Can we have a new rule, please, that UserName987654321987654321 has to

[Maryz]

namechange before they post a new thread.

Because I'm getting confused. There are so many people with UserName in their UserName that I'm in danger of being extremely rude to one of them mixing them up and thinking a new one is an old one or a previously banned one.

I am old and confused.

I think they have to take the name allocated to them when they register, for some reason, but could they not be auto-sked to namechange before posting? Pretty please.

If it's because they've signed up from the app and not verified their email that's a bit worrying as that means there are people who don't ever need to see the main site with the "warnings" at the top of relationships and mental health etc...

Yep. There should be a ban on posting until email is verified. Most other forums have it, it's a mistake for MN not to follow suit.

It's a silly two tier system that is bound to cause confusion and already has. Either we all have identifiable anonymous usernames or we don't.

Maryz , you are a woman with a sound bottom of good sense, as my Hibernian grandfather would have said. Certainly I agree.

Hi folks,

we definitely get your points here, it's a tiny tad on the confusing side. We're having a chat to see what we can do.

Right, here goes -

Tech are hyper-aware that this is a huge annoyance to a lot of you, and we really do apologise for the irritation. They did try the two name combo system, and it kept throwing up the most appalling combinations, that it was decided the best thing to do was go with numbers.

What we've now done is add a big fat REMINDER! in the auto-responses to remind people to change their given usernames. It's not that simple to sort, but they are working very hard to improve it.

Why on earth are MNHQ allowing people to post if they haven't verified their email address or fully registered. Surely people can keep coming back even if they are pbp. Or am I misunderstanding?

Please stop username38594838922 from posting. A twat9844598930290 just started a troll thread about Jo Cox's death.

And well done HQ on being really quick today deleting the trolls and GFers riding on this sad and tragic event.

tkep throwing up the most appalling combinations

Can't be more appalling than the numbers or some usernames

I don't think a lot of them want proper names, they want to hide behind to make arsey comments

I quite like the user12345679 etc It shows they have just registered and they can't pretend they are on a nc plus it makes it easier to note the same turns of phrase many of them seem to use.

I like the username number numbers as well. Sorts out the wheat from the trolls chaff

Do MNHQ really not require email verification before people post?!

When I first signed up I had a username1212121 type thing that I couldn't change - I contacted Mumsnet experts on the form and the Mumsnet people but still couldn't change it. Eventually I re-registered with another email address and was able to get a proper name Maybe there is some sort of bug? Am using laptop and Windows 10.

I think the whole username461356321547218 system should be ditched.

What's so hard about confirming an email before being allowed to post? When new users sign up they're on the internet anyway, it's only a couple of clicks

Have you perhaps signed a new advertising deal and agreed to provide an unfeasibly large number of unique visitors? I recognise that we use the site for free and as such we are the product but it's surely in your interests to look after the community so we keep coming back and so it continues to be an attractive place for new visitors.

There is a constant stream of trolls and GF on MN. I'm not sure it's worse than it's ever been but I don't see the point of making it easier for them.

Also, if I signed up for a forum and found I was stuck being user5437958430 because a glitch made it really difficult to change, I think I'd find it hard to find my feet. I wouldn't feel very welcome, especially as people are understandably suspicious of anonymous number-names.

What was the problem this was supposed to solve?

Has anyone else had one of these

HQ told me a short while ago, these UserNames are generated when people sign up via Ap (or mobile site I can't quite remember). And that Tech are working in changing it so people have to choose proper User Names.

I don't think you can change your username on the Ap.

The Reminder thing clearly isn't working, as the same people are coming back to threads regularly with the same names so they're clearly not put off. I don't recall this being an issue until quite recently. Why can't we go back to whatever system was in place before?

the same people are coming back to threads regularly with the same names

How can you tell?

For a long time I thought that they were all the one poster - being too short of attention to read all the bloody long list of numbers and compare them with the next list of long numbers.

Zombie has a question. She believes we have established that many find the user######## style extremely confusing.

HQ, is there any evidence of established posters changing TO a user######## nick name?

Zombie asks because she thinks that could be an even bigger problem than the newbies who are given one by default.