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Original poster

Please be careful what questions you answer on here

26 replies

YapYap2023 · 16/09/2023 23:27

I've just seen two threads at the top of my active list:

How old are you

Find your birthday twin.

If you've posted honestly on both of those, someone, anyone, knows your date of birth.

A trawl of the previous posts of all those that posted on both threads could then throw up other info that could possibly be used.

Fuck knows how but don't answer questions like that honestly, or at all.

It's like those meme things that ask you to post the name of your first pet.

Those two threads practically next to each other in the list just made me suspicious.

OP posts:

JetBlackSteed · 16/09/2023 23:31

I agree. Bumping for you.

Theunamedcat · 16/09/2023 23:32

True some peoples passwords and reset info are so predictable if you have some basic information about them

Zone2NorthLondon · 16/09/2023 23:32

agree, mumsnet isn’t friends and posters need to exercise caution and be circumspect

MidnightOnceMore · 16/09/2023 23:33

I thought that about the 18th birthday one.

Furryrug · 16/09/2023 23:35

I agree, threads asking these sorts of questions are pointless, unless someone is fishing for information.

FunnysInLaJardin · 16/09/2023 23:37

thanks for the heads up. Just replied without thinking!

WonkyDesk · 16/09/2023 23:38

You can't be too careful.

Original poster

YapYap2023 · 16/09/2023 23:39

MidnightOnceMore · 16/09/2023 23:33

I thought that about the 18th birthday one.

I saw that one right after posting this thread.

OP posts:

MartinChuzzlewit · 16/09/2023 23:39

Yes I thought the same OP!

loudbatperson · 16/09/2023 23:41

Hear hear!

I am always shocked how open people are with their identifiable information.

hedgehogblanket · 16/09/2023 23:58

Oh god, I’ve stupidly replied to the age one under a different username. I don’t know why I didn’t think first!!! What can I do

LilyPond2 · 17/09/2023 00:01

hedgehogblanket · 16/09/2023 23:58

Oh god, I’ve stupidly replied to the age one under a different username. I don’t know why I didn’t think first!!! What can I do

@hedgehogblanket You can report your own post to Mumsnet and ask them to delete it.

WhateverMate · 17/09/2023 00:03

Yep and then there are threads about pets names, favourite movies, where were you born?

MN is like a phisher's paradise.

stagna · 17/09/2023 00:03

I change my username all the time. Why do others not do that? Is there any risk if I do that for every post?

CClaire · 17/09/2023 00:05

Why would you answer any random internet questions?

CClaire · 17/09/2023 00:05

I mean the phishing survey type stuff

RampantIvy · 17/09/2023 00:11

I lied on all of those threads

Barnowlsandbluebells · 17/09/2023 00:12

WhateverMate · 17/09/2023 00:03

Yep and then there are threads about pets names, favourite movies, where were you born?

MN is like a phisher's paradise.

Surely no one would answer these with their real information.....or would they?

hedgehogblanket · 17/09/2023 00:13

stagna · 17/09/2023 00:03

I change my username all the time. Why do others not do that? Is there any risk if I do that for every post?

I think that’s more ok tbh. Only time it wouldn’t be I guess was if there were a leak on here but tbh if that ever did happen so many people would be affected that it wouldn’t overly matter anyway.

AutumnalPumpkin · 17/09/2023 00:24

Don't send everyone into a panic. It's harmless chat.. if you really don't want to be identified on here, you won't comment on those threads.
If you're overly cautious about personal information 1.) you won't comment on those threads, or better yet, you won't have your passwords containing said personal information.
You've got people going "oh no i told somebody how old I was, whatever can I do now ?!"
I'm guessing the older you are the more cautious you are about this sort of thing.
I am 22, and whilst cautious online.. I think that these sorts of threads are nothing to worry about at all.

Johnnylewis · 17/09/2023 00:36

Agree OP. There's some naivety on MN...why would anybody actually be interested in when a random's birthday is. I swear somebody somewhere is compiling a big spreadsheet

ChazsBrilliantAttitude · 17/09/2023 00:37

AutumnalPumpkin · 17/09/2023 00:24

There was a poster who tended to respond to those sorts of posts and had posted a fair bit on and off on MN. It took me about 45 mins of joining the dots to work out where she lived, where she worked, where her children went to school. She was a bit more informative than many posters but it was scary how quickly someone as non-tech savvy as me amassed that info.

I work in Financial Services and things like date of birth are often used in security checks eg when someone has forgotten banking password.

CosyNightsOnTheSofa · 17/09/2023 00:43

What's someone going to do with your age exactly, or indeed dob? If we had to be so uptight our age and dob would be a secret from everyone! Granted if you posted dob, name, address, passport number and mother's maiden name you could be in trouble, but stating your age, not sure what anyone is going to do with that info?

Yetmorewashing · 17/09/2023 00:43

I started the 18th birthday thread definately harmless chat but lesson learnt I guess

CityCommuter · 17/09/2023 01:18

Just be careful about what you post in general is my advice. I've easily worked out that I definitely know 2 regular MN posters in RL just from what they post, it's amazing the level of info some people give out about their lives without thinking.

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