Further to the hobby thread, why do people tell us they've changed their user name!

[Zippyzoppy]

Following on from the hobby thread which is supposedly outing, it always makes me laugh when people start with "changed my username for this post".

Ok, so you might think others know your username, and therefore want to change it for anonymity. But why then alert the world to the fact that you've changed it! Why not just change it and.....not tell anyone?

FWIW, I didn't change my username to post this.

So that people don't AS them, see no posting history and assume they're brand new.

Because they don't want their previous posts linked to their usual Username if anyone does recognise them from the details.

I suspected so that they can't be accused of trolling, especially if it is a controversial post.

I guess if people want to change their name so that others don't look at their previous threads and piece together all the facts (people apparently do this, I certainly couldn't be bothered 🙂), then by saying they've name changed shows that they're old timers and not trolls?

I fully understand the NC thing and why posters want to reassure people that they are not of the hairy-handed persuasion, but if I were a troll (I'm not, and I haven't changed my name for this) and I wanted to pretend I had been here for ages, it wouldn't take me long to work out that you need to write "NC for this, but I have been here years - PomBear, Elderly Korean Lady, PenisBeaker".......... so that doesn't really prove anything.

Because they are about to post something so or that it will make everyone dash to AS.

In the unlikely event that something I posted was picked up as a story by Loose Women or the Daily Mail, it would not be very difficult to identify me from previous posts and I might not want to be identified. E.g. I have posted on local board to recommend DS's school. I've also posted on parenting and the like about DS's diagnosis and mentioned his age. So, if anyone could be bothered they could work out my identity. Much as I love them, I've probably made the odd flippant remark out of frustration about DH, DB, IL's and they might be hurt, I'd rather they didn't know.

Because otherwise you get accusations of trolling and "Interesting first post, OP... ".

I name change every couple of months as I don't necessarily want all my history being linked up. I have also been accused of being a troll once (I mentioned pooh) but honestly if you get reported to MN they can see how long you've been on anyway so I don't tend to bother announcing a NC unless it's relevant.
I don't get why people out the emoji, or mention bridges, that seems pointless, just report if you suspect and let MN do the job. It just looks like you're trying to be smug by spotting the troll first.