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've recognised a couple of friends on here before, but I'd never say anything unless I was really concerned about something they'd posted and felt they needed someone in real life.

I do remember a woo thread years ago where people on here started recognising this person's 'haunted' workplace and were posting where it was. The thread got shut down and I was really disappointed as I was enjoying it up to that point.

Yes I recognised a friend over a situation - I messaged her and she said it was her - I am sure she name changed after

Yes, funny how it's usually an AIBU or a Relationships thread where the OP gets a bit of a pasting and then suddenly they are concerned about having posted too much identifying information, even if there really isn't any. hmm

I find that really bizarre as well because I posted about my BIL's ex and forgot to name change. About an hour late I got a text from her sister absolutely ripping me to shreds. She'd confirmed to herself it was me due to a previous thread about my DD's birthday.

Despite messaging HQ and then replying in the email with a screenshot of the text they told me they "don't remove threads as it's unfair on those who give advice".

Then after my reply they said they'd consider it, but only if I posted on the thread to tell people why I was deleting it. It took over 6 hours to have it deleted. Yet loads of threads are deleted within an hour or two of being created.

twice the charity shop I work in a lady said am I issey from mumsnet as my name is pretty transparent and I work with cats didn't take much working out,
and on a thread someone mentioned me by name and my son and his dog, I have no clue who this person was

@Elfranko I change my username regularly - often for every new thread I take part in. People post a lot of personal information on here and the Advanced Search feature makes it way too easy for others to join the dots - not just friends (and, yes, I have been recognised in the past), but also the many Mumsnet stalkers who take issue with something you've said so then look up all your other threads to find some ammunition they can throw at you.

I think you recognise a friend ignore it. If they wanted to discuss it with you they would. I would not message them to say I spotted you.

I’ve not recognised anyone I know but several times I’ve spotted people posting photos of their dogs here which they’ve also posted in FB groups I’m in under their (presumably) real name.

Be very careful OP when giving details about your life, being outed it's more common than you think. There was a thread years ago where someone was complaining about DP's ex wife and how crazy and unreasonable she was. Ex wife came on it and the whole thread took a very unexpected turn.

Not recognised anyone myself. There was a lovely thread a few months back from a poster asking if she would be AIBU to have a bath and go to bed early even though she had guests for the weekend. Her husband would still be up to do hosting.

A short while later she posted to say her SIL (one of the guests) had recognised her and ran her a bath with lovely bath stuff.

Even after this, she still got some replies from people not reading the thread telling her she was rude and should stay up to host

MIL recognised me and got very upset about what I had posted.

Not really ,but I did make some some specific comments about my old high school it was unusual in that there were three other high schools in very close proximity and another poster recognised my school as they had also gone there , a Facebook friend posted an unusual picture of wildlife on Facebook ,and I saw 'the exact same picture posted on here so I assume it was my face book friend

And I think I have recognised a mumsnet poster on various Facebook disability groups I'm on due to her posting specific details about her child's disabilities

This thread has now made me name change 😂

Recently someone inadvertently outed themselves on one of two long threads, obviously got mixed up with which one they were on. It certainly changed my perspective of what they were posting about.

Doesn't it just?

I think new people often don't realise it's possible to do AVs on specific posters. They come on here with some massive AIBU or a sob story, you smell a rat and decide to dig a bit deeper, only to find they've said some very conflicting or enlightening things on other threads, so it's hard to have much sympathy.

Then when you suggest that, on the back of previous posts, they ABU they get all huffy and act like you are some sort of outrageous stalker.

@GinAndNightnurse “Then when you suggest that, on the back of previous posts, they ABU they get all huffy and act like you are some sort of outrageous stalker” To be fair so do a lot of the “regulars” because apparently you’re being meeean 😉.

Good reason to stop using mumsnet and letting it shape my views and opinions.

You could just change your name, or are you very attached to mooing?

I recognised a friend as she has a pretty unique situation. She got good advice, I didn’t comment on her post or say I recognised her

I told my family I use MN. They've stalked me everywhere else on the internet, I may as well let them try to find me here too...

I work in quite a niche field and have definitely spotted someone from my workplace on here. If I was a total creep i could probably go into work calendars and see who specifically it is but I'm not going to do that.

Loads of posters change minor details anyway like age or sex of dc to throw ppl off so if you think it's someone you know based on such details you might be barking up the wrong tree!

I recognised someone who ousted herself. She posted a story on here, ranting about “stupid” dog owners walking their dog near her reactive dog. She went to the shop with her young son, tied the dog up outside the shop. When she came out her dog had slipped his lead. She shouted to a dog walker not to come near. Her dog attacked the other dog. Therefore other dogs owner was “stupid”. She didn’t get the reaction she wanted here.

Following day she posts on FB - same story but changed details. This time she was in the doorway of the shop, with her dog. She saw a man walking his dog across the road and told him not to come near as her dog didn’t like other dogs. Man walked his dog right up to hers and her dog attacked the “idiots” dog. She didn’t get the support she was after on FB either so then went into a full tirade of how she had “rescued” the dog blah blah.

I was standing at the bus stop, waiting for a friend to get off a bus, at the time of the incident. I saw it all. Dog was never on a lead. It barked and growled at everyone who passed. It bit a mans hand. It attacked 2 passing dogs, who were on lead. I messaged her and asked what was the outcome. The man, who the dog had bitten, had called the police. The dog owners were suing her for vet bills. She really cannot see this incident was entirely her fault. I told her that her dog MUST be kept on lead in public areas. She promptly blocked me on FB and her thread has disappeared from here.

Don’t believe —anything— everything you read on internet sites.

Yes
Ex husband (when we were married)
Me asking if anyone has a secret bank account, as I did

Daft of me!

Oh and one about faking orgasms.... that was not a fun afternoon of arguing!

I did a couple of weeks ago whilst commenting on a thread about embarrassing accidents.

I once spilt curry sauce on my fairy after doing work chips shop run and had nowhere to put my polystyrene curry sauce so put it inbetween my legs whilst driving and i ended up having to break very hard very suddenly which made my legs tense and the pot split and ended up where curry sauce should never go

One of the girls from the office text me and said you are definitely Hmmmm88 😂

To be fair so do a lot of the “regulars” because apparently you’re being meeean 😉.

I know!!! I'll never understand this logic. The AV function is there to be used. If people lie about their circumstances or rewrite history in order to garner sympathy then they can hardly complain when they get caught out. I don't think it's mean in the slightest. I think it's wrong to deliberately mislead people on here in order to get the sorts of responses you are looking for. In the end it's not helpful, is it? Because it's not a true reflection of your problem.

Anyfucker is my aunt

Now that really IS a claim to fame

To my knowledge it's only happened to me once - I was the "cancel the cheque" poster and of course the whole thing got back to the bride

Not something which worried me, TBH ...