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.

It's nice to build up a rapport with people and know who you are talking to which is impossible with all the name changing.

I wonder if there has ever been a really nasty argument between two posters who were married or DPs and neither knew about it!

There was a troll called Bob.

I'm quite open on MN, if someone thought they knew who I was, a quick search of my posts would reveal personal info that could only be me. I don't mind that as I tend not to post anything I wouldn't say to someone's face or that I would be mortified to be connected to.

That said I've NC for 2 sensitive threads that I started. This is because they were both surrounding deeply personal issues that were extremely emotive to me and I shared slightly more controversial/profoundly honest opinions than I would usually in order to give a true representation of my AIBU situation. Say I posted those threads as ViviPru and someone who knew me IRL (but didn't know I was on MN) happened to be browsing. They might read those threads and think 'hey that sounds like ViviIRL' then check my posting history which would confirm it and out me to them on the sensitive thread that I don't want anyone who I encounter IRL to know about.

Likewise, based on my usual candid posting style, someone might come across something innocuous I posted as ViviPru and think 'that sounds like ViviIRL, that's not a problem in itself but they then might possibly run a search and find the 2 sensitive threads.

So that's why I have NC in the past.

I have to be honest my first thought on it was that it was a way of slagging somebody off, but I am convinced that its purpose is not that, given the many arguments I have seen. Oh and I won't change my name to Bob.

I think the reason that I haven't NC is I don't post about any sensitive subjects or RL things that are very serious IYKWIM, I wouldn't post them under my NN or a NC I don't think. That's just my personal choice.

I am usually found in the lighthearted areas of MN although they are getting a bit few and far between lately.

I haven't name changed since I came here; in fact it's only in the last few weeks that I realised you could. Even though people aren't necessarily who or what they purport to be on the net, I do like recognising names/ who I'm talking to.

i've used this name for about 3 years. Before that i had another name for 2 years. I changed because i left for awhile. Like vivi i tend to burble on post as i would speak in RL. Never ashamed of anything i write. My name changes were for 2 one off threads about something specific and upsetting.

Wise words.

Dammit, deleted! I had a forlorn hope than HQ were too full of easter eggs to stretch out and hit the delete button....i'll behave now, promise (bet i'm right tho'....)

They'll have seen it as troll hunting, I think, tooold. Because of you explaining the OP isn't totally genuine and might be behaving in the time-honoured way MRAs do. It's too close to a personal attack.

Where is the OP anyway?

I shouldn't have used the t word but Baileys has been taken and all bets were off for that hazy five minutes until I mellowed

They are just so transparent aren't they. I imagine them meeting down the Red Lion all sweaty vested and purple-faced angry to discuss tactics and scripts.

No relevance to this thread of course, just sayin'.

I like to change my name sometimes simply because I get bored and need a change.

Sometimes I post about embarrassing problems/health problems/issues in real life so I change my name purely for that so people don't associate it with me all the time.

It's a shame your post criticising me being an MRA and a troll(of which I had to ask my wife what both meant). I really am not sure what I am supposed to do I understood the reasons for the name changing, I apologised for my OP sounding confrontational and I apologised for my lack of MN etiquette. Going back to the point I probably have more chance of winning the lottery than knowingly meeting someone who uses MN so I should not have to worry about what I say on here but as mentioned in a few posts these are the times when I understand why a name change is necessary. I have been completely misjudged, unfairly.

Still sounds the same.....not being drawn anymore. Do enjoy MN.

Oh and I do not need to plaster my nose against my computer screen all day to wait for a reply. Believe it or not I have other things to do.

You had to ask what a troll was? Really? Even though you have been trawling through the vastness of planet mumsnet the last few days.

Its a shame you still think like that.

There you go! Ding ding ding ding ding!

Oh sparkling

I fear you have had your nose plastered to a computer screen for too long my love

Now c'mon, feed the kids, walk the dog, atta girl....

You might be right Too, but on the plus side my Tesco Click and Collect order is all done and dusted.