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Original poster

Why do people do a search to check on a poster's history?

86 replies

honeyfull · 21/04/2017 22:08

I just don't get it. I enjoy reading and sometimes contributing, but honestly that is stalking and girding the loins for a throwback on a thread.

I have never done it. I mean that honestly. Why would I?

OP posts:
BillSykesDog · 22/04/2017 00:35

I only really do it if I remember someone saying something and want to see exactly what it was.

For example, there was a thread a few days ago about a man being very controlled by his DW and had started resisting. One poster came along and said that because he hadn't complained before he'd tacitly accepted it and was out of order and should ask permission if he wanted to change things.

I was sure she was contradicting herself and said the exact opposite (frequently) when a woman was being controlled so I checked and she did. Zero tolerance for any kind of male on female control but fine when it was the other way around.

I think if you remember it then it's okay to check. It's only OOO if you go looking for stuff to pick holes in just because you disagree with their point.

ilovechoc1987 · 22/04/2017 01:01

I didn't know you could? I'm on the app and everything seems very anonymous to me?

Atenco · 22/04/2017 01:16

I don't understand why looking someone up here, in google or facebook is often referred to as stalking. Stalking is a very nasty pursuit that causes considerable discomfort to the victim, looking people up is being curious and it is all stuff in the public domain.

ScarlettFreestone · 22/04/2017 01:19

Cake it's not about being invested in other poster's lives. But if someone is being mean to a vulnerable poster it doesn't take much effort on my part to provide a leavening tone.

ItsOut · 22/04/2017 01:27

I regularly advance search. 🤷🏻‍♀️ its good for finding out if posters are trolling, time wasters, spammers or weirdos. It's also often helps you understand what the OP situation is. I don't see why it's a problem.

ILikeyourHairyHands · 22/04/2017 02:13

I only do if I notice a huge inconsistency, there's a poster around at the moment who's very popular and claims to have studied classics at Oxford, I've always had my suspicions about them, however, they made such a crashing grammatical mistake once using a Greek word that is frequently misused that I had to do an AS to make sure I was right about their apparent history just to confirm my suspicions.

I was, but I'm saying nowt.

FeralBeryl · 22/04/2017 02:41

I've used it when posters refer to 'previous' threads relevant to their current ones.

I've also used it to peep at several posters who seem to be really GFs and before I respond, I check their recent posts and see that I was right and they literally pop onto threads to cause shit and start bunfights. So then I know not to bother joining in the convo Wink

To be fair - this is hardly ever as I use the app so I've got to be really het up to use all that energy logging into the desktop...

Sparklingbrook · 22/04/2017 04:13

I use it all the time. If they didn't want us to use it it wouldn't be there. Confused

If someone starts a GF thread I have a look to see if they have 'previous'. I don't feel the need to mention it on the thread itself though.

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck · 22/04/2017 04:14

Exactly LaContessa

tralaaa · 22/04/2017 05:17

Can you AS from a iPhone or iPad and how do you do it

SoupDragon · 22/04/2017 08:45

I use the desktop site on my iPad so I just click the Advanced Search button at the top.

SoupDragon · 22/04/2017 08:46

Onmy phone, which I think uses th mobile site, there's a big blue box with search in it in the bottom right corner of the screen.

MorrisZapp · 22/04/2017 08:51

Agree with BillSykes. When posters say something promoting a massive double standard but deny it 'oh no, I'd say exactly the same if the genders were reversed!' it's handy to have written proof that no, they wouldn't.

SoupDragon · 22/04/2017 08:52

I know the function is there, so those who want to use it, use it, but don't announce the results! Why would you.

I do it when the subject is sensitive and people are opening their hearts and giving very personal accounts to help the poster. Not everyone is suspicious enough to think people make shit up.

It's got nothing to do with announcing my "Sherlock Holmes skills".

Do you think other posters are thick, stupid or something and need your guidance?

Yes, that is exactly why I do it. Hmm That may be your opinion of people who haven't spotted a potential troll but it certainly isn't mine.

tralaaa · 22/04/2017 09:17

Thank you

CheekyLoki · 22/04/2017 09:27

Interesting. How do you check someone's posting history? I tried it and it doesn't work. Nothing comes up.

Orlantina · 22/04/2017 12:06

If a post looks suspicious but the poster has a long history, I tend to give them the benefit of the doubt and think it really happened. So an AS is good as it does help indicate if a poster is genuine and their bizarre post actually happened.

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck · 22/04/2017 20:38

I'm fucked, then, as I NCd recently.

Rainydayspending · 22/04/2017 20:42

Definitely overinvested in slinging firt. I think the main offenders probably are quite trollish at heart and like to shut down genuine discussion, support and community from happening.

Rainydayspending · 22/04/2017 20:43

*slinging dirt.
I don’t think namechangers are anything other than sensible!

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck · 22/04/2017 20:51

It feels weird, like trying a new clothing style. I think some of my life could sound like an unbelievable novel, could the fact that I've NCd make people think I'm a troll?

ActuallyThatsSUPREMECommander · 22/04/2017 21:25

I was cleaning out my email inbox today and it reminded me of a thread I was on where the OP wanted other people's opinions on some tedious personal hygiene stuff. The cover story was really good but a few posters with excellent trolldar did an AS and realised that all the OP's threads had a particular theme and we were not in fact dealing with a bored woman trying to settle a dispute with her DH, but a fetishist getting his jollies. Now obviously it was reported and eventually pulled but in the meantime OP what should the people who'd AS'd have done? Just let everyone else chat merrily away about personal details to a fetishist because it would be patronising to tell them?

And my other example of the poster wanting people to tell her to have another baby with her disastrous abusive partner. Also a real example. Should you just let everyone go on saying "you'll find a way hun, babies only need love" because it's bad form or showing off to give the backstory?

ilovesooty · 22/04/2017 21:58

If someone looks like a GF I often AS them. I do the same if I suspect someone is a PBP - there are some who are fairly recognisable and who end up deleted on a regular basis.

WinBigly · 22/04/2017 22:11

EvilDoctorBallerinaDuck If you set your profile page to show your date of registration it helps to show you've been around a while.

I namechanged earlier but my profile (hopefully!) shows that I've been on MN since Jan 2015.

ijustwantfiveminutespeace · 22/04/2017 22:13

So how do you look up people's history?

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