021 21:18

I've spotted a colleague, and oh my gosh it's compulsive entertainment. She has given enough away to make her hugely identifiable and yet paints a very very rosy version of her life. I used to quite like her (other colleagues warned me she wasn't pleasant), but the embellishments on here and the snotty, comments she leaves on people's posts have made me change my opinion. It's taking all my might not to comment with Hmm or Biscuit on all her posts.

Have you ever realised who someone is, and did you say anything to them? Or did you, like me, just get the popcorn in?

OP posts:
thebattleofschrutefarms · 26/06/2021 23:12

Yes! She posted her children's names on the baby name board and her username was a giveaway.

TheChild · 26/06/2021 23:12

Yep, never mentioned it and probably never will. It made me realise I actually know very little about the person whereas before I considered us to be quite close.

Howshouldibehave · 26/06/2021 23:13

Not someone from real life but I’ve recognised someone on here from an online wedding/baby forum I used to use.

She used to go on about being amazing at English and claimed to have a PhD. She used to post distinctive photos of her 2 children which were really just ‘Country and Home’ type photos of her house. She posted a very long post once about how she put a traffic warden in his place who had deigned to criticise her parking.

It turned out after some questioning by forum users more qualified than her, that she had lied about the PhD. She was very distinctive, even after various name changes, by her posting style as she tried to be cutting and witty and descriptive to show off her literary skills, but couldn’t use an apostrophe for toffee.

DreamingofTimbuktu · 26/06/2021 23:14

Anyone else felt the need for a name change?!

Congressdingo · 26/06/2021 23:18

I've just tonight recognised my sister. I won't tell her and as of yet I haven't snooped. But tomorrow I will.

I have been recognised, someone asked me a question and I realised it related to my username at the time, so I changed it and now I change every few months.

I think I know another but the details have been fudged enough that I cant be sure. Or it's a huge coincidence.

LucysSkyDiamonds · 26/06/2021 23:19

Yes. Someone I used to know a but bit have become much more friendly with in real life. Her username is very obvious. We were talking about something a few months ago and she messaged me with a thread I'd posted on saying "you might find this interesting" Blush. I don't think she's a very regular poster but we seem to have similar interests. I don't want to out myself to her so I won't be telling her.

NCwhatsmynameagain · 26/06/2021 23:23

Yes. A good friend. Posted a story about a hard time she was having, but in person she’s been telling me how great everything was. I felt bad for her.

Oldbutstillgotit · 26/06/2021 23:23

I was recognised. A couple of years ago I posted about a holiday with friends where one of the husbands wanted to go. Even though I tweaked a few details , someone close to the “ problem” recognised the situation . Oops.

SophiesMummySaid · 26/06/2021 23:33

I recognised myself/my DC in a post about us once! After that became friends with the poster. It was weird at the time though!

ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba · 26/06/2021 23:39

last year I recognised a few MNers on their FB accounts!
they were friends of friends of friends and happened to mention a very old thread on MN and what they said - and I knew exactly which thread and who they were on the thread! (I even looked up the thread to check)

it was very weird. I never said anything

Datsandcogs · 26/06/2021 23:48

Yes, once a few years ago and another I’ve worked out we have a very specific and identifiable family connection but we’ve never met.

Have name changed tonight, a good reminder!

PiuVinoPerFavore · 26/06/2021 23:55

I have recognised someone on here. I get the feeling she's not too worried about anonymity. She posts lots but nothing very juicy. I would hate to be recognised and name change regularly

QuentinBunbury · 27/06/2021 00:00

I realised someone must have a child at the same school as mine from something she posted so i PMd her and turned out it was the mum of one of DDs best friends Grin had always loved her posts so was chuffed

OliviaNewtAndJohn · 27/06/2021 00:01

Yes, but it was in RL that the penny dropped. We have a shared hobby, and one day she mentioned having joined a similar hobby group in a (fairly unusual) country she used to live in, and I realised it was the same person. Online she was mostly the same as RL, helpful, engaged, but when I then scoured her posts to check I was rightprone to the occasional late-night sweary and unpleasant outburst which was a side she keeps well hidden in RL. Never mentioned to her I’d spotted her.

FaceyRomford · 27/06/2021 00:58

Once. She was someone I knew through work, but we worked for different companies. She posted about some corporate event we'd both attended. The reference to what she was wearing (it did look as good as she said BTW) was the clincher.

BiarritzCrackers · 27/06/2021 01:03

Yes, about 11 years ago, but she only posted when her second DC was a baby on the practical types of baby threads (I had a baby too, so was also using them). She then either left, or changed her name. She may still be here for all I know!

WorraLiberty · 27/06/2021 01:03

I have kind of the opposite thing going on.

Someone at work mentioned she posts on here but I have no clue who she is. The nosy bastard in me tries to spot her every now and then but so far, I haven't been able to Grin

I genuinely wouldn't mind if anyone spotted me, as I don't use MN for personal stuff.

RogueMNerHidesUnderBigHat · 27/06/2021 02:03

Am a regular ncer

I know some of my rl friends are on here.

I hope none of them recognise me.

RogueMNerHidesUnderBigHat · 27/06/2021 02:04

@Oldbutstillgotit

I was recognised. A couple of years ago I posted about a holiday with friends where one of the husbands wanted to go. Even though I tweaked a few details , someone close to the “ problem” recognised the situation . Oops.
I know the thread you are talking about. I don't know anyone involved, but I remember it Flowers
Holly354 · 27/06/2021 02:15

I read a post on another forum years ago and realised it was a friend talking about me. It was really spiteful and full of lies. Many people had responded saying awful things about me. It still upsets me.

ButItRingsAndIRise · 27/06/2021 02:29

Holly354 Flowers

Gothichouse40 · 27/06/2021 02:45

No

Jenasaurus · 27/06/2021 02:59

I was recognised on here a couple of years ago, by someone from another forum that a few of us used to chat on around 2005, it was odd she PMd me and asked if I was that person, which I was.

Shelddd · 27/06/2021 03:03

Not everyone is embellishing some people change facts/figures/numbers/details so they are less likely to be identified.

CrappyBirthday2Me · 27/06/2021 03:30

I’ve been recognised twice and now religiously change my username. One time was nothing bad at all just specific life stuff, the other was something quite serious but being spotted actually helped as I’d explained it better in my post than in real life and the person and I talked as a result of being recognised.

I’ve also spotted a good friend on here. She’s not as happy as I thought and I feel so bad for her.

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