What username is connected to an emoji reaction?

[claudiaswinklemen]

Say, I am logged in to MN with this username, but use a different username for a certain thread. If I "thank" someone on that thread, does it come from claudiaswinkleman, or the username I use on that thread?

The one you've used on that thread I would think.

Yes, but I'd like to know for certain. Have you reacted to my OP @JoanCollinsDiva ?

IIRC, Mumsnet have made a change recently so that you can't accidentally out yourself if you change username, so I'd think the reaction would come from whatever username you started the thread in? Haven't tested it though

You can react before you post and then post. So the first reaction would have to be in whatever name you are logged in with. if you then post under another name, you'd want the original reaction to stay with the name it started with otherwise it's outing if the recipient happens to notice the change.

So something like

1. If no post in thread, react under logged in name
2. Else react under name used for post in thread
3. Once saved the name attached to a specific reaction will not change

The edge case is you react then post under a different name and react again. Rules 1 to 3 above mean the before posting and after posting reactions have different names. That makes sense to me (once you start posting you'd want reactions that have the same name as your posts), but alternatively there could be a rule 4 that says once you react in a thread under one name all your reactions are in that name even if you later post with a different name.

This is just all IMO of course - I'm very interested to see what MN say especially around the edge case of "React >> post in a different name >> react again" as I have been wondering the same thing.

In fact, let's find out. I just reacted to the OP's post as TestingStuff2 and I'm posting this as TestingStuff. @claudiaswinklemen which name do you see a reaction from?

(I do this type of thing for a living, can you tell? 😂)

The reaction is from testingstuff2 :)

Thank you!

I've just reacted to the post I'm replying to after posting as TestingStuff. I'm expecting the second one will be from TestingStuff but the first one will still be TestingStuff2.

Can you please check what that username is? (Drumroll....)

(We should invoice MN for this user testing service😂)

Yes! Just as you predicted! Thank you 🙏

So in summary:

• If you have not posted on a thread, your reaction will have your current username.
• If you have posted on a thread, your reaction will have the username you posted as
• If you react, then post with a different name to the one you are logged in as, then react again, reactions made before you posted will have the name you are logged in with, and the reactions after you posted will have the name you posted as.

Thank you @claudiaswinklemen for working it out with me🙏