Has anyone actually been outed?

[Elfranko]

Lots of people name change when posting I assume for the fear of people they know reading the story. However, alot are specific scenarios that surely people who knew the situation would instantly twig anyway.
There have been loads of times I want to post something and then chicken out incase this happens and I have absolutely no idea if anyone i know uses mumsnet.

Has it ever happened to anyone?

I think I recognised someone on here the other day. Her DH's hobby is cycling. so outing .

Not sure but I wrote a very frustrated thread once about a home situation that had far to much detail. The person in question have me such a hard stare the next day that I asked for it to be removed. It's basically a bad idea to post any more than basic info.

I saw my DH's ex posting a load of lies on here about DH and I. It made her look really silly and she was horrified when she realised she'd been caught out.

But if she was telling lies about him then how did you even recognise it was her?

Anyfucker is my aunt

A handful of well known posters are apparently easy to id in RL, where they post their job and highly identifying details but I think that’s a lot less common now than it used to be in the early days of Mumsnet.

I have recognised someone from work on here - very identifiable as she was talking about her twin secondary age dds, her recent holiday and her job! I kept quiet and try not to read her threads. She does nc but always variations on a theme eg (nothing like this but as an example) girlonabike then girlonarun, girlinaspin

Axis, really?? Does she know you know?

I saw a really well-written and insightful post here that I thought my sister would appreciate. I emailed it to her, and it turned out she'd written it.

Yes, by my then 14 year old daughter. She joined and when I posted about her, she argued with me on the thread.
She let something slip and the way she wrote, I knew it was her.
The upshot is I no longer stay logged in, so she can't see my name if she looks on my laptop, a name change and I tend not to post about her anymore.
So if you see this dd, although I'm sure you're busy working hard for your GCSE's, I'm talking about you.

I don't know but it does worry me. A few weeks ago I rashly posted something on a thread that could have got me into a lot of legal trouble if I'd been recognised because I mentioned something I'd agreed not to. It wasn't at all likely as I didn't include much info, but it was a worry. I've changed name a couple of times since, just to make myself feel a bit better.

I've recognised other people 3 times on Mumsnet or Baby Greenhouse (anyone remember that?) One was about a very particular PTA thing that was happening at the time. Another was an anecdote about a particular celebrity I'd heard this person tell. And another was a mum from school.

I always told them that I'd recognised them in case they wanted to name change. I didn't look up their old posts as I felt that wouldn't be fair.

The best solution for that IMO is to post very outing stuff either at 30 days only or not at all!

I name change regularly. About two years ago I posted something very specific about my dh's family, and luckily I'd name changed for the thread because the next time I saw my cousin she said she thought I'd had good advice here. Dh has a lot of sisters, I'd be surprised if at least a few of them aren't on here and they probably also recognised me (and themselves) from the thread.

A dear friend recognised my post which concerned meeting an adult grandson for the first time. I certainly did not feel a name change was needed. There is not much she doesn’t know about my family already.

Do you remember LaQueen? She was also on Baby Greenhouse before Mumsnet. Everyone knew everything about her? Her real name, husband's business (lots about her husband's business and habits), her address. Didn't she have to have all her posts deleted when she told everyone that her husband had cheated on his degree? This was a long time ago and I think people are more careful now (I hope).

I actually know a former DM journalist. I'm quite wary about what I post on here, as I know she still gets passed things from her friends who still work there.

I read an employment thread once and realised it was posted by someone who sat on the next bank of desks to me.

I name change a lot and change details of particularly identifying situations but I’ve no doubt people who know me will know me.

Oh, and it isn't mumsnet, but my mum is a journalist. As a 10(ish) year old, my sister and I were travelling by bus, and someone recognised our names from our coat labels, and started haranguing us about her views in her articles.

She was, to put it lightly, fucking nuts.

I've never been outed but NC regularly. I once posted on a thread where the Op was concerned about their neighbours kids, another poster took exception to what I wrote (for the record I suggested she called NSPCC) and followed me around the boards calling me out for allowing child abuse to go unchecked. It was surprisingly upsetting given I didn't actually know the person. Since then I name change about every 6 months and also on specific posts.

To the PP asking how we knew it was her if it was lies... she used her name! And lots of identifying info about the children's ages and our lives etc.

Anyone who posts “very private and personal things” on a board that literally millions of people have access to is a flat out idiot.

I recognised someone on the Baby Names topic, but nobody has recognised me as far as I know.

I recognised someone after they named their child a very unusual name. By coincidence, an old thread was resurrected shortly afterwards and it was hers, asking for opinions on this specific first name- middle name combination (and surname initial).

I had a look through her previous posts and she’d littered them with so much identifying information, but she hadn’t posted for a while so I guess she’d changed her name since.

I am pretty sure I know a user on here. I would never say a word or out them. It does make you realise that you don't have a clue what goes on behind closed doors.

Yes - I remember that happening to LaQueen

Yip I posted about my neighbours last week and they commented and then the husband spoke to my husband about it