Has anyone deleted their Mumsnet account and then come back?

[Fleurhi]

If you have deleted your account and regret it, and have decided to come back, can you use the same username(s)?
Do you have to contact MNHQ to restore your original account? Also, if the account is deleted, will all your posts, threads, and private messages be removed/deleted or hidden?

Also, do people often change their names? I was searching for someone recently, but I couldn't find her. She told me she was a regular.
Is it possible to do a search here?

Thank you.

I deleted my account , all my old posts are there under my previous usernames . Some people name change frequently .

I've deleted my MN account a few times.

The first time I did it I assumed all my posts would be deleted but they weren't.

However I've changed my user names so many times I have difficulty recognising that some of my old posts made under my old accounts are actually mine because they are no longer in a highlight colour.

I change my name regularly. I have recognised people l know in real life on here so I’m sure it could happen to me too.
I don’t think you can get your old username back if you delete your account.

I once read some posts on an old thread thinking ‘I completely agree, they sound wise’ and realised it was me under an old username 😁

I signed up in 2004.
I've deregistered a couple of times.
You don’t get your old name back. Your posts don't get deleted unless you specifically request it and sometimes not even then.
There's an advanced search function

Yes people nc quite often. I kept the same user name for many years but I change it now . Which reminds me I'm probably due to change it again.

Deregistered and as pp name change a lot

I think my account got deleted a few years ago, presumably due to inactivity as I hadn’t posted for a long time. I tried to post and it said I no longer had an account. But I don’t know whether it was truly deleted or just paused / marked as inactive. I emailed MNHQ and managed to get it reinstated.

I appreciate everyone’s responses. Thank you!

@TheMorgenmuffel Thank you. I will look at the advanced search function. I think I have seen it somewhere.

It is only recently that I decided to come here more often and found out more about my account.

I prefer to use two of my usernames permanently, and I would like to delete the others(previous usernames) because some were created accidentally and I don’t use them at all.

When I first joined a few years ago, I may have posted something personal. Hopefully, people won't recognise me.

As one of those hacked by "Jeffrey" (remember him?), I delete my account entirely every so often, open and new one from a one-off email address and also change usernames frequently.

I've just joined, I'm curious why would people want to change their name?

Yep, I've done that too! Thinking "Yesss, somebody has put into words exactly what I was thinking!"... and then realised that that somebody was me

Because they want to post detailed information about a situation that might be identifying, without linking it back to their other posts.

Sometimes, people specifically change for sensitive and/or embarrassing topics. They don't want their new thread(s) to be linkable to their other threads, so weirdos can try to shame, judge or bully them, either for what they said in the past or - more likely - for how the weirdo twists what they said in the past.

I had the same name for years, but then I got cyber-stalked by somebody who tried to spin what I'd said on previous threads and make out that I was a hypocrite, according to their bizarre interpretation of it. It was on such an odd thread, too - nothing controversial at all, but just my opinion on (something like the equivalent of) whether you prefer evergreen or deciduous garden trees! I was also blamed and shamed for the random timings of my posts (I work flexibly) and was told that I mustn't have a job or any kind of life outside of MN.

Also, you get the bullies who gang up and turn nasty and aggressive when you express an opinion that they believe is 'wrong'. Rather than use their words to discuss and debate with you, they just go all mean girl and ad hominem attacks, swearing at you and trying to order you off MN, like they own it!

In an ideal world, everybody would have one name forever; but it's the internet and there are some deeply unpleasant people out there.

Welcome, btw

Blimey, thanks, those reasons wouldn't of crossed my mind. I appreciate your reply 😊

It’s always good to know that you completely agree with yourself😅

I remember a poster replied to a thread - I think it was to do with recommendations about a pram - and realised she was answering her own question from a couple of years before🤣🤣