Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Site stuff

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

See all MNHQ comments on this thread

User name confusion..

149 replies

BertrandRussell · 24/08/2018 14:25

There is now a poster using the name @BertrandRusselI- which is a bit confusing. Is that OK? I think I had the name first (aware that sounds a bit playgroundy) and I might be confusing.

OP posts:
TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 13:02

No, I'm not worth impersonating!
I will probably do it later today. Mine is a little more complex, and 'Tom' is a close match too.

SoupDragon · 27/08/2018 13:12
Gruach · 27/08/2018 14:09

Interesting ...

I don’t usually like being @-ed - but thanks for pointing out this strange anomaly witchmountain !

TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 14:14

@MN admin..

You need to add this to your css:

.post .bar .nickname {
font-family: serif;
}

This is will solve the issue 'temporarily' and make it easier for readers to spot a clone.

SneakyGremlins · 27/08/2018 14:15

Unless I misread I saw a SneakyGoblins a couple days ago which made me Hmm

They appear to have namechanged now..

SoupDragon · 27/08/2018 14:16

If you ar trying to @ someone, you need to use a full posting name. MN isn’t one so it won’t get to them. I occasionally get notifications for some of my hoarded name changes because someone has abbreviated a posting name in the tag. I’ve turned off notifications for it now.

MsHomeSlice · 27/08/2018 14:17

I cannot see there is any chance of MN sorting this, apparently it is still impossible for them to get the database to recognise mshomeslice as MsHomeSlice which means if an OP logs out, and logs back in with an alternative upper/lower case letter they no longer flag up as the OP, and that's annoying enough

swapping uppercase i for lowercase l is never going to be sorted.

TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 14:23

It is a very VERY simple check at the registration process.
They are already checking for existing registered names - it's about 10 lines of code to check all other combinations too, and if any already exist, deny that username.

I've already given them a super easy fix to at least make the faux usernames easier to see. That's an absolute doddle for them to implement. It won't prevent it, but will make it easier to identify.

TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 14:25

I've no idea who the MN team are, just hoping they are reading the thread.
If they aren't careful one (or both) of the following will happen:

  1. People know how to do this now and will start abusing it more frequently, even in 'fun'

  2. People will start registering multiple names to protect themselves.

Neither is good, but very predictable.

MsHomeSlice · 27/08/2018 14:32

I advance searched @BertrandRusselI (capital i ) they have been very busy considering

112 messages since 21/8

SneakyGremlins · 27/08/2018 14:33

Torn I keep reading your name as Tom..

TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 14:38

I think MN should ask them to change their name, or face a ban.
It's hard to ban a serious idiot though

TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 14:39

Torn I keep reading your name as Tom

You're not the first to have done that.
I don't mind, I know it's me either way. I've been called far worse in my time!

witchmountain · 27/08/2018 15:02

Blush Gruach I don’t think I’ve ever @ed anyone apart from MN before because it generally seems rude and rather unnecessary. Like cornering someone happily mingling at a drinks party and insisting they talk to you!

Gruach · 27/08/2018 15:06

Grin No worries!

Still not sure which haughty philosopher I was actually exchanging pontification with ...

witchmountain · 27/08/2018 19:55

Your outfits sounded fabulous btw Grin

Gruach · 27/08/2018 20:14

I’ve just had a look.

And now I’m a little annoyed.

So - original BertrandRussell was never on the cool frock thread? Well. That’s rather ...

Angry
user1495884620 · 27/08/2018 20:16

Somebody @ed me once. I didn't realise for weeks until I had some reason to check the junk email account I use to sign up for websites. The other Bertrand might not have a clue about this thread.

BertrandRussell · 27/08/2018 20:16

Nope-wasn't me. But I'm sure your frock is lovely.......

OP posts:
3stonedown · 27/08/2018 20:39

I don't think the imposter would see the @ anyway as it had stars or "either side (can't remember which) . When someone does an @ it usually goes bold on my app but didn't in the OP.

Call me suspicious but I think they are building a big "profile" ready for when they do a troll thread

Gruach · 27/08/2018 20:49

To be honest - I was a little puzzled; don’t usually bump into you on S&B.

Then I became more puzzled. Then I decided there was an element of fun being made ...

Strange thing is I can generally spot a fake thread within about five words. So now I also have to be wary of fake-familiar-posters? And find time for Real Life too?Shock

witchmountain · 27/08/2018 20:54

Exactly Gruach! Who does that?! And then casually ignores it when another poster responds to them as though they are familiar.

ZeroFuchsiasGiven · 27/08/2018 22:32

@ZeroFuchsGiven, many apologies! It stupidly hadn't even occurred to me that somebody else was bound to have used this name first. I am a longstanding poster but namechanging more regularly now and will go off and try something else. BertrandRusse1l, maybe ...Grin

BertrandRussell · 27/08/2018 22:37

Just read the s&b thread- and actually feel more freaked out- if I contributed to s&b it would be a bit like that...well it would have been when I was thinner and younger....

OP posts:
TornFromTheInside · 27/08/2018 23:06

MN will sort it.
I think it's awful to do this, even if it's someone's idea of fun.

MN sent me an email saying some ideas had been forwarded to their Tech Team, so hopefully they'll implement something soon.