Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Site stuff

Join our Innovation Panel to try new features early and help make Mumsnet better.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

User 135784422458974113456888865

48 replies

DesolateWaist · 26/09/2016 21:07

Seriously, we need to do something about this.
It makes it so hard to follow threads when a number of people are called a user blah blah blah.

OP posts:

EmpressKnowsWhereHerTowelIs · 27/09/2016 08:35

There was a recent one where there were 2 or 3 user1234s with conflicting opinions, and then they got annoyed / confused when people started mixing them up. It's going to happen, though. Inevitably. They look like a big homogeneous mass.

Zombie suggested explaining politely that we won't engage with them until they get proper names. I think they should get pop-ups every time they log on asking them to namechange.

gamerchick · 27/09/2016 08:37

It oddly doesn't bother me, if you want to comment on something just quote the thing rather than the name. Job done.

BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2016 08:39

I find the problem for me is when a user1234 OP discovers how to get a proper user name half way through a thread, changes name and then their posts aren't highlighted

ThenLaterWhenItGotDark · 27/09/2016 08:41

It's HQ's fault, not the MNers.

It seems a little bit "we've been here for a hundred years and we can tell you're all new and so we won't talk to you until you have passed our witty-name challenge initiation test" to complain about them.

I lost my log in recently and considered becoming a User999 type person. I quite like the idea of the havoc I could wreak under the invisibility cloak.

Topseyt · 27/09/2016 08:44

I think MNHQ should ditch the system. I preferred things before we had it.

Also, people tend to assume they are all trolls. Not all are.

BitOutOfPractice · 27/09/2016 08:59

Nobody ever said it was their fault clearly the system for getting a name has changed recently hence the proliferation of user357532s

Sparklingbrook · 27/09/2016 09:03

I hate to say it but I avoid or just scroll past the User123456789 people. It's just hard work and I can't differentiate between them. MNHQ need to sort it I agree.

user1470043860 · 27/09/2016 09:04

How do I go about changing my name? Any ideas.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 27/09/2016 09:06

How do I go about changing my name? Any ideas.

No point asking Sparkling she just scrolled right past you

NoFuchsGiven · 27/09/2016 09:07

user1470043860 Go to 'My Mumsnet' at the top then 'My account'.

You can change it from there.

user1470043860 · 27/09/2016 09:09

Merci.

Sparklingbrook · 27/09/2016 09:09

I did read that one. Can't help as I think it may involve the app and I have no idea about that.

Original poster

DesolateWaist · 27/09/2016 09:22

I've never used the app and I access the site mainly from a mobile.

Is it really MNHQ's fault?
To me when I see user1234 then it looks to me like someone who can't be bothered to access the site properly, i.e. change to a proper username, but still wants to join in.
If they can't change their username because of MNHQ then that is very bad on MNHQs behalf.

I did suggest to a user1234 who was busy telling everyone that they were MNing wrong that she might want to get a proper username before she spouted off and I got a fuck off for my troubles.

OP posts:

Queenbean · 27/09/2016 09:23

It's a bit annoying, but generally I just highlight, copy and paste someone's user name anyway

Given that there are so many Queen something and gin something and Daily Mail somethings anyway

ErrolTheDragon · 27/09/2016 09:29

Maybe usernnnnnn should only be allowed to lurk and attempts to post would give instructions how to get a proper name? I was away from MN when they started appearing, don't understand why we have them now. If its a limitation of the app then why not only allow registrations from the full site on a browser?

BlancheDevereux · 27/09/2016 10:51

Agree that this needs to go. But we've been asking HQ to sort this out for months, and nothing so far.

ZuleikaDobson · 15/10/2016 17:51

This problem seems worse than ever, and, as Blanche says, HQ have been promising to sort it out for months. Could we have an update?

WipsGlitter · 15/10/2016 18:01

Really? I rarely even look at the user names. It's a bit "you can't be in the cool girls club".

Mumsnet is different things to different people and some don't see it as a club with rules. It's just a chat board to them.

usual · 15/10/2016 18:13

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ErrolTheDragon · 15/10/2016 18:43

If you're having a debate, you do need to be able to keep track of names.

ZuleikaDobson · 15/10/2016 18:54

It's a bit "you can't be in the cool girls club".

Where on earth does this bit of gratuitous attack come from? It's got nothing whatsoever about being in any club, cool or otherwise. It's irritating because, as Errol says, it's difficult to work out which User 147etc you're dealing with and you're liable to mix one with another. Also it seems to be a bit of a gift to goady/troll types who never bother to change their names and are able to get away with their goading/trolling with a degree of anonymity - and it's unfortunate, to say the least, if a perfectly genuine new poster gets ignored or flamed because people assume that they're the troll who has also been posting on the same thread.

WipsGlitter · 15/10/2016 18:59

Zombie suggested explaining politely that we won't engage with them until they get proper names

This to me is you can't play here unless you play by "our" rules.

Stormwhale · 15/10/2016 19:01

Completely agree. It's pointless posting unless you have a proper username as if there is more than one user1234blah blah blah then no one has a clue which one said what. It's nothing to do with it being a club, it is actually because it prevents us from involving those posters as they are unidentifiable in a thread.

usual · 15/10/2016 19:10

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

intheknickersoftime · 15/10/2016 19:13

There are no rules, there are no cool girls here. Let's put that to bed. But the style of this forum and the lack of a reply button means the user678 names are difficult to differentiate from and the thread doesn't evolve into an interesting discussion. At the moment it's just a load of random opinions prefaced with "I haven't read the thread but....". Get a proper username and rtft. It's just polite innit!

Flip

1 2

Swipe left for the next trending thread