AIBU to ask how often you chase your username, and why?

[TartanLassie]

I'm just about to change my username AGAIN! And wondered how often everyone else does?

For the first 10/12 years when we were young and innocent, I had the same user name. Well except for when we did the Secret Santas.

However for the last 5 or so years, I tend to change it every month or so. The main reason is because of security, you don't realise how much personal stuff you give away, even by changing names and ages of kids etc.

So when was the last time you changed?

I was just being lighthearted!

Around once a month. I occasionally reuse an old name, I have a lot of usernames. I miss the years when I first joined around 2005 and you knew lots of people and all about them. Perhaps we were naive about the internet.

@HereForThePopcorn

I have had the same account for years here but lots of different names

Yes same. Sometimes I think MNHQ must roll their eyes or shake their heads at my username antics but until they outlaw it, I'll be using the feature. I'm sure it's one of their major selling points too. They have all my posting history under all the names and I've started loads of threads that have gone well so if I was a troll, they'd know.

I actually think the posters who can troll easily are those who create different accounts and regularly sockpuppet on threads to agree with themselves or cause confusion/derail threads. You don't need a namechange feature for this. So the namechanging feature actually means MN can tell if you're here to troll based on your activities under your names.

Agree, they can see your whole history. I hope they like my names, I try hard.

Oh, and yes, I have accidentally sock-puppeted in the past. MNHQ send a (very polite) email if you do it more than once in the same thread.

@Juo

Around once a month. I occasionally reuse an old name, I have a lot of usernames. I miss the years when I first joined around 2005 and you knew lots of people and all about them. Perhaps we were naive about the internet.

I do and I don’t, I miss certain people and I met with a couple but looking back I was too trusting. And it wasn’t always sweetness and light with everyone.

I tended not to get involved with the big characters and was glad of that in the end.

I'm overdue a change. I've let too much info that's close to reality out over time with this username so it needs to do it's namesake and disappear.

I don't have a set frequency...it's more a sense that I've been too honest with my personal circumstances that might identify me. I quite like being anonymous on here. Not for trolling reasons, but just somewhere it's OK to just be honest rather than guarded.

Agree, they can see your whole history. I hope they like my names, I try hard.

I do indeed. Just today I've created and abandoned 3 because I didn't like them after creating them. I do wish there's a delete username button for usernames you haven't posted with. I have some I changed my mind on for some reason and never used. Don't think I ever will. Sorry MNHQ and posters.

Been on this site around 15 years and changed name a lot to maintain anonymity.
I rather like my latest name though so might keep it for the foreseeable

I change every time I think I e given too much information on line. At one point there was a user to followed me on different forums, and started sending me strange messages. So now im a regular name changer

I've been her 15 years too

I agree @Verashat about trusting. I actually prefer the namechanging culture because it's reduced some of the cliques on MN. I generally avoid the MN celebs (as I do real life celebs) and their ONE 'known' username because most of their 'followers' believe they fart rainbows and fairy dust.🤣 Other than that, I don't notice usernames much unless I interact with the poster. I'll now always remember Verashat

I have yet to customary name change as newish but "fart rainbows and fairy dust" sounds like a good choice username!

@HereForThePopcorn

Agree, they can see your whole history. I hope they like my names, I try hard.

I do indeed. Just today I've created and abandoned 3 because I didn't like them after creating them. I do wish there's a delete username button for usernames you haven't posted with. I have some I changed my mind on for some reason and never used. Don't think I ever will. Sorry MNHQ and posters.

I thought some years ago that there should be a 'username amnesty', as I have hundreds a few that I never even used.

It is quite selfish thinking about it, I have hoarded about 30

Now that you said it, it actually does. I've found usernames that way many times, just based on something a poster wrote.

I've never changed mine. I don't even know how! I did have a whole other account with a different email for a while when I forgot this one but now I've forgotten that one instead 🙈

I'm not too bothered if people know who I am in real life. I'm not very exciting or controversial anyway

I thought some years ago that there should be a 'username amnesty', as I have hundreds a few that I never even used

There really should. I feel sad for those names 😇

@HereForThePopcorn I can assure you have have never changed my username but you will have to take my word for it.

@TartanLassie No, we're not allowed to namechange on the same thread. It will be sockpuppeting UNLESS you announce it's still you, then MN will know you're not sockpuppeting. They'll most likely leave you alone. Sock puppets don't announce their sockpuppeting and that's the whole point 😆

If you do it by accident, you can ask MNHQ to delete that post, then namechange back to the one you used before on the thread. That way, they'd know it's not deliberate.

Also if you namechange on your own thread, your posts under the new name won't show as the OP anymore.

The clique numbers have gone down due to namechanging and other reasons but there are still a few here and there

Oh my god, look at me excitedly giving tips and tricks of namechanging like I invented it. May have to retire this username for the foreseeable future!

MNHQ can see namechanges and ban trolls. People have always used multiple accounts to troll which has been done from day one

Name changes are different to multiple accounts though; name changes are allowed but multiple accounts are not.

[quote ilovesooty]@HereForThePopcorn I can assure you have have never changed my username but you will have to take my word for it.[/quote]
It's fine, what I think really doesn't matter but I'll take your word for it.

@marvinscarpark

MNHQ can see namechanges and ban trolls. People have always used multiple accounts to troll which has been done from day one

Name changes are different to multiple accounts though; name changes are allowed but multiple accounts are not.

Yes that was the point I was making.