The "thanks" facility and name changes

[endofthelinefinally]

I have noticed that when I get an email telling me that I have been thanked on a thread, the email includes a list of names that does not necessarily match the names shown when I click on the icon on the thread.
It seems to me that MN is therefore outing MNers who have name changed for a particular thread.
IMO this is not acceptable.
Sometimes posters name change for personal/appropriate reasons, therefore, the fact that their other username will be revealed to the poster they thank should be made clear, so that they can choose not to use the facility.

Hi @MaggieFS

I am aware of that thread but I don't have any update I'm afraid. As soon as there is someone will update you.

I was about to thank you then! But decided not to 😂

Hi @Lougle

That is indeed a good idea and something that I'll suggest to the team once we've made the other changes.

We'd need to look carefully at how the username selection works because there are some users with a lot of usernames!

I understand that but it doesn't explain why there's a concern that this could possibly out a name change which is the worry of the OP

Hi @RoseAndRose

You don't need to worry 😃

We have a really strict process with any changes and every time anything is changed we run a suite of automated tests to ensure that things are working as they should be.

All new functionality is also backed up with new tests to prevent any regressions!

@MattTech I don't think anyone is ever going to update the App thread. It is being studiously ignored by MN

Only the person who made the post that is being thanked, is able to see how many thanks and who they are from. I prefer it that way!

It's outing in this sort of scenario:

You usually post under Username123 but have something super personal you don't want linked so you create UsernameHelpWithNeverendingThrush instead, for that one thread. Because UsernameHelpWithNeverendingThrush is the "most recent" username, when you go back to your usual threads (where you're listed as Username123 and post as Username123 with no trouble) and ask a question, when you thank the answerers, your secret identity as UsernameHelpWithNeverendingThrush is revealed. It's usually pretty obvious in those cases that you've been thanked by the questioner so it would be quite easy for lots of people on say the gardening/property/cycling board to realise that you are in fact UsernameHelpWithNeverendingThrush because of the consistency between Username123 posting, and UsernameHelpWithNeverendingThrush always thanking.

That's the basics. Quite easy if you stick with continuous threads and don't realise your "default username according Mumsnet" isn't the one you use the most.

@AromanticSpices I mean it didn't say it was by my username as they said it would be!

@Rummikub The user won't get a notification about a thanks that you've revoked.

Thanks are read live when the email is sent, so as long as it's removed at the time the email is sent it won't be included.

Hope that helps!

Horse & barn door but an anonymous thanks might have been better to start with until logged-in-name, thread-name & thanks-name interactions were worked out.

I’m glad the feature is explained/tweaked now so we can chose but, given the number of female mners who may already have to take security measures, any future features need to be devised and tested with that in mind.

An essential question of ‘is this an open door to stalkers?’ should be addressed well before reaching rollout & if there is a still potential for abuse that the danger is spelled out as a user beware thing.

It can be difficult to manage lots of security aspects, tiring for everyone, so clarity helps a lot to balance safety against enjoyment against fucking everyone (who have the circumstances to go with the flow) off.

The only person who can see the thanks is the writer of the post, in what circumstances would that aid stalking?

Not necessarily, I thank good or helpful replies even if I'm not the question-asker.

This is true as a one-off, but it's much more obvious on longer threads where people have habits, etc.

Anyone else find the thanks facility really irritating? It would be better to have visible likes on the post rather than an email

I sort of agree but then I also don't really like the popularity-type culture that comes through visible likes.

@Rummikub smart😂😉

@shoppingshamed if you don’t get it then that’s because it won’t impact you. Don’t worry about it!

You have no idea if it impacts me, I can worry about whatever I choose

You’ve already said, ‘Im not sure I understand the problem.’ Myself and another poster have given you an explanation to show why/how it can be a problem.

If you’re not able to see how it can be outing then I’m not really sure what you’d like me to say? I said ‘don’t worry about it!’ because I really didn’t know how to explain it. Absolutely no reason to be snarky.
Enjoy your day

I think there are different interpretations of 'outing' going on in this thread.

Some are using it to mean that a person being thanked might guess that a username belongs to someone using a different username in the thread.

Normally it's used to mean that there is a direct connection between two usernames. I don't think I would feel confident that any guessing I see on thanked posts is a definite link. Others may feel differently.

The simple solution is to change your username in settings if you want to both switch between names on threads AND use the Thanks.

Or just don't use the Thanks.

Like many things in life, some things will be important to some people and not others. I raised this on site stuff so that the issue would be brought to the attention of MNers generally, so that people would be aware.
I am grateful to Lily for clarifying.

I'm glad I found your thread @endofthelinefinally ; just discovered the name anomaly thanks to the button tooltip that has just been added. Agree that it's completely rubbish and makes the whole "thanks" system clunky if you have to go into account settings every time to make sure what username you're logged in as.

I'm really glad the change is being made so your thanks will show from the name you're using on that thread. Thanks @LilyMumsnet and @MattTech

Didn’t know you could see who thanked you…

I have just noticed that I have received a thanks from "Anonymous user"

Is this to do with these changes, or is there a MNer called "Anonymous user" ?

Actually there can't be, because it includes a space!

Curious as to what this is all about.

I do suspect that this is all being done to warm people up to the idea of the thanks/like and eventually the plan is to make it public.