I was just wondering, is there any chance of making the 'Find messages by (nickname)' bit in search for messages, optional?

[Tatterdemalion]

I've named change because of RL person searching for messages by me as a leisure activity . It's annoying for me, but then I lead a dreary life with nothing much needing to be kept private.

I keep seeing threads where mners who have significant things happening to them, where privacy is extremely important, being found out and (possibly) searches of their previous posts occuring.

Pretty much the only time I search for messages by nickname is when I look for threads I've been on (usually recipes) .

Just wondering if other people use the nickname search bit a lot?

If you could tick a box that made it impossible (for other people) to scroll back through your life as a mner, would people feel happier about posting personal stuff?

I'm just pondering, and am not technical so wont really mind if it's a silly/impossible notion.

I can't remember ever searching for someone by nickname - oh, once when I was trying to see if someone had been online.

I wouldn't mind if it was scrapped

Yes. I use it quite a bit. I'm nosy. It can be useful to reread something people have said on a subject, or familiarise yourself with someone's ongoing situation if they're asking for advice. It's great for finding your own threads from yonks ago, since threads I'm on doesn't list all the threads you've been on! It's also used by people who suspect trolling to check whether the poster has been active before. And it's used to be petty in arguments but not by me
It can be quite useful.

I searched my name after giving up mn for Lent to see if anyone had missed me [extreme needyness emoticon].
Lapin had missed me, so I felt happy inside.

I could forgo the happy feeling to protect someones privacy.

Wouldn't it be simpler for you to change your name when you want to post something personal?

I see what you mean Hecate, it's the familiarising yourself with someone's ongoing situation that makes me feel uneasy, particulary as you can do a search on a nick name without being registered.

(not that it is difficult to register)

Yes I have used it. mainly to see what other threads people hadn't linked in were on about Iyswim.

The only time I used it for another reason was related to MamaG - you had left a clue to i think Squonk in a post when you were in hiding re your pg. I used the nickname search to confirm if it was indeed you who was in hiding .
Oh dear I can be very devious at times.

TBH I wouldn't miss it if it was not there.

And am now concerned about online stalkers, I would Hate anyone from rl to know much about me.

I do name change after particularly revealing posts.

absolutely soapbox. But I imagine there are some posters on here (say who are coping with illness or ongoing family problems) who don't want to name change as a new thread is 'part of the big picture' iyswim.

I'm just wondering if some people don't start a thread asking for help because they worry if they name change the advice may not be forthcoming (or different) without their usual mn name as the OP.
but
Don't want to use their usual name as it can be retrieved in the search function all too easily.

sorry, wittering here. I'm not sure if I am making much sense.

oh what a good idea

i was lkying in bed lasdt night thinking i felt like getting all my posts deleted

i try and post personal stuff on chat threads but i say far too much on here and i would hate someone to search

I've used the namesearch facility.

For similar reasons to Hecate.

(but NOT to be petty in arguments)

I actually find it quite useful to use it as an additional search parameter if I am looking for a particular post.

e.g. I recall that hulababy had some good advice about trips to Disney Florida that I wish to find. If I search on "Florida" I will get hundreds of posts. If I combine "Florida" and "hulababy" it will narrow the number of posts considerably.

NOT suggesting that Hecate has, lol, just reiterating that I hadn't used it for that reason.

Iota, that's interesting, and obviously the way the search bit was intended to be used. I imagine for the vast majority of us, pootling along with our lives, we would be happy for people to do just what you have described.

That's why I wonder if an optional box might be a good idea if, for whatever reason, someone wanted to keep all their posts (temporarily) private.

oh dont tell them its a good function i want to be able to not have it on my name

my top tip is to post everything in "chat" so that it disappears after 3 months

or play around with your name a lot

or post a lot so that you have so many posts that it is an impossible task to trawl through them all

you could be zippi, zippitippi, zippitoes,zippizippitippi

thats what i do but i post on other peoples threads not in chat and say stuff i regret after

nearly all my threads are in chat for this reason

tho sometimes i think it weill be safe and then it sint

of course 10/10 is the worst culprit for me

zzzippi etc etc

oh i do have other variations i have used

i was thinking i could never be famous or write a book or an mp cos all my posts would be found

of course i post so little mine would be realy easy to search

I use it whenever I remember a good post or piece of advice or fact that I remember who said it, I also have used it if I've forgotten/lost threads but I remember something someone said on it.

yes you are a very infrequent poster zippi

i am rather concerned that my bf has clocked which website i post on

he has been on my laptop and he knows i post alot on a parenting website

hopefully he wouldnt be interested