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Original poster

Have you ever recognised someone on Mumsnet?

52 replies

magicalkitty · 15/08/2023 08:15

I mean, read a thread or a post and thought 'I know who that is?'

I am always conscious about exactly what I post on here because MN is so popular and appears easily in search results too. I have recently seen a thread on here and I'm 99% sure I know the person IRL.

OP posts:
khakitrousers · 15/08/2023 10:54

Yes, I’ve recognised at least 3 different people on here - usually because I’ve recognised something local in their posts (one person even lived on my road!) Quick advanced search just to make sure more to satisfy my curiosity rather than anything else.

All 3 name change regularly and change details, but always post about the same things so are pretty easy to spot.

Whataretheodds · 15/08/2023 11:10

I don't think I have, though I wonder if people I know have recognised me (including those i no longer speak to regularly)

WeightInLine · 15/08/2023 11:20

I posted on a thread about serial liars about a friend I used to know. DF lies ranged from not identifiable to being potentially identifiable.

The thread was taken down due to ‘privacy concerns’ and I did wonder if anyone else had identified her (and therefore might guess me). It wouldn’t bother me but it made me wonder if she’d told the same lies elsewhere and was now being recognised.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Families
TrickleWell · 15/08/2023 11:22

storminabuttercup · 15/08/2023 10:32

No, but twice now I've been asked in real life if I was xyz mumsnetter as I'd said something irl they'd read a poster on here saying, weird

Maybe not that weird. I once recognised someone on here because of a distinctive turn of phrase (a striking regional expression she got slightly wrong and mis-spelled, which she had used more than once in text messages to me).

She was a friend of a friend I didn’t know well but had always liked (we sometimes liftshared), and her posts on here tended to be very bright and breezy, mostly in Exercise and Weight Loss, where she sounded very together, but in fact it was fairly clear in RL she was a compulsive exerciser, and lived on vegetable shakes to ‘save her calories’ for alcohol.

Userengage · 15/08/2023 11:33

Yes because she posted about a very identifiable situation that involved me and unfortunately, stretched the truth. I nearly corrected her on the post but I think she was enjoying the attention.

PearlWithoutPrice · 15/08/2023 11:37

Yes- my sister slagging me off!

LulooLemon · 15/08/2023 12:08

Yes, it is someone who posted about a sad and unusual situation.

I didn't tell her face to face that I had recognized her, but I posted supportive comments.

After a few weeks, when she began to get herself back together, I didn't see this username post again, so I assume she changed it, which was wise as she really was identifiable.

MojoDojoCasaHouse · 15/08/2023 12:15

I saw a friend of a friend slagging off our mutual friend over several threads in AIBU. The poster had received an enormous amount of support from mutual friend and was put out that mutual friend was studying to have a career and was less available to her. The real life fallout was nasty and their friendship never recovered. The poster changed details to make herself look like the victim. Still had her arse handed to her on a plate. I never told my friend as it was really unpleasant stuff about her in the posts.

I suspected who the poster was and a search of her other posts confirmed it so it is worth name changing!

SingingSands · 15/08/2023 13:02

Haven't recognised anyone, but someone recognised me and got in touch.

We were both going to a mutual acquaintance's MLM party. I'd moaned about it on here and she'd come on MN to see if anyone had moaned about the product 😄

She texted and told me and we had a giggle. She didn't buy anything at the party but I caved and did and she was making me laugh with her facial expressions from across the room 😄

Rivermedway · 15/08/2023 13:07

Not recognised, but got in contact with an old school friend via mn. I referred to our junior school by its name it went by at that time and someone commented they were there at same time (Ie 70s). Private messaged her and turned out she was in year below me.

namechangeanonymous · 15/08/2023 13:07

Not the same but somebody went on LBC and said exactly what I had read a few days prior on here and I recognised it. She sounded so knowledgeable

CoreopsisEverywhere · 15/08/2023 13:19

Twice, correctly.
Another time I was messaged by someone who was convinced they know me but had it wrong.

just name-changed on the back of this thread, as I haven’t done it for a while.

MargaretThursday · 15/08/2023 13:26

Yes, twice. Neither time mattered really.
One was a local friend who had lost a child's toy, which I knew about and she posting asking if anyone could find a replacement.
Another was a friend of dsis, who posted an identical post on both fb (which dsis had responded on) and mn. I name changed and posted an identical reply to both, my thought was being that I was pointing out to her that it was easy to spot without being direct with someone I didn't really know.

I name change for a few reasons.

  1. I name change every few years, just because I like doing so.
  2. I have have few names that I post things that are more private, either for me or someone else. By only posting a single thing rarely it makes it harder for someone to be certain that it's me. I'll also change a few details again to make it harder to be certain. Someone might be suspicious, but they couldn't prove it.

Thing is that in a lot of ways if someone recognised something I posted under this name, then I'm not really bothered.
But let's say I post something that's happened on our estate last week. There's a good number of us that live on the estate, and a good number of mums, so although that may give suspicion as to who I am, but it won't be a definite.
But then you add it up with my other posts that say I have dc of these ages, one of them has a very specific disability, I commented that my car is an x-make, and I have a triangular shaped back garden etc. All that adds up to someone being certain it's me.
Now, as I said, most of the time this doesn't matter to me. I generally don't say anything I would say to anyone in rl. But occasionally there's a situation where for whatever reason I don't want to be recognised. Normally because it's sensitive in some way, maybe about work or someone. In a lot of ways I'm protecting them as much as me, because if I was recognised, then they would be too. So I err on the side of caution and use a name I rarely use.

Halo8 · 15/08/2023 13:30

I think so, I’m pretty sure it was a friend based on username, writing style and use of particular emojis, and the subject of the thread we were both on, which is a shared interest.
I didn’t mention it though, and I suspect we both regularly change username because I didn’t see that one again and I’m not going to search it!

CurlewKate · 15/08/2023 13:43

I was outed once. It was fine, I very rarely say anything I wouldn't say in real life. She thought she had caught me out in a lie-she hadn't!

GrandTheftWalrus · 15/08/2023 13:56

I've probably been recognised. As in the last year I've posted 2 very outing things. I don't care though

SallyWD · 15/08/2023 13:58

I think only once. Someone described a situation with some friends and I recognised the situation and the people described.
That's the only time.

LynetteScavo · 15/08/2023 14:03

Yes, I have recognised someone and another poster suggested they were giving away too much info and the situation might be recognised- the poster was adamant they were being subtle Grin. The thread was taken down, I think, and I didn't make a note of their posting name. The thread explained a lot about why someone suddenly disappeared from their job.

StillHereStillBreathing · 15/08/2023 14:14

Never. I like the anonymity of this site.

Phewyou · 05/10/2023 18:00

Yep! I recognised someone multiple times and she refused to acknowledge it when it was so obvious it was her! She used to write rude stuff about me and when I said I outed her she always used to deny it (and then magically all the posts were gone 🙄)
she’s a nasty person though and we’ve disowned her now. Can’t accept the truth either or anything we say!

Phewyou · 05/10/2023 18:24

Yep! I recognised someone multiple times and she refused to acknowledge it when it was so obvious it was her! She used to write rude stuff about me and when I said I outed her she always used to deny it (and then magically all the posts were gone 🙄)
she’s a nasty person though and we’ve disowned her now. Can’t accept the truth either or anything we say!

Phewyou · 05/10/2023 18:27

Sorry posted twice!

InThePurpleHaze · 05/10/2023 18:29

I got outed once. Everyone was in support of me but two people I know said they saw the post on MN. Had to be the two people involved as well didn't it. That was fun.....

EveSix · 05/10/2023 18:29

I've yet to meet anyone who owns up to being on MN. I assume they're absolutely lying, as they're definitely the kind of women who would be.

WantToChangeUsername · 05/10/2023 18:31

Yep, my SIL, I never her told her though-
Wasn't an overly interesting thread either 😂