Poll: Would you like the facility to change your own username?

" it will make it harder to spot who is actually behind a post and why."

While you know who is behind a post, at the moment, you can't be sure of why.
Someone thinking they know why has often led to wrong assumptions and bad feeling on GN.

Maybe being compelled to treat someone as an unknown, rather than thinking you "know why", could lead to better discussions.

Why are some people on this thread getting upset about the idea of a poster changing their name a few times in one thread?
Has GNHQ suggested that this will be allowed?
Is it allowed on Mumsnet?

POGS, what if I did change my name a few times in a thread, so that I could say the same thing in slightly different ways; are you likely to change your opinion because there appear to be several posters' saying the same thing?
Are you likely to feel hounded by the several versions of me, more than you would do by separate individuals (bearing in mind, you can't be sure it's not separate individuals)?

It's terrible that we have to think like that, Leticia, as GNHQ can't be trusted.

Since GN has still not commented on the results of this poll and they are still just putting threads on SM can I make a request not to put the Grandma dying one anywhere else please?

A huge improvement on Twitter- instead of just lifting the thread on homemade Christmas presents they gave 7 good ideas for homemade Christmas presents.

Yep........home made Christmas present thread went on FB two hours ago- yet to go on Twitter but they haven't tweeted for 5hours.

I don't because if it were just GN I would post some of my homemade Christmas presents- but I can't (or won't) when I know it is quite likely GN will put them elsewhere.

Leticia
I still tend to forget when we're having a nice cosy chat about something like that!

I predict that the homemade Christmas present thread will be on FB and Twitter later today.

Have decisions been taken?
I think that everyone has voted that is going to vote. I can't see the results unless I vote again, which wouldn't be fair, but it was standing at 82% for changing.
I would also like to know what is happening about just lifting and sharing whole threads onto other social media sites- I expect nothing because they are still appearing there on a regular basis i.e. daily.
Can we have feedback from GNHQ please?

I voted yes, not because I want to change my user name, but because I think it should be possible for those who wish to. I would be more in favour of a private area where we could post without fear that the thread would be lifted and put on other social media sites. I don't think people would name change several times in a thread but to avoid that perhaps name changes would not be allowed once you have posted on a thread.

As for people having more than one name - how is that possible? When I first joined my DH tried to join too, using his own email address, but wasn't allowed to - we assumed because it was the same IP address.

Well it wouldn’t work for me takes me all my time to remembrer my one name

At the moment I have bets with myself as to what will turn up on FB and Twitter. My guess is the 70th birthday will be on there.

Say I want advice because I have a terrible problem with family members. I might not want my GN friends to know that this is my problem, so I would want a different name for that thread.

Or I might want to change my name every few weeks so that if someone I know thinks they recognise me from a post, maybe one that GN has helpfully shared to Facebook or Twitter, they won't get very far with looking for identifying clues in my previous posts.

I personally don't think it's a good idea but I really don't understand why people are getting so worked up about it. There was a request for Gransnetters to give their views and that's what's happened.

If the result is not what somebody wants, they can always opt to leave the site.

If, as on the forum that Treebee mentions, your old name appears on your posts for a few months then that would be fine by me. But I don't really see why anybody would bother to change their name, other than to stop any confusion between the posts of people with similar names.

My concern is that it might make it easier for people being sponsored by organisations or commercial interests to, in a subtle, underhand sort of way, push certain ideas or products or reinforce hostilities between different groups of people.

In a another forum I use name changes are allowed occasionally. But if you do change your name your old name has to appear at the end of your post for a few months. This helps to identify people.

Exactly Jamila. There is a MN poster who I have known have 4 name changes. What she doesn't realise is that she posts everyday, attracted by similar threads, with the same style and views.

Well, they must have very convoluted minds Leticia

Although it is quite noticeable when some people do change their names because they don't change their style of posting.
It is especially noticeable amongst some Gransnetters who are also on MN and introduce a new style of posting plus all the jargon that is more obvious on MN than ever was on GN.

If someone is going to name change just to win an argument I think you have to feel sorry for them! I think it more likely they rally a few GN friends if they think they are losing- and it matters to them.

How is it a personal comment for me to say you don’t like the way the vote is going? You don’t do you because you don’t want people to be able to name change or have I got it wrong ? And I still don’t be understand why name changing matters and what evidence there is that this would happen throughout the same thread? We’re only really talking about the politics threads aren’t we were the knee jerk reactions are commonplac - as has been said upthread is there a fear that name changing might mean that a poster agreed with the opinions of a poster that had they known their previous name they would have automatically disagreed with? Politics threads often move quite quickly and the very idea that someone would post, read a few posts, name change, post, read a few posts, name change, post, read a few posts really sounds ridiculous but you know even if people had such sad lives that they did that, why would it matter?

I agree with POGS very logical reasoning.

Maryeliza

"You just don’t like the way the vote is turning out do you? "

Sorry but you have followed my posts with a personal comment yet again and I can't let that one go.

Why are you always so aggressive? I have raised valid questions to which I am entitled to do, no more,no less.

At least I know what I consider to be your goading has come from one person / poster and not the same person / poster three times over who changed her username just to be able to cause more of a quarrel , just because she could had the opportunity been available . Or as Lucy quite rightly called it Sock - Puppeting!

Personally I come on infrequently, keep away from the cliques, and join in discussions and occasionally a game. I often spend some time saying 'I agree with......' but I can never remember who they are afterwards! I do remember one name who is likely to disagree with me . So names are unimportant to me.
I am awaiting a statement from GN and if they are not changing I shall deregister and comment on Twitter because all the threads that interest me end up there!

I think that GN should make a statement about exactly where they are linking - in addition to FB and Twitter they are on Instagram - are they anywhere else?
They seem to me to have plenty of useful things for tweets etc from their sections - grandparenting, legal, food etc without using the forums, without people's knowledge.

The forums are used in different ways.
Some people use it as a friendship area where they go back a long way and know a back story to people and they go to meet ups. They like to know who they are speaking with and a daily chat.
Others come on with a tricky personal problem they want advice for.
Others come for support when going through a difficult time like a bereavement.
Others like advice for a mundane problem like whether to buy a soup maker.
Others want to share a joy.
Others want to get an irritation off their chest
Others want to discuss politics.
Others want philosophical discussions
I could go on and on - it is endless- and some like a variety.
I get the impression it has just evolved, without a lot of thought for the various needs.
Perhaps GN could have a safe space section where posters are sure it all remains on GN and they can change for a sensitive subject. You could still run the name change through GNHQ so that there is a valid reason e.g being outed or bullied.

In fact, the more I think about it, the more I want to change my vote. Perhaps I could name change to do it.