Feature suggestion - Date user registered/user age against username.

[SerendipityJane]

Just a suggestion that when displaying the username in the comment header, the length of time that name has been active on MN is also shown. E.g

SerendipityJane(4 yrs) · Today 14:36 ...

SerendipityJane(less than 4 weeks) · Today 14:36

NamechangedSerendipityJane(new user) · Today 14:36
and if reused ...
NamechangedSerendipityJane(3 months ago) · Today 14:36

The aim would be to allow the entire site to spot freshly minted user(name)s and draw their own conclusions. As new user & question about brands of beans is a completely different proposition to new user and a contentious post that attracts frothing.

If I spot a potentially contentious, goady, shit-stirring, 'lob it in and run' or otherwise iffy thread, I usually do an advanced search on the username anyway. If it looks like a new user I report the thread so MNHQ can have a look.

This could hinder anonymity. Many of us like to name change regularly, as we discuss our private lives and opinions on a publicly searchable forum. Information about account "age" can help tie different usernames together.

If someone is posting something iffy or contentious, does it really matter if they are new or not?

If it does matter - does it matter if their username is new and not the account itself?

Personally I find it tiresome to read "NC for this but long time user, penis-beaker-cancel-the-cheque". It makes absolutely no difference to me. I'll take a post on its own merits.

I don't want my age anywhere near my username thanks!

That's not what I was suggesting.

I did ponder if it could compromise anonymity.

Maybe a less granular metric. Some forums I have worked with use things like "freshly joined", "casual fan", " regular poster", "seasoned poster" and "veteran".

The aim is to allow the more regular seasoned and veteran posters the chance to see if a post that looks like it was intended to stir up frothing ticks the additional "new poster" box that is the hallmark of these tiresome agendaist posts.

I think it is a good idea. I name change but have been here for a long time. I think something like 10 years plus or 5 years plus would possibly work. That way there is no specific 7 or 8 years.

Posting frequency would be pointless. You could get a new user who just posts lots and a user who has been here 20 years who doesn't post much.

I wouldn't like that, it might discourage new users from entering into debate with the long standing MN posters

Every one's posts shoild be equal

I use another forum where there is this kind of notation and it leads to fawning over longest members

I've been here for ages but still no thanks

I was referring to what it says in the title of your thread

It's already possible to determine if a user is new/name changed anyway. This wouldn't be adding anything new - just removing a bit of faff.

Sorry, I thought you were referring to my actual post. My bad.

I'd prefer not, and I've been here about a million years. I can't tell you why.

On Duolingo, I show as 2+ years - but most of the time, I don't see other users, only of I look at the league tables, and I don't really absorb that. I'm on another site, where it tells you the number f posults I've made, and the joining date, but it's a much smaller site and less anonymous, as I've met many of them IRL.

I just think it might inspire comments along the lines of, "you've only been here a couple of months, what do you know? or, "you've been here over a decade, you shoukd know better." I mean, we should all be better than that, but...

I just instinctively feel I would prefer not.

How is it currently possible?

Just do an advanced username search. No results=new poster/namechanged.

Why do you only report these sort of posts if it’s a new user? Surely a post is either goady etc etc or it’s not?

Ah, I see. I thought you meant you could tell if it was a name changer.

I'd be OK with just an L plate on newbs. Solely to ignore ploppers and trolls.

Could be outing for extremely long-standing posters who were here whenever Mumsnet began (not me, I hasten to add).

I'm a member of another forum where this is done. Under the username is the date that they joined, which enables us to spot those who joined just to post one particular thing (usually their first ever post) and those who actually want to engage (there's a count of the number of posts they've made too, so you can spot the regulars from those who only post occasionally on their 'pet' topics).

I think that is a good idea. An L plate until a poster has made more than 100 posts or something like that. And maybe no name change allowed until the 100 post threshold has been reached.

Advanced search is shit. It's rarely working properly.

I'm always changing my username though. And never go back to one. I do this because I'm worried I'm going to be identified one day. I'd be happy to have the date for the account holder displayed but not the particular username.

But you have no way of knowing whether the first post by a user name is from someone who has been a member for 20 minutes or 20 years

Hard disagree.

That sets up a godawful MN Royalty situation.

I disagree with all of your suggestions actually. Advanced search is the only feature you need to see someone's history and board interests.

Yes indeed. And I've been on MN for a very long time. Just no.