To wonder why do posters say this

[extrabiotin]

"I've name changed for this"

I just don't get it.

Why not just name change and say nothing.

To avoid snarky 'welcome to Mn' comments

I'd prefer to know why people say 'Welcome to MN' actually.

Especially as this is one of the few forums where name changing on a whim is allowed.

And also why people say, "NC for this but naice ham, penis beaker etc"

Yeah cos none of those things are on Google

OK I am new here.

But I still don't understand why people actually SAY it. if you get me!

Sorry I am probably on the blacklist now. lol.

But couldn't a troll just write "name changed" as easily as a regular poster? I have wondered about it myself OP.

OK, I have only just joined.

There is no way in hell that I would know who is a new user or a Troll.

How does one tell?

Because some posters appear to think any first time poster is a troll, I think they forget everyone has to have a first post so people say I've name changed as when people search for that username it as no history

(How do you do an advanced search for people? Is there a MN user guide on here? I looked in Newbies corner and Site Stuff when I joined but couldn't find what I was looking for. Did find out about abbreviations though, phew.)

I cannot tell who is a first time poster though. How does one know?

But couldn't a troll just write "name changed" as easily as a regular poster? I have wondered about it myself OP.

Yes and the trolls constantly do.

That's a good thing though because when you report to MNHQ, they know whether they've really name changed or if they've just joined again

My trolldar goes off when someone new (or "name changed") then posts a really odd issue, full of classic MN keywords.

Like their MIL prefers their other grandkids, has the audacity to park in P&C spaces and raised a son who regularly wakes his wife up by having sex with her in her sleep.

Nicketynac Advanced search is at the top of the screen. Just click it and put the poster's nick name in.

OP, we can't tell but MNHQ can.

Nicketynac

Exactly.

There are no maps. Not that I care really, but some posters seem to be able to track and trace. No wonder people name change.

But back to my original point. Why do it? Who would know?

As a new user I would not know how to trace back a poster's history, nor would I want to really.

I believe you Hecate. Thousands wouldn't

If someone doesn't believe someone's post, they search their name and see what posts they've previously written. If none show up, they accuse the person of being a troll with sarky comments.

Yes, some MNers really have that much time on their hands!

As a new user I would not know how to trace back a poster's history, nor would I want to really.

You would if you were in the middle of a conversation with them and they were posting a pile of Billy Bollocks.

Tbf, it's pretty easy to spot some trolls and it is slightly annoying when you can clearly spot a troll and they're asking for personal information and naive / unaware posters are spending ages typing out long helpful posts with loads of sensitive info

"Welcome to MN" is a sort of way of letting others know that your trolldar is tingling without actually troll hunting

And I know that you should report and move on and you can never be sure 100% etc etc etc but MNHQ rarely tackle reports immediately so it's a sort of "poster beware" type thing

i don't think people do it too much on threads where the op genuinely has name changed to avoid being outed, it's more the ones that are obviously goady threads

But a lot of us have been knocking around here for ages and do recognise existing NNs.

Some will advance search dubious sounding threads from a NN they don't recognise.

@AngelaKardashian

Well just for an experiment as a new user, I hovered over your name and nothing.

So it seems to me that (thankfully) it is only those who hunt around deeper can find things out.

It is not intuitive anyway here. But obviously the veterans know the score.

Not that I care at all. Just seems to be hidden how to find things here. If one wanted to of course!

There was a poster a few days ago who was benefit bashing and looking down on those who claimed.

She said she'd always worked and had never been on benefits in her life.

That was until someone linked to her past thread, moaning that her housing benefit had been delayed

Oddly enough, I haven't seen her posting since.

Well not under that NN anyway...