I would like an option to "opt out" of advanced search

[IAmFuckingPissedOff]

I think that might solve the privacy issues.

I would like to be able, on my customise, make my name unsearchable under posts "posted by X".

Is that feasible?

I know it seems recently that the so-called "active" posters are unnecessary on here - in fact on another thread I have just noticed that we are apparently a minority and therefore have no right to dictate how the site is run.

However, in my opinion (and correct me if I'm wrong) the site would be very much less helpful to parents if the regulars stopped offering advice. There are many active posters on here who post in niche places, giving advice on things as far apart as legal, infertility, mental health, parenting, etc etc. For me, certainly, I'm no longer as happy to post about my life, and thus support others, when it is so easy with one click to post the whole thread straight to Facebook. Where I might be recognised because of my unusual circumstances, and someone can come straight here and read about my life, and my children's life, for the last ten years.

So I'm left with options: I can dereg and not post at all, I can post only on innane threads or I can lurk only.

In all of those choices I won't be giving advice and sympathy because I'm going to be bloody careful what I post.

Or you could make my user-name unsearchable.

...can of course do it on google, but it would be time consuming

I beg to differ, I can search pretty efficiently & quickly using Google; I often can't find anything using MN search facility.

Here's Riven's first thread that happens to stick in my head (and she's changed her user name, which I need not have known) That took me 35 seconds of searching on Google.

I agree with you IamFuckingPissedOff

likk - and why would you dig up an old upsetting thread?

If you want to ask MNHQ to delete it then please do, Panto. I think R & her DD are nicely reconciled now, anyway.
My point was how easy it is to find these things, with a tangible example of MN Royalty who have already had their lives raked thru heavily (little left to trawl).
I guess I will stick to vague hypotheticals in future.

If you want to be unsearchable, some posters periodically change one character of their name, for example BertleBotts or Bertieb0tts or B3rtieBotts (etc etc) - the longer your name the easier this is. Or have a memorable handle but add different things on the end and change every few weeks. This means people can still recognise you but if anybody searches, they will only find a small number of posts.

A while back someone showed a way to use Google.to give a total.number of posts.by a username on a site! We all used it to scare ourselves about how much time we spent here but I AM sure it could be put to other uses! I can't recall how now but it took seconds to do. I remember feeling a bit more respectful of the lack of privacy after that.