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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To ask users with a name like user123456788 to name change?

134 replies

MajesticWhine · 27/05/2017 11:34

Hate these usernames. I don't know why they started and they are not conducive to communicating with others online. You can't recognise the person easily if they post on different threads. You can't form an impression of the identity of the poster. It's just rubbish. Please can we stop it?

OP posts:

5318008 · 27/05/2017 11:36

Oh YES number user names are AWFUL.

user1469914265 · 27/05/2017 11:44

Why?

What is this difference between this and any other arbitrary username?

CotswoldStrife · 27/05/2017 11:46

YABU.

glenthebattleostrich · 27/05/2017 11:47

Because other best are distinguishable. Lots of user(random number) makes it difficult.

CormorantDevouringTime · 27/05/2017 11:47

If you say you can't change then ask for help, reset your password if necessary, start a thread in Site Stuff, email MNHQ. User names are there for temporary use until you've decided an actual name - if you're posting with them and it's not an actual emergency then you're doing it wrong.

peaceout · 27/05/2017 11:48

I tend to just ignore posts from the userbunchofnumbers brigade, it's so hard to distinguish between them that they seem like a sort of collective entity with no individual opinions on here

AmysTiara · 27/05/2017 11:49

Yes i cant keep track when theres a couple on a thread. I end up ignoring most ops if they're started by a user number.

user1471521456 · 27/05/2017 11:51

You're not being unreasonable to ask. Neither is it it unreasonable for the users to tell you to fuck off refuse.

user1493841671 · 27/05/2017 11:53

Meh

gamerchick · 27/05/2017 11:55

Meh they're just as irritating as constant name changing. Can't build a picture up of those people either.

In fact the user usernames are probably better than constant namechanging for anonymity.

peaceout · 27/05/2017 11:55

Mnhq should do something to stop the site from allocating these as a default, registration should require that a person comes up with a username....it's not that hard ffs
In the meantime I'll just ignore contributions from userbunchofnumbers members

MusicToMyEars800 · 27/05/2017 11:59

I changed mine as soon as I made my MN account, I wanted to have an identity if that makes sense? I have only nc once ant that was due to confusion in reply to posts to other usernames that were similar to my first.

PoochSmooch · 27/05/2017 11:59

Totally agree. As far as I'm concerned, on this thread the three contributions from usernumber names are all from the same person, because they're all the same to me. Can't be bothered to engage. Of course, you can do what you want, but why would you want to make your experience here worse because people won't interact with you the way they would if you had an actual username? It's weird.

user1469914265 · 27/05/2017 11:59

I'm going to ignore posts from anyone who doesn't have a 'user' user name...

user1471521456 · 27/05/2017 12:01

Erm...Pooch...you just engaged.

honeyroar · 27/05/2017 12:01

I suspect the people that have those user names do it (a) to annoy people or (b) because they know nobody will remember which user was the irritating bag that was being obnoxious or (c) because they think people wont criticise or reply to their comments because it's too much faff remembering the number or (d) because they're a bit boring and have no imagination!

user1491810905 · 27/05/2017 12:04

user76895432 · 27/05/2017 12:04

I reregistered recently and quite like my 'user' name TBH. It feels much more anonymous than my old name.

WellErrr · 27/05/2017 12:09

Agree OP. I find most of the user people to be GFs so stopped engaging.

user1471521456 · 27/05/2017 12:09

user76895432 If you are using your user name for anonymity, do be aware that you can still be advance searched so while it makes it harder to be outed, someone determined to find out information about you might still be able to.

user1471521456 · 27/05/2017 12:11

You can't form an impression of the identity of the poster. It's a public internet forum. Why on earth do you want to do this? Maybe chat to your friends on facebook messenger instead.

Motoko · 27/05/2017 12:12

Yeah it's really annoying when there are several "user"s replying on the same thread.

I chose my name when I signed up, so never had a "user" name.

usershitloadofnumbers · 27/05/2017 12:14

who cares, people name-change all the time, many posters are completely fake anyway. This is an internet forum, not real life. Take the good advice you get, and there are some amazingly kind and knowledgeable people on this forum. and ignore the rest. If you want to reply to a specific poster, just copy and paste his/her name, easily done.

Original poster

MajesticWhine · 27/05/2017 12:16

It's a key part of online communication userxx. You might as well be the same as the 1000s of other userxxs. If you want to not have an identity on mumsnet that is your right I suppose. But personally I think it's a bit shit.

OP posts:

peaceout · 27/05/2017 12:17

I think some of the users are confusing anonymity with invisibility
It's one thing to have a name that can't be linked to your offline identity but using a name that looks exactly like several other users names make for a confusing discussion, imagine if every poster had the username joesmith you soon give up because you'd not know which one you were talking to

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