To think frequent name changes are okay???

[Liddlemoreaction]

I’m a frequent changer of MN user name. Particularly if Il e commented with details that out together with other posts might make me identifiable IRL.
I know quite a few people who are always trying to ‘find’ people they know on MN. I’m not particularly controversial in opinions for the most part but value my privacy.

Colleague says it’s cheating! And I should keep same name as it’s part of my MN brand…

YABU - she’s right! Cheat
YANBU - you’re right! Or at least you have the right to do as you please.

I’d like to change for each post so the name says something about the post

how do you change it?

I think frequent name changing had always been a Mumsnet staple. Your posting history would become quite outing otherwise.

Just randomly every couple of weeks usually… like, I’be been on a thread that for quite heated and I had one poster ‘going after’ me. No biggie, just polar opposites in opinion so I have changed name because I suspect said poster is one of those who like to go and look at other threads by user name etc.

I name change occasionally for the same reason; a couple of friends use MN and I'd rather stay anonymous. I don't know anyone trying to "out" me specifically; if I did, I'd name change every week! Your colleague sounds like a weird stalker.

I'd say it's absolutely essential because there are people on here whose hobby it is to out people.

Agreed! I think in the early days there were ‘names’ as it were in MN and I quite enjoyed seeing some of the wittier ones but times have deffo changed and there are more users and more harsher judgement too.
The whataboutery now can get ridiculous IMHO.

I change mine frequently, why not. I don't need an "online brand."

I do it every couple of months. I'm mindful that MN threads are used a lot as easy, cheap copy by lazy journos and so it feels like a justifiable security measure to mix things up a bit.

Ooh, that’s true though I can’t imagine posting anything interesting enough for even the DailyFail to care!

I name change regularly..there are some weirdos on MN !

I change about four times a year, or I'll be identified. I post about DV, women's rights, and divorce, being a tube employee snd about family illnesses. Anyone who knows me would suspect.

I've never changed it but only because I can't be arsed. Not as a point of principle.

Definitely name change. Remember Aston University is recording and tracking Mumsnet posts. https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/site_stuff/5057903-mumsnet-corpus?page=1

I have been here for over a decade and have had about 20 names. I change more frequently when I'm posting more.

I change every few posts.

There's a poster who is from my city and whose name I've been able to establish from the frequent personal details she posts. From this so much is available - Maiden name, school, place of worship, kids and husband's name, even her in laws names.

Investigating is my profession but probably anyone who is instinctive could have identified her

Your "MN Brand"? Whatever next 🤦🏻‍♀️ This is not an influencer platform!
I have a few usernames that I use for different types of posts - one for discussing favourite TV programmes, one for discussing health issues, etc. To me it's sensible to do this because it's an anonymous forum and if all of my conversations were under one name it would easily identify me to people who know me, and I don't want that, I appreciate the anonymity.

I quite like my current name but after getting carried away and going into extensive detail about my life on a thread yesterday, I'll be changing today. I only change when I've ended up giving too much info about myself that can be narrowed down.

If you have gradually revealed you live in Oxford with three children one of which has just been diagnosed with ADHD and you are on your second marriage and you work as an early modern history academic and you're allergic to walnuts, it does reduce the number of people you can be.

Reminds me of when More or Less did the maths on "I'm looking for a man in finance, blue eyes, six five" and determined there were 6 potential boyfriends fitting all those criteria in the UK and invited them to get in touch.

See y'all on the other side of the name change!

I name change loads!

Some of the situations I've posted about in the past, if you could link them all together would be quite outing to anyone who knew me.

On other sites I use throwaway accounts so my main one stays anonymous.

Though if I've thought of a good user name I often don't post anything personal for quite a while so I can keep it 🤣

I've only had this name for a month or so and I got it from another thread.

@dappledthings Hopkins needs you to continue.

I change my name regularly. I'd be easily identifiable otherwise, give things that I've shared.

I've had about 4 names over the years. Probably due another name change soon. I don't post anything particularly personal though, so if anyone recognises me they'll only find out information that they most likely already know! I would never post about relationship or sex issues on here, it's far too public.

I name change loads too.

I have a job that is useful in giving advice on here, but also a job where I lead lots of people, advise others and don't want my MN opinions and advice connected to my professional role.

I name change every few days to weeks. I don't want to be recognised in real life. The facility to search by a user's name means its really easy to quickly build up a comprehensive profile of who someone is and be easily outed.

I name change occasionally and to match the seasons/ time of year but I never post anything worth hunting me down for .

>>quickly puts on a disguise <<<< 🥸

I used to work with a lady who was on here, the office bully found out her username and told everyone.
So Id be happy to NC regularly.