Has anyone spotted an OP in real life?

[IceColdBeer7]

I have, but only once. She had changed bits of info here and there but it was quite obvious as she'd just told me about it and used the same phrases.

I almost hit the reply button but I didn't want to out myself.

I have yes, a few times. Tbh I assume that most people I know are on here from time to time, so I name change every now and then

Yes. There’s one poster in here I know, it’s not like her real life at all.

Their posts quite sad. She is a heavy drinker and clearly uses MN to feel some need she has when she is drinking. Details carefully left out, to make her appear the victim of everyone in her life. Unfortunately, she has led a very chaotic life and there’s reasons not many people bother with her.

I recognised her because she has a long running username and has given a lot of details away.

Yes a wedding one. Wasn't going to the wedding but OP was my hairdresser and had told me all her plans. The event location etc was very unusual and would not have been out-of-place on Don't Tell the Bride.

Yep, my sibling posted a very outing bereavement thread.

I had spotted a post on a different thread which I thought sounded like him, and did a search on his username. He had also posted some untrue stuff about me and my family.

He has since been banned I think - someone posted on his bereavement thread asking how he was. When I messaged them, saying I thought that he was banned, they said that no messages were getting through to him.

But their reply also implied that I was lying about knowing him and his bereavement - unfortunately not, it was all true.

I have nc for this post, as I have no idea whether he is back on MN since the website change. We were already low contact, we are even lower now unfortunately.

LOL one of my best friends is on here so yeah I'd say so.

i guess this happens a lot. I’ve not seen anyone I know on here, but I have seen things on other social media that are very skewed. Always makes me realise that every post from some stranger is equally likely to be biased.

No, and I wouldn't expect to. A huge number of the threads in AIBU and Chat are made-up bollocks anyway and bots and gremlins are popping up on lots of boards now with tedious regularity.

And, not quite the same but there are a few “regular” posters who I always notice as they are pretty harsh, argumentative, you all know the sort.

I saw one on a thread admitting to drinking problems and using mumsnet as an outlet. Made me realise the dickish posters may well be struggling with something behind the scenes and not as cocky as they come across.

Yes. Back in the days when people actually posted photos of themselves & personal info in their account details.

I read a post by someone who had a username linked to our rather niche job. Her husband had a long-term health condition (which I knew about) and she was posting all sorts of really scathing stuff about how their relationship had broken down years before, sex was awful, she wanted to leave him but couldn’t etc etc. A deeply personal post about a really difficult situation and extremely critical of her husband.

I clicked on her username and there it was - a photo of the woman who sat a few desks away from me plus pics of her children and info on their names and ages. Why on earth she thought that was a good idea I don’t know.

Yes a few years ago . One of my friends used to post a lot she had a very difficult life. I never told her I knew as I think she needed an anonymous outlet. Often got a hard time on here but had no rl support. I tried to help where I could she is lovely but often gets misunderstood and can be hard work, has a heart of gold but a frustrating personality

There was a post by a mum who's baby was on another ward in my hospital. (Specialist unit, so not difficult to guess.) I She sounded like she was really struggling. Really wanted go ho and say hello. But no way I could do it without breaking the rules.

I've posted this before - on another forum I recognised my aunt's friend's daughter because of a small detail about her wedding. I've never met the woman and she's most likely never heard of me but I could read all about her TTC, pregnancy etc (she was a prolific poster). It's always stuck in my head. If anyone pieced together my location and job it wouldn't take long to identify me, so on my main username I try my best not to post anything personal. I'm sure I've slipped up but hopefully not too badly.

Anything personal or truly outing gets a NC.

My dad is a Mumsnetter! It was him who introduced me. We email
Each other threads.

I have been recognised on here a couple of times by friends (have name changed since).

I follow a popular Facebook group which shares information and advice about starting university. When it was in its infancy, people would often post a question on there (under their actual name) and then post the same thing (word for word) on here.

Yes, three, all people I know locally but not very well

One mentioned something very specific that happened at the DC's school. Quick AS showed ages of DC and one of two other details to confirm the exact person (it's a small school and her DS was in my DS's class).

One mentioned she was relocating from our (fairly small town) to somewhere 150 miles away - another mum from DS's class.

One mentioned something very specific about a dance class we both go to which alerted me. Also by coincidence I had asked her opinion on something about my DC (relevant to her job) a day or two earlier, I started a thread on MN about it too and she replied to that saying much the same.