Thinking it's crackers to change your name.

[MNwidowed]

I've been trawling through the vastness of planet mumsnet the last few days and something I notice alot is people change their name when they have something, generally controversial to say. Why? I know people like to keep up appearances so they look better, different etc than what they are, but in a virtual world? Come on! surely thats going a bit far. It seems people have a pseudonym for a pseudonym. It just seems a bit crackers to me.

People change their names for controversial/sensitive threads so their past posting history can not be searched.

I personally change my name often simply because I want to.

I change my name for certain subjects where I would be recognisable irl because I don't want people trawling through everything I have ever said.

I have also nc once for a very sensitive subject because I don't want people to always associate my 'name' on here with something traumatic I have been through.

Hope thats ok with you

Do people really go through each other posting history and what does it matter if they do. Why do you feel its necessary to do that. If you feel like you hide behind another pseudonym to protect yourself from the sensitive post your posting then surely you have to think is this a place were I CAN really get help. From what I see most people on here will never meet each other so people's identity are already protected

So they can be twats.

Because they have exes who stalk them and use what they say as ammo.

Because they have family who hunt them down.

Because they like being anonymous.

Because they don't want to be recognised irl which happens.

BECAUSE ITS NAAAAICE.

You do realise there are some twisted fuckers out there who will do stuff like out people, stalk them etc

Namechanging is prudent behaviour.

I changed my name when I was outed in RL. It wasn't a problem in that I rarely post about that person, but I felt a little - overlooked, knowing that someone in RL knew who I was. If I wanted to post something that could out me I would change again. And yes, people do check others posting history.

Because my DH knows this nn and i want to post in annonymity from him sometimes.

Plus - there are somethings you dont want your name linked with forever. Not embarrassing things, sad traumatic things. If i'm posting lightheartedly about washing up, for eg, i don't want posters to be thinking ooh thats her who had xyz happen. My screen personna is private. And i have deeper layers of privicy too.

I'd change my name if I were posting about something like, say, a dilemma about my SIL or issues with DH - because a lot of people in real life know what my posting name is on here. Lots of us on MN have got to know each other in real life over the years, so it's no longer completely anonymous.

I once changed my name when asking for advice on something very confidential. DD had been told about a friend's problem, in confidence, but she really thought an adult ought to know, so she told me.

I got advice on here about what to do. I was able to arrange for the friend to get the help she needed, without my DD being seen to be involved.

As I have mentioned various things about me on MN, which could feasibly identify my DD, I didn't want her to get into trouble for having betrayed a confidence - even though, in my opinion and hers, she did the right thing by doing so.

Sometimes peoples DHs/DPs are curious about MN and get themselves signed up and start posting on MN too, widowed

I have never namechanged. I think namechanging makes it easier for trollage.

Am I right that not all sites allow it?

Oh, I just saw who the OP was. Wouldn't have bothered if I had.

Tell us more Ruushii.

They keep whingeing (whinging?) about MN because they are "widowed" by it. You'd think they'd do something else with their time instead!

Oh right.

Oh, I see.

Well I'm convinced of the arguments. I'm not kind of chappie who does not believe in change, I just genuinely didn't see what the point was but now I do. Oh and Ruushi Found out this week there is a strong possibility that I maybe dyslexic, so I apologise for my poor spelling,punctuation and general wording of a post.

So we will look forward to you namechanging soon then MNWidowed?

Oh, well thank goodness you're convinced, eh? It's absolutely everyone else's job to explain things to people whining about MN.

Not sure why you're talking to me about dyslexia, punctuation and grammar when I haven't even spoken about any of that but okay then, bully for you

Weren't you MNwidow the other day, OP?

YY, crackers to n/c

That rings a bell Blue, because someone said it should be 'widower' or something?

To the correct spelling only of course lol. And LRD why the sarcasm and animosity. I'm new to MN and I am curious how it works. I'm not here to make enemies or to "assert my authority as a man" Truth be told I was an accident not long ago and I'm useless with physical stuff so with the advise of my wife I came on here. Thanks for the help clearing up the name changing thing anyway.

If you are an MN widower why don't you ask your wife how it all works?