How do you keep privacy on mumsnet?

[Enya321]

Sometimes if you start a thread people will start asking a lot of information, some relevant and some not and that could link you to previous threads you’ve made but if you’re not sure about including certain information or don’t respond to comments people can accuse you of dripfeeding or not being honest. I’m not sure how other people do it?

Name change regularly, be careful about what details you reveal, change a few details here and there, and just avoid going into unnecessary amounts of detail. A lot of posts mention all kinds of random extraneous detail that nobody needs to know.

Is this about the dealbreaker…?

Anyway, I name change often, change the quantity, ages of my DC, fudge irrelevant details so the crux of the thread or answer is true but nothing identifiable links across threads.

Don't start a post in the 1st place, that's what I do. Never out myself on here.

I've stopped starting threads to be honest, unless it's something mundane. I'm not sharing serious private business all over the Internet for others' entertainment. If I do write a comment I might change details such as place names or age and sex of my kids. And I change user name regularly. When you write a thread and omit certain details you can be accused of dripfeeding but usually those details aren't relevant and you don't owe random on the Internet private details of your life.

Yeah I feel like people ask me on any thread that I start for a lot of personal details but then I risk being followed across usernames even if I change a few details and the whole point of this website is to get help for various things if you need it.

Then you need to namechange even more regularly.

name change and occasionally account change. I’m leery of the fun threads that ask for information - hasn’t been a rash of them in a while.

There have been various trends - on school holidays there’s an uptick in a certain type of thread. Sometimes the political bots are shit stirring. There are a lot of AI threads recently. Or the really grim ones eliciting personal stories from well meaning but naive posters. It can make people guarded and paranoid.

Sometimes a thread you start in good faith can take a turn you don’t like. It’s ok to back away. You don’t owe strangers on the internet anything.

If in doubt, don’t post.
Change your name and change details
Don’t feel you have to answer everyone’s questions.
MN can be helpful. It can also be really unhelpful especially when early responders to a thread take it in a strange direction. Don’t feel you owe anyone anything or that you have to explain yourself- make peace with the fact that some people haven’t grasped the point or just want to cause trouble.

I'm wary of the threads that ask year of birth.. recently what was number one on the day you were born.

Change names! Fudge a few, insignificant details.

I change small details about my life and change my username weekly.

Also never, ever reveal DH’s outing hobby. (It’s cycling.)

I now name change regularly. My first name I probably had for 14 years then I started name changing.
I don't really start threads either now but happily reply but absolutely not any personal identifying info.
When I joined mums get posters posted family photos on their info along with birth announcements, that would never happen now

No. It's golf

I feel like people pour their hearts out like it's a private journal and put too many details that only serve to identify them and give the reader a headache.

And other people are equally frustrating by drip feeding and posting bizarre, meaningless and cryptic questions.

I think as well as name changing for everu post or sensitive reply, also reread what you wrote a couple of times and think about the obvious questions. For example some people give so many boring details but the relevant child age or length of time spent dating is omitted meanwhile they detailed their pets name and what they had for lunch.

So edit and review your post dont just spill your guts.

I try and keep personal information to a minimum so I don't have any problem mentioning which county I live in or the ages of DDs but that doesn't really narrow it down much so I feel comfortable with that. Only share what you are comfortable with....or you could change unimportant details like the number of children you have or their ages. Or say you live in a different part of the country to where you actually are.

But frequent name changing is probably the most helpful.