mn hq, IMO one of the things that enables trolling here is unlimited namechanges. And it's destroying your website.

[wannaBe]

No other sites allow unlimited namechanges, and they manage.

And yes other sites have trolls but generally these are long-term nasty ones that are horrible and do get outed after a time, mn hq has probably tens if not hundreds of troll posts a day.

I realize that sometimes people do wish to namechange to post sensitive things, but there must be a way to indicate that a namechanger is actually a regular poster "I'm a regular but have namechanged" isn't a sure way to know that as anyone can read these forums and post that to make themselves plausible.

It is getting to the point where people will be afraid to answer posts from first time posters or even new-ish posters because they are probably trolls having a laugh.

And tbh I do think most of these trolls are probably the same poster a lot of the time.

Please can something be done?

I agree Wannabe

I think the name change should be stopped. Perhaps a mod could post really personal private stuff as anon for a real MN'er? Bet others have better suggestions.

I don't usually mind a troll but it's getting silly now and beginning to not believe a word on here.

why does everyone get so het up by 'trolls?' I never come across them...and if I post something on a thread started by a troll, so what?

dont get it

I dont agree actually. If I see a stupid provocative or offensive thread I just dont post on it, or if I am on a thread and someone is being deliberately offensive, again I just totally ignore them, and only respond to the reasonable posts.

If everyone ignored these trolls they would give up.

I think people could ask mn hq to change their name, mn hq know who you are anyway if you namechange, but unlimited namechanging should IMO be stopped.

Also if someone is a new poster they could perhaps have some kind of indication that they are new, then people could choose to respond, or not. Maybe people could be considered new for 30 days?

Agree with Cyb. We are all grown ups here, we dont have to read/respond to nasty posts.

part of the reason I like mn is that you can name change.
when I life is shit and I am best kept a way from serious stuff, I Name change, it helps.
the trolls shouldn't punish the rest,.

nikita the problem is that they're not always obviously trolls.

Like the transsexual thread for instance - that could and does happen to real people, and lives are destroyed by it. So to post such a sensitive subject and then to post that "thanks, I earned 85 quid from that" makes a mockery of the support that people do provide on here.

No.

I want to namechange but still have the same account so that my profile says that I joined in 2006 - people can then see I'm not a troll from my join date. I don't want to have to re-join with another account if I want to namechange. And lots of people do want to namechange for valid reasons. The number of trolls is tiny compared to the number of real posters so why punish the rest of us?

I agree, if you name change there should be some kind of Icon that could appear that MNHQ add to confirm you are indeed a regular member.

Also I think people are very quick to 'name change' when saying something slightly outside of the character they paint for themselves on their usual nickname..

it's like 'ive name changed because this post makes me look weak and I dont want to be judged' Come on women, just be yourselves!!

You can't expect people to go begging to MNHQ to change their names. You could need to post NOW and have to wait for MN to see your email. Then you'd have to remember to change back and go through all the hassle again. No no no, I like it just the way things are and find the namechange facility one of the things I like about MN over other sites.

yes a join date on your profile would work as well.

This crops up again and again, usually after a big run of troll/fakers stuff (and IMO it's important to note the difference between the two)

I still think I'd rather post advice to someone who turns out to be a troll/faker but possibly at the same time help someone else in the same situation who maybe is lurking and doesn't want to post than not post thinking "ooh must be a troll".

And the day MN introduces "mods" is the day I'm outta here.

wannabe, but when you name change the join date doesnt appear on your new name profile.

eww mods are gross. I experienced a proper jobsworth control freak when pregnant and on babycentre.. .she was an absolute freak.

You just need to click on the right boxes on your profile page (and click to make it public) and the join date does appear on your new name profile. I've only had this name a few days but you can see on my profile page that I've been here since 2006.

lurk

Agree with 2shoes - vital to keep the ability to namechange. I namechange fairly regularly, when I think I've posted too much or one of my dcs may have seen my name...

When Mumsnet did have mods, I thought the system worked well.

simple fact is Mn is a big site - lots of posters..we don't know everyone - there are people who may have been here years whos name i wouldn't recognise (even if it never changed) and stopping name changes doesn't stop a troll coming in afresh, from, say, a different email, to bother us all.

namechanging aids anonymity which is v. importnt to some posters - particularly those with things to fear IRL.

i like name changing.

Will leave again if I can't namechange.

Plus it wouldn't stop people registering five million times under made up email addresses.

I like name changing too.

I would rather keep the namechanging ability too. All a troll needs to do is to change their IP address (takes ten minutes or so) and come up with a new yahoo account or similar. The particular wanking troll Steve is a quite disturbed man who seems to get very stressed over Bank Holidays and goes into overdrive. He often has at least half a dozen threads running at once, and uses other forums too. He will NEVER go away, and I don't see why we should lose our anonymity when it won't stop him anyway.

Agree with cyb.

Also I think the OP of the transsexual thread was genuine (she recently posted to confirm it).

I think you should use your own judgement really ..If I get sucked in by a troll I just think 'oh well'