Usernames

[invisiblecat]

I see what you've done there. I wonder whether anyone else has noticed yet.

Pray tell

I think that’s a really good change. thanks Mods!

I appreciate some people used to name change mid thread purely for fun reasons. But on some threads including on the property forum I have long suspected people do it to apparently gang up on someone.

If being the same person posting under different usernames to attack someone else can be considered a gang.

Late to the party but wanted to check. I have updated my username today to the one I’m using now.
I went to update a thread I’m on but it won’t let me. It’s not a huge problem but the reason I name change regularly is to avoid being identified because it’s an alcohol support thread. It’s a new thread so I now can’t change my name on it for the next 800 posts, because I already posted under the old name. Is that right @JoMumsnet @usernames?
Was there some sort of announcement about this that I missed?

Yep, you are stuck with it until 1000 posts.
Punishes those that useN for the normal reasons and hasn't in anyway stopped the volume of trolls.

@AndNobbyDancing thanks for confirming. I just wish I had known because it’s a new thread and I used to start with the old name so everyone knew it was me and then switch a couple of pages in so to avoid being too identifiable. You don’t really want anyone to join the dots when you are on an alcohol support thread but as you say, now I’m committed to 1000 posts under the same name. It will definitely put me off positing anything in too much detail because I really don’t want my identity compromised.

I’ve already used that name on the previous thread that was also 1000 posts. Would rather some nosey person didn’t trawl through it all, hence the fairly frequent name changes. It is a shame because being able to share events on that thread has been really useful.

I agree it's not really suitable for the long-running threads like those.
I'm interested in how much of a problem it was for people NCing mid-thread?

If they're ganging up, I'd report them as suspected sockpuppet.
If it's by accident, that seems odd as you have to actively change your name.

What on earth does Sock Puppeting mean?

Good grief! I never realised that it was possible to change your username in a thread that you've already posted in. That seems like a huge loophole, to me - you could have an entire thread dominated and skewed by the posts of just one name-changing user! Presumably there have been thousands of such threads in the past?

I'm truly astonished that it's taken Mumsnet over 20 years to sort this out!

By the way, I've never heard of the term "sock-puppeting". I had to Google it!

@MammaGisAF

I suspect not many people knew or bothered. Having been on here for years, I don't think it was a huge problem - partly for that reason.

Sorry it is glitching. Message was meant to say

I completely agree, it is for the long running threads that it is a particular problem.

I also want people to know it is me, as on some threads we have chatted for years and years but by a slight name change it stops all the posts being identifiable in one search.

I completely understand why you no longer feel comfortable sharing stuff on a AF thread, and it is such a shame.

@RaraRachael
Sock Puppet explanation

I think most long term MNetters knew. Often very funny name changes mid thread

Plus until a year or so ago the thread wouldn't remember what name you used on the thread only the one you were currently registered with

As a pp said it was active for 20 years so hardly caused that many issues

There were some funny threads which involved a lot of name changing- anyone remember the realm of Mortificado? (Maybe not, it may have been a very few number of users despite a large cast of characters)

If I've already posted on a thread with different usernames, will it default back to the original one? I'm not overly bothered I was just too lazy to change back for continuity, will just be interesting to see as there's at least one thread I've posted on now and then for the last maybe 10 years?

Why do we need a threatening message every time we want to post something?

I checked and answered my own question, yes, back to the very first user name. Nice to see it again I guess.

What happens if you have two usernames on one thread because you forgot to change back, which one will it default to now?

Jane it'll default to the first one used in that thread.

What threatening message?

Thanks @LetMeNameChangePls

Remember the Line of Duty threads where everyone used to change names in line with whatever was going on. That was fun. Won't be able to do that kind of thing anymore.

@invisiblecat on the app every time you post something it says "You can only post under one username on a thread".

If you can't name change why does it need to tell you that every time when you haven't even tried to change your username? It seems a bit hostile to me we get the message

That's exactly what I was thinking!

I have a regular UN for the likes of Wordle threads, I have a LOD UN, a Christmas one, Easter, New Year etc.... plus lots of random ones. If I've commented on a thread in Dec and I go to comment again in August, I would change my UN to a non-Christmassy one - but can't do that anymore 😔 (perhaps it's irrational of me but I don't like using SantaClausIsComing (not real UN) when it's not Christmas).

Then of course there's the Thread Inspired ones - some of those are the best! (Not this one!)

Oh yes that's the end of Christmas names then!