to not understand why people say "I've name changed for this"

[samandi]

If you want to protect your identity, wouldn't it be better not to draw attention to the fact you have name changed and just pretend to be someone else? I'm not familiar with the regulars on this forum, but if I was and someone said that I'd be trying to guess who they were.

So people don't think they are a troll maybe?

I've name changed for this.

so people don't think they are hairy palmed truckers?

I guess it's so people know they aren't a troll? Although that doesn't really show anything!

The reason they say it is that they think it is important that people don't believe them to be a first time poster.

if a person is well know on here perhaps they dont want their problem recognised with them although i dont understand the big name change announcement either

I think it's because if people do a search on your posting history they wouldn't find anything and therefore potentially be accused of being a troll. By the appropriate means of course, in accordance with our talk guidelines, not directly on the thread, oh no

It can be especially important to establish MN credentials if the problem they have is shocking and/or unusual. They can be accused of trolling and not helped.

why would you be trying to guess who they were?! Thats far stranger than people name changing

Because if it's anything at all contentious then the 5th or 6th post in will be "nice first post" with the face.

Mind you, I think the professional trolls are probably clever enough to have adopted the name change tag.

Oh ok i now understand why the name change announcement but they shouldnt have to do that I know you get trolls but folk should maybe give a poster a chance

Mrsjay, that's only one reason to change. You could also do it to share some identifying piece of information about yourself. So that that name was used for one thread only and anyone who recognised you in RL wouldn't be able to MN stalk you.

But unless it was a particularly inflammatory post surely other posters would offer advice regardless. I certainly don't look up other posters' history unless they appear on an MN classic . I take almost all posts at face value, but then I'm probably too green for MN.

Re being a troll/first time poster - how would just saying "I've name changed for this" establish this?

why would you be trying to guess who they were?! Thats far stranger than people name changing

Because I find it so odd. It's like a big annoucement to try and guess who they are! Whereas otherwise I wouldn't think anything of it.

You could also do it to share some identifying piece of information about yourself. So that that name was used for one thread only and anyone who recognised you in RL wouldn't be able to MN stalk you.

Hm, that would make sense I guess.

But unless it was a particularly inflammatory post surely other posters would offer advice regardless. I certainly don't look up other posters' history

Me neither, and I would have thought so.