Can I just suggest…

[BigYellowHat]

That if you name change for privacy and change ‘a few details’ you don’t announce it!! When I’ve name changed for this reason I’ve done exactly this because if someone I knew started to smell a rat then surely they would start to unpick the post and think…’that sounds like the conversation I had with @bigyellowhat’

Phew rant over 😂

Surely the whole point is that if someone then recognises you they can't link that post to your others under your usual name.
If you don't declare that you're a regular under a name change you'll be accused of being a first time poster and people are often suspicious then.

I think the main point of name changing is that anyone searching your history can't find all your other posts.

I get that @DurhamDurham so there’s definitely the element of deniability. However my thinking it that a- there’s no shame in being a first time poster, b- anyone can say they’ve posted before and c- someone out there may still just recognise them 🤷‍♀️

Why not go for total anonymity if you can?

It really bugs me when posters announce a name change...who cares?

@BigYellowHat yep I agree with that.

I've never name changed in all the years I've been here. Never posted anything interesting/controversial enough to warrant that

‘It’s outing’ Not to me it ain’t love! However, anyone who will actually be interested and works it out will be rubbing their hands together with glee 😂

I think you're misunderstanding. It's not about total anonymity. I've got 2 names that I switch between. This one which I keep anonymous. At least I think I have. I post about how annoying my family are/ the abuse I suffered as a teen and other random stuff.
Under my other name I have posted my home town, my dcs names, my name and other potentially identifying info. If and it's a big if, some saw a couple of those things and then searched my user name it would pretty much confirm to them that I am me. (I'd imagine the exact combo of our names in my exact town are fairly rare). Now that's not a problem because by searching my other user name you wouldn't learn anything about me that I wouldn't tell you anyway.
But I don't want random school mums/my cousin/ my sister in law/whoever might use MN to connect me to the posts I post under this anonymous name. I'm happy to talk about my shit childhood. Anonymously.

That's why people name change.

Definitely not misunderstanding. I just think that if you have the option to chat to people about pretty much anything and can slope onto a thread anonymously (so to speak) then why wouldn’t you? No-one cares anyway if you’ve name changed. Fair enough if you see it differently, we all have different points of view.

@CiaoForDiNiaoSaur

Under my other name I have posted my home town, my dcs names, my name and other potentially identifying info

I'm the same, I have my "outing name" and a mix of random other names, which I change every few months