Bloody OUTING on MN

[Sleepyslops]

AIBU to get annoyed when I read a thread which comprises of the OP whinging about something, but then stating they can't say what as it's "outing" or they state they have nc to prevent them being outed. It's like some weird, paranoid, mn tin foil hat crap.

I agree with you!

Totally agree!

Welllllllll it is possible to recognise somebody from postings if you know the situation so I can understand why people do it but yes it is a bit annoying when applied to v generic situations where changing details such as son to daughter or sister in law to friend would surely do.

I don't care about the nc but it's the nc + still can't say ones that duck me right off

And the 'name' threads, nc and still won't say

Yes its weird why they feel they have to do this. If it was a delicate subject that could damage others then either dont write about it or change material facts.

As people have lost their jobs due to what they have posted in the internet, I can see why posters would be concerned.

It’s the ones who write ‘DH’s hobby’ followed by 20 MNers trying to guess the oh-so-unique and outing hobby only for it to be revealed that DH is part of a Sunday league football team. That really winds me up for some reason.

I understand if it's something serious, but when it's something trivial then it is just very odd.

But if something “trivial” puts them the danger is a person can advance search their other posts and find less trivial stuff. That’s what I did when I recognised someone from a trivial post.

oh god, the Outing Hobbies ....it's always park running, golf or cycling

Never Paralympian Dressage, or Unicycle Waterski-ing.

And as for hobbies, dh does a hobby only about 2000 people do in the U.K. I’ve never met anyone apart from him and friends he’s made from doing it who does it. So yeah I think if I mentioned his hobby it could be a major clue towards being outed. Would only take someone to advance search and see my job, or dc age and then bingo.

Agree!!

Mshomeslice just once I’d love for the hobby to be one of those things.

So use your real name.

But Nico it’s those who are submitting a post related to the hobby, but then never say what it is for outing reasons. If you can’t say, why ask questions to an online forum in the first place?

Maybe they want to feel more exciting. My hobby is reading... but if I change that to "my hobby would out me if I said what it was" sounds a lot more exciting.

You’re unreasonable to use “comprises of”
It is just comprises.

I would agree with you OP but it might 'out' me

The hobby ones are really weird - I always amuse myself by trying to think what it could possibly be that is so shameful and outing - like dressing up as a man mermaid, or collecting Nancy Mitford memorabilia.
But it always turns out to be five a side footie or something utterly dull, that wouldn't out a transvestite cat.

Yes! It's so annoying! I don't understand why people explicitly state they've 'nc' for a post and then continue with all of the details - still very 'outing'.

I probably worry more about posters who are incontinent with their personal details.

If people want to NC and have a good vent so be it.

There was a thread, I can’t remember which one but it’s on classics, about rubbish being dumped on the OP’s land in the middle of the night and an anonymous note sent to OP. The thread went on for ages, it escalated to someone dumping rubbish on their doorstep in the middle of the night. They had a dog and cameras, the lot, but nothing picked it up. A funny story to begin with, a lazy village bobby etc. Until one day her neighbour, or someone else in the village, said “Hi OP, I saw your post on MN, how’s it all going” (or something similar). It turned quite sinister

Hey! Nothing shameful about Nancy Mitford memorabilia!

Bugger. I’ve just outed myself.

I hate it when it's a really generic post but the OP says:

'NC'd for this in case it's outing, but been here for years - penis beaker, Mexican house thief, cutted up pear'

So what!!!

As if the reader thinks 'hmm, well I should give better advice to this poster than I usually would, as they have been here for a while'

So annoying.

All this ‘outing’ business makes me laugh tbh. People post the most general, common stuff and think they’re so important that everyone will know who they are.