to think we should have a "date joined" shown against our user names

[ssd]

so that those posters who clearly have joined in order to promote their political views only, are shown for what they are?

no matter what party you vote for, when you try to discuss something here, there are posters who are determined to close you down or present facts when they aren't true

I think the older posters here and the newbies too I guess, would appreciate knowing how recently some of these posters joined....or not as the case may be.

I dont mind getting into a heated debate with genuine MN posters, we cant all be on the same side, that would be very boring, but when someone suddenly joins a few weeks before the general election and is all over political threads saying the same thing over and over, it dampens debate and is shit, frankly

YANBU. It helps weed out all the name changing liars too "oh I'm new here!" - like fuck you are! I name change lots but I don't lie about it.

YANBU. I think it's a brilliant idea, for exactly the reasons you describe. Perhaps suggest it in site stuff?

No way. Cos then it becomes about seniority. Fuck that. Someone doesn't have seniority just cos they joined years ago. Certainly doesn't make their opinions more educated than someone who joined yesterday.

It effectively creates a hierarchy. Fuck that.

I have never name changed and probably never will but accept that I might be in the minority with this.

I agree that all posters should have their name followed by say 8/15.

Not sure how it will be done though as people not only name change but get new e mail accounts to send them to as well.

I also think fwiw that really any thread on aibu or chat which is political ought to be moved to the politics board. people post on aibu for traffic but it does clog it up a bit.

It wouldn't bother me if MN did this, but it wouldn't change anything.
Its like this at every general election. And at times of heightened security they are often some *coff interesting new accounts with very strong ideas as well.

I've known forums do this. I don't think it brings hierarchy, but I think posters are a little more wary of how they respond to a poster and get less invested in something. I've also known forums where you can join but aren't able to post for 7 days or something. Not quite sure how that works, but it does stop the "immediate" trolls.

If I saw a thread that could seem to be goady and looked at the join date and saw they'd only joined today, I'd leave well alone. If the poster had been around for months, I'd not think goady but more genuine.

why on earth do you think it creates a seniority and hierarchy Elspeth? what an odd thing to say.

do you think I am so shallow that if the poster was say 10 years that I wouldn't then have the gall to disagree with them on something?

of course it doesn't make their opinions any more valuable or educated. but there have been a lot of threads where I have sort of thought they seem a bit ungenuine only to find that they are brand new posters and on one other thread I thought the person must be fishing for a story when in fact they were a long time poster and not a journo.

Yes but some journos and trolls have been here for years too.

Having joined Mumsnet years ago doesn't make a poster any more genuine than someone who posted today for help with a real problem.
It would just increase the troll hunting as people would feel more justified in calling troll.

I'm not sure about a detailed thing, but it could be helpful to have some kind of flag to show that someone's very new (say joined within the last month) - for their benefit and everyone else's.

Because you would be immediately wary of anyone who joined today. Regardless of what they are posting.

And we already see people say "Hey, hands off criticising X, they've been here for years and know what they're talking about". I personally dislike that. Their length of membership doesn't mean they should inhabit a loftier plane where they are like some breton-wearing Yoda and are regarded as basically Infallible in their advice.

On other forums the join date is next to the name on the members list. I wouldn't have a problem with that. In my experience it hasn't created a hierarchy. Posters get to know which posters respond with sensible and measured replies, and who only ever post goady and ridiculous stuff.

YADNBU OP. I would certainly support thos proposal on Site Stuff.

I couldn't care less when someone joined. If the debate is valid then what does it matter?

great idea

Why does it matter when someone hasn't joined? Or if they have several different user names? Or whether they have joined just for one thread? I thought mum sent was for everyone ?

Why does it matter when people joined?

You can ignore them or refute their point- join date doesnt change this.

Its easy to spam accounts anyway. I could easily create 10 new accounts today and then not use them until the next election.

Totally worthless

I don't know. I name-change regularly because I am a chronic over-sharer. I'd rather people think I'm new and accuse me of being a troll (which has happened, bizarrely, when I posted a very boring dilemma that had upset me) but I don't want to be outed as having been here since my moody teenagers were in nappies.

I'll try that again!!

Why does it matter when someone has joined? Or if they have several different user names? Or whether they have joined for just one thread? (Or whether they can avoid typo's!?)

I thought mumsnet was for everyone??

Well if u want a hierarchical system where ur judged on how long ur there rather than what u say. . sounds remarkably old fadhioned, traditional, and discriminatory to me...

I also name change a fair bit because when I keep the same name I start to become worried about my anonymity!

And why shouldn't people who've just joined e press any views they want? If they express ur views op, would that be OK?

In fact, on other fora, that date joined thing gives the old timers a fake kudos. They might say something very ordinary or dull and others will be tripping over themselves in their haste to agree. A noob said the same thing three posts further back and was blanked. And of course it doesn't matter but it generates an environment where online queens reign.

Even name changing regularly, I notice that sometimes my new name is received v well and other times I get talked down to and snipped at, challenged relentlessly, encouraged to defend my post