to just keep changing my name on here because sooner or later someone will drag up old posts I have made?

[wirey]

AIBU to just keep changing my name on here because sooner or later someone will drag up old posts I have made?

I sometimes think there is no point sticking with one username for too long because the minute you post something people disagree with, someone starts digging through your posting history to use it against you.

It is so irritating when the actual topic gets ignored and instead it turns into well on your thread from six months ago you said this, or last year you posted that. Half the time it is not even relevant, it is just a way to undermine you or make you feel stupid.

I am not talking about being inconsistent or saying something outrageous. Just normal posting where your views change a bit, or different situations bring out different opinions or you do not want every random detail from previous threads tied together by strangers.

Part of me thinks I should just keep changing names and start fresh every so often. But then people start saying interesting first post so can't win.

lol no, and not a MIL either!

In change my username every few months

Yes, this. It's when you're posting about your seven year old with a terminal diagnosis and last week you were all about naming your newborn twins, or this week it's all about whether the guy at work who is always paying you compliments really likes you that way and should you make your singleness clear, whereas last week you were asking advice on eloping to marry the father of your three children whom you've been with for fifteen years.

Been on here for 20 years on/off

Ive certainly changed plenty

That’s generally for posting in agreement with yourself though, rather than for privacy.

There is a very persistent troll who trawls through people’s posts. I report whenever I spot but the persistency of it makes me uneasy tbh.

I change mine to keep it anonymous, I do an unusual job and have dc in unusual situations so if someone knew me in real life it would be easy to tell it was me if they could see many months ago

I change mine lots, partly because I overshare. But partly because I sometimes change details to avoid being outed and some smart arse will pop up and say OP had 2 sons 5 yrs ago and now she has 3 daughters or whatever.

Posters who go digging up previous threads think they're being sleuth-like and clever, but they're not. They're being sad little wankers.

I name change regularly. If you don't want the "interesting first post" comments, don't namechange immediately before starting a new thread on a contentious topic. Name change once a month or once a quarter and spend more time contributing helpful thoughts to other people's posts on relatively uncontrovertial issues than you do weighing in on a really big argument. It's perfectly ok to obfusticate personal details a little and refer to having 2 DSs and a DD in one thread and 2DDs and a DS in another - that's a perfectly normal way to throw a bit of doubt over the detective skills of anyone who might try to link you MN posts to your real life identity. But if you post on one thread that your MIL is your best friend and so lovely and kind and thoughtful, and then start a thread bewailing what an awful vindictive cow your MIL is, people are going to suspect you are choosing what to post based on trying to get a rise from people rather than posting in good faith.

I joined Mumsnet nearly 22 years ago and kept the same username for years and years. Then one day I decided I had better change it and since then I've changed it every couple of months.

Hell would freeze over before I start a thread and disclose a lot of personal information on here, but I know MN can be a really important source of support for many women who have nobody else to turn to. It just shows how bad it's got that posting a new thread is something to avoid if possible,

there should be a Guideline about not being snidely about past information given as it's horrible to do that to someone who's already on their uppers.

Another frequent name changer here. I refuse to allow obsessive, time on their hands, vindictive and nosy people ever search for my previous threads/comments. Except this name because I haven't gotten around to changing it again in a little while.

Every day would be advised IMO although it's more like once every few weeks for me.

WHY do people search a username anyway, is there something missing in their lives?

OP, NC as often as you want, you will be in good company!

We are all strangers and can say anything we like, so responding to someone’s thread comes with a degree of accepting that it could be totally made up or that there will be inconsistencies. The only time I have ever looked through someone’s posting history was when they were singling me out on a thread and taking issue with every single thing I said, even though other posters were saying similar to me. I eventually bit back and she got one of my comments deleted and was very dramatic about announcing it, so I was a bit pissed off. I wanted to see if she had form for stuff like that. She did🤣 But I didn’t mention it on the thread. I feel a bit ridiculous now looking back, but it was all a bit intense at the time.

I name change regularly because when I was on a different forum my dmum used to scroll through posts and try to work out which one was me by posting history

I think it’s good to name change every now and then to protect your privacy. For me, being on forums is something I keep to myself. Partly because of shame and stigma but partly because it’s my outlet and I worry if people irl knew I was on here they might get curious and go looking which would ruin it for me. Being found randomly is different to someone actively seeking you out I feel.

I don’t think I post anything particularly controversial, I try not to overshare and change small irrelevant details, but I may have a moan about certain people/things in my life occasionally and wouldn’t want to upset anyone I know. So as an extra level of protection name changing can be helpful. If someone I knew in real life did discover me on here, I want the info they find to be limited.

There are also that small handful of saddos posters who take great joy in trawling through past posts to try and catch people out. Name changing is a great way to avoid these types.

Personally I never post anything I’m not prepared to stand by. But I can see why people might have excellent reasons to name change.