Where do PMs go if you change name?

[Simurgh]

I should probably know this but I don't.

If you were to change name, where do PMs go which might have been addressed by the sender to an old id? For example, do they just route through to the new id via the account number or do they go into some sort of limbo? And if they do reach you, whose name is on the response - your old one or the new one?

They're still there in your inbox. In whatever name you were using at the time.

(Have namechanged several times.)

Thank you Gruach. I can imagine that they would all still be there but was wondering what would happen - for example, whose name would be on the response - if someone sent a PM to an old account name or, for example, replied to a previous PM that an old account name might have sent.

I would imagine that it might be the new account name so if people were, for some reason, anxious about continued anonymity, then exercising appropriate caution about responding to PMs might be necessary.

Ah - I see what you mean.

Yes, if I were now to PM a reply to a PM sent to me in an old name my response would go out under my new name.

If one is worried about security it might be best to change back to the then relevant name before responding. (?)

Perhaps so - but how would you know who the PM sender thought they were sending the message to?

Think you may need MNHQ to answer that!

I suppose that the lesson at the moment is not to respond to PMs?

Thank you PolterGoose. That's useful to know.

Hah! You're right PG!

I must have just assumed the reply name would change. As my pm conversations are invariably over a brief period of time. But I've just found a very old one and - yes - if I wanted to reply it would go under the old name.

So you can relax OP.

I have, Thanks. It's only a very small detail in the context of this whole mess but given that PMs are often sent in 'sensitive' situations and frequently with real names etc, I felt I ought to find out.