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Original poster

Can we have something in place so that we can have a better idea if a namechanger is genuine?

87 replies

wannaBe · 26/02/2008 11:51

obviously wouldn't want to get rid of the namechange facility, but on other sites I've visited, when you click on someone's profile, it tells you when they joined the site, and how many board posts they've made. If we had this facility and someone namechanged, we could click on their profile and see if they're actually a regular, without being able to know who they are, but being able to have an idea whether they're a genuine namechanger who has posted regularly or someone who joined yesterday.

is this possible?

OP posts:

FAQ · 26/02/2008 12:13

Polgara - some are suggesting that if (for example) there was the number 1879 next to my name (FAQ) and I changed name and posted something it said 1880 posts next to my new name) and then (possibly) changed back to FAQ posted again and had 1881 then people would actually have the time and inclination to notice that........

dustystar · 26/02/2008 12:13

I didn't follow the Fox one or the modelling one. Judge flouce was suspected quite quickly by PPH but a lot of people didn't listen to her.

SoupDragon · 26/02/2008 12:14

FAQ, there are lots of namechanging scenarios where people have tried to guess the poster. EG the Am I Pregnant ones as well as a large number of very personal ones, all innocent. With a number of posts thing, it would be very easy to check your suspicions as to their identity. This is unacceptable.

DualCycloneCod · 26/02/2008 12:15

they need to prove their mn quallifications

SoupDragon · 26/02/2008 12:16

Mountains and molehills.

And it's not even a full moon.

Boco · 26/02/2008 12:16

There was the fake death one too. That was pretty disturbing.

FAQ · 26/02/2008 12:16

FGS - are we living in 2008 or 1998??

Why all the paranoia that people are going to sit their intently examining posts by all the many people that have had 222222222222222222222 posts to their name and comparing it to the namechangers who also have 22222222222222222 posts to their name - who are switching between names and totting up new posts all the time???

MNHQ

OliviaMumsnet · 26/02/2008 12:17

TBH, I'm not sure we'd go down the number of posts route and that our general policy will remain the same - and think we'd be inclined to agree with SoupDragon's post of 12:10:46

VictorianSqualor · 26/02/2008 12:17

Surely some of the trolls are the 'same' person iyswim.
For example, if the person that posted as MrsGG was the same poster as RosemaryWoodhouse, s/he would have had a good number of posts next to his/her name and have joined months and months ago so we wouldn't be any the wiser.

ElfOnTheTopShelf · 26/02/2008 12:18

I dont know about "proving mumsnet qualifications"
I've been here since 05 but it wasn't until the last year or so that I ventured out from the ante-natal / post-natal threads.
I dont know anything re Red Rug / Judge Flounce etc (only with references on other threads) so would my Serious Secretative Question be taken seriously?

Boco · 26/02/2008 12:18

Agree with soupdragon too. It's not paranoid, it's just pointless.

VictorianSqualor · 26/02/2008 12:20

Also I assume it's possible to register more than one person on each pc as otehrwise how do husbands/wives do it? So if someone wanted to namechange to protect their identity they would just re-register with a new email address?
So all the troll would have to do is say 'I'm a reg, but I've done a new regsitration ebcause I don't want you to know who I am'
It'd just be mroe complicated.
Leave it to MN.

SoupDragon · 26/02/2008 12:20

FAQ, because on every one of those "Am I Pregnant" threads, there are large numbers of MNers doing just that - trying to guess the poster. Adding in No of posts etc just makes it easier.

How about the scenario where a XH is reading a MNer-s posts and she's namechanged to avoid him/post something personal? This isn't paranoia, it happens and happened to a good friend of mine. She has had to leave completely.

SoupDragon · 26/02/2008 12:21

VictorianSqualor, I have 2 registrations registered to 2 different email addresses. Both are "old" registrations too.

FAQ · 26/02/2008 12:22

obviously you don't post on many other forums online then Soupy......as none of the other forums I post on have "problems" with post numbers available to view - and most of them don't even have name change options LOL.

VictorianSqualor · 26/02/2008 12:23

If someone really wants to come on here and troll they will, and that's without the money incentive people were expecting yesterdays fiasco to turn into.
We should just be pleased MNHQ takes it seriously.

JeremyVile · 26/02/2008 12:24

I think it works pretty well as it is.
I do think that sceptical voices have the right to say their piece too and not be accused of heartlessness or being 'Troll Finder General'.
There have been instances where people have suspected trollishness and if the poster is genuine, yes they may be pissed off (but, hey, you're posting to a bunch of strangers in the net, what level of faith do you honestly expect?) but they continue to post and prove themselves. The only ones I have seen cry off as a result of being suspected always end up being trolls anyway.

I would love, just for my own selfish nosiness, to know whether this MrsGG was a name changer or had another log in from the same IP. What's the chances MNHQ?

VictorianSqualor · 26/02/2008 12:24

But FAQ are they as personal/serious?
I mean MN is great for a barrel of laughter but it is also a hive for desperate people needing support.
I doubt DP would give a toss about his name/posts on his car forum because he talks cars!

FAQ · 26/02/2008 12:25

yes most of them are personal/serious....

I don't have time for inane banter about cars or painting

ElfOnTheTopShelf · 26/02/2008 12:26

I'm only on mumsnet and I like the idea that I can change to ask questions re work issues (as many people I work with are on MN and my mumsnet name is easily identifiable, or at least my old one was of ELF1981!)

At the end of the day, what alerts people to thinking they are reading posts from a troll?
I think if I had seen the last thread from MrsGG I may have been a bit suspicious - it took me over a year to put on pictures of DD and I never got around to posting a birth announcement, so I would have been a little shocked at the turnaround of it all. But I was not suspicious re her first thread

FAQ · 26/02/2008 12:27

but then again I don't really have time for inane debate about decisions which will always go the way of the MN elite (whether they've been here for 1 week or 10yrs ).

SoupDragon · 26/02/2008 12:28

FAQ, if, as you say, they have no namechange facility then clearly the no. of posts makes no difference as it's bleedin obvious that "SoupDragon" is, er, "SoupDragon"!!!

postingatlast · 26/02/2008 12:28

how about just a simple "NEW" logo next to anyone who is posting for the first time?

I think all wannaBe was trying to achieve here was a way of people who say they are name changers being found out just to be new posters. Every single other forum I know and/or website which requires content from the users rather than from the site itself has some way of showing the credibility of posters to other users.

I really like the fact that MN is self-policed and that there are not visible monitors and moderators lurking but I do think that if it is going to be self-policed, somehow it would help the community if more info was available, albeit discreetly so identities could not be rumbled...

SoupDragon · 26/02/2008 12:29

The classic "UCM, is that you?" scenario

Original poster

wannaBe · 26/02/2008 12:30

would be interested to know if mrsgg had posted before too - perhaps she's even a regular troll - fox/jf?

I have to say am always that there are people willing to give money to someone they've never met.

OP posts:

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