People Who Name Change

[PleaseJustSayNo]

So they're not identified IRL. Do they realise that this isn't how it works and just because they have come up with a slight pun or nod to the thread content, it doesn't make them less identifiable to people who know them or will recognise them from the situation??

Like, a name change will stop people here identifying your other posts, but the people you describe will still recognise themselves in your post and thus identify you if they are going to see your post

They're worried people will Google their username and find other posts they've written which may identify them

Yeah obviously but people do it not so they’re not identifiable as the OP but rather so that if people do see their post, they won’t be able to see previous posts.
Obviously we all know that if you write about someone in detail, they’ll be able to tell who the OP is....

Of course they realise. It just means that years and years of other posts aren’t connected to the new username and are linked.

Doesn't matter. I don't see why it's of interest what an OP has previously posted. But I can understand why people NC, especially for sensitive issues, or if some details have been obfuscated in order to avoid outting themselves. I've recently seen a number of posters attacking OPs after respondents had taken the time and trouble to go back over said OP's history and split hairs over some of the finer details. Defies belief that people have the time or inclination to get hung up on minutiae in this way, but apparently they do ...

But people start with:

NC because this could be outing...

Well, it's gonna be outing regardless of your username

“But people start with:

NC because this could be outing...

Well, it's gonna be outing regardless of your username”

What they mean is “this story will obviously be me if someone from real life sees, and if someone from my real life recognises this post, they can find all other things I’ve posted which could be embarrassing”

If I recognise a post as someone I know in real life I could then search their other post and see what other problems they have etc, or they may have posted about sexual assault, abusive relationships etc.

If they name change that can’t happen.

It's because of advanced search. If you AS someone with their usual username you could find their town, names of pets, jog type etc, and it's easier to piece together who they are.

If you NC you can't be linked to your previous posts and less likely to be outed.

Do we have to go through this every week?

Read what posters are saying, they are explaining it for you.

Well, it's gonna be outing regardless of your username

Yes, but the point you’re missing is that name changing protections any previous posts. So the situation may seem familiar to a person, but they can’t check previous history to see if any more information correlates. Or if it’s totally outing, at least Nosy Nerys can’t advance search and learn all about that time you had painful piles and wanted to know which cream was best, or about how your husband’s gassy problems are so bad you’re considering divorce, and etc.

Yes but posting a rant about a colleague will mean that colleague will recognise that it's them and who is posting but the colleague won't then be able to read her other posts where she is talking about her marriage issues etc.

Maybe they mean it could be outing if read in relation to their other threads.

Someone could read a thread and think they know who it is, then look at the poster's previous threads and find other details that confirm it is who they think.

I don’t want to be linked to my other persons on here - the one that’s dealt with death and infertility etc so I name change to avoid linkages

Well, it's gonna be outing regardless of your username

Well yes. But as others have said, it's to avoid all other previous posts (possibly going back several years) being linked to the "outing" one.

Since reregistering here in December or November, I've just constantly changed my name on a regular basis and I've made one thread on the whole site (which no one responded to - it wasn't in aibu, so that figures) and I worry more that people will realise from what I write in my comments that I'm trying something on. Nope. I just genuinely want breaks in my timeline, similar reason to why people do the nc because outing, except this is just comments. And I don't use any of my usual internet aliases for it. It's just paranoia because this is an open forum.

I do the same as TheYoungOffendersMum. Regular name changes prevent too much identifying (or incriminating!) Information from being traceable by my username alone.

Yes- the subject may realise ‘hang on a minute, that’s my Evil SIL and she’s talking about me!’

But they can’t go search the OPs other posts and read all about the time she needed advice for giant piles etc.

Been here 10 years and I name change every time I start a thread. I also change irrelevant facts village/city, pets/no pets, etc not enough to get wrong replies. There are some nasty people on here as well over invested people.

People often change minor details to make themselves less recognisable and they don't want posters with nothing better to do trawling through their history saying 'hang on you have a DD not a DS and you live up north not down south'.

Also they don't want people they know to be able to see all their posting history for obvious reasons.

The namechanger is saying they realise they could be identified in real life by this particular post and accept that.

They dont want their previous posts also being read so have used the new name to prevent this happening.

To be fair, when people post threads eg 'need help with my 7 year old, is this normal at this age' etc and people genuinely try and help, then its proven that they've previously posted about the same child who's been 4/9/21 in the space of 18 months, I don't see what's wrong with calling them out on that

When I use a different MN name it's because I don't want someone to recognise me AND go back through my posting history to find out about my terrible labour, canal fishes, how I feel about my mother, sibling arguments, my MH issues, etc.

Someone may realise 'oh, that's her from across the road/X's SIL/my child's teacher'

Do yes, name change ahoy!

Been here 10 years and I name change every time I start a thread. I also change irrelevant facts village/city, pets/no pets, etc not enough to get wrong replies. There are some nasty people on here as well over invested people.

This is absolutely true. I’ve never known anything like the level some people on MN will go to by chasing down a poster’s previous posts to prove them wrong or make a point to rubbish their current thread. It’s really weird stalkerish behaviour.

Off to change my username now

@Avonsbarksdale99 they probably have children at those ages and make up another child to hide rl. The main issue is true but just some details changed

To be fair, when people post threads eg 'need help with my 7 year old, is this normal at this age' etc and people genuinely try and help, then its proven that they've previously posted about the same child who's been 4/9/21 in the space of 18 months, I don't see what's wrong with calling them out on that

That's one thing but I've seen a post where someone was asking for advice about how to get through christmas with almost no money and one poster brought up a post the OP made about 3 years ago talking about a holiday they'd been on. They cited that as evidence that OP was clearly either lying or was reckless with money so deserved to be in a shit situation.

I would have thought its blatantly obvious why people name chsnge in certain situations.

E.g. If you are posting about a trouble maker at work making your life hell why would you want them knowing about anything you have written about your family problems/sex life/ health issues/ or anything else they could use agsinst you?

What does it matter to you what name a poster? Either post advice on the thread or dont.