Only using one username on a thread

[9GreenBottles]

Hello Mumsnet

Having the ability to change your username is great if you don’t want to have previous threads tied to that name - until you start a thread and forget to change your username halfway through.

Could you introduce a function that locks the user to the username they start with on a thread that would save the embarrassment of the OP if they forget to swap when posting further (and would also have the benefit of preventing sock puppeting by other posters on more contentious threads)?

Yes this is a great idea. I've messed up usernames as a genuine poster which is really annoying.

Great points about sock puppeting and linking OP comments too.

This is a fantastic idea and one I'd love to see implemented

Great idea!

Sorry, I don't agree, I change mine regularly but not for specific threads and when it changes I want it changed across all threads I'm on, not reverting back to old ones, I am
on quite a few long running threads and this would completely defeat the object of my namechanges. I avoid contentious threads and don't sockpuppet.

Great idea.

Great idea

@HebeMumsnet

I have a slightly different suggestion (though someone might have posted it after your post?!).

keeping the OP as the name they started the thread with, but allowing others to name change. Sometimes I choose to name change during a thread if I'm going to post something very personal that I hadn't anticipated at the beginning of the thread..

not sock puppeting, just adding detail, but not under my main name.

if I couldn't name change, I wouldn't post further (hopefully helpful) detail.

I don't see that it matters except for the OP.

Unfortunately I think there would be a bother if everyone other than the OP could name change as that would give intentional drama inducing puppets free range on the contentious threads.

It is tricky because it could stop people being helpful under a different name but the socks would run amok. The trolls are bad enough.

Looking at all the intricate and very detailed nonsensical stories are making me want to weep.

Yes yes yes!

If it's not possible to lock users, could you at least post a warning pop-up if we try to post under a different name? Or next best put "You are posting as Orangio" on the Post button itself?

I think if we could get some kind of waring that we had posted on this thread under a different name it could work . I am on a lot of long running threads esp WAGs and not been able to change names half way through them would be annoying , how would I let everyone know its Halloween of Christmas [santa]

ooh x post with @Orangio , great minds think alike ;-)

^Completely agree. I wish MN would do something about this as OP said. It's incredibly annoying. I just learned what sock puppets are on MN, I had no idea this happened. It's a bit mad.

Yes, a warning pop-up would be a good alternative. Though obviously wouldn't stop sock-puppeting. For that I think keeping the OP to their original name would have the biggest benefit, other posters name changing isn't such a big deal I'd say.

Yes please to this!

Often I have to wade back through pages of thread to find my previous comment to remember which name I posted under - I've no desire to be banned by using multiple username on a thread! I have different usernames depending on which kind of threads I'm posting on.

I came to ask for something like this but saw this thread so it's nice to know I'm not the only one.

Agree to not allowing NC for the OP.

Absolutely support this. Excellent idea.

I love the ability we have to name change on MN for our own privacy. But this can be abused by sock-puppeters. And then there's the embarrassment of accidentally sock-puppeting. Plus the annoyance that OPs posts can no longer be filtered if they change their name or misspell it later in the thread.

Please don't 'out' posters by making the filter OP facility highlight all their namechanged posts on their thread.

Locking the OP's name on their thread is an excellent idea.

Great idea. Or have warning pop-ups

Thank you for taking this forward @HebeMumsnet - just realised that you’ve done something with this today 😊

Yes. I got banned from MN a month ago for this!!! Just because I disagreed with a poster but accidentally NCed halfway through. That poster must have reported me.

Obviously I wasn't sock puppeting, I said something like "as I said before" referencing my previous post under a different name! I was quite adamant but my tone was polite and I said absolutely nothing trollish or uncivil.

It's made me wary of starting any threads at all now because I sometimes see threads removed because OP was a previously banned poster.