name changes on GN

Why not? People often have good reason to ask for a change of name. It may be that they wish to remain anonymous but find that someone in the family or circle of friends has 'discovered' them on here. That can be somewhat limiting in what they would feel able to say on the forums. If I found myself in that position I would certainly request a name change.

It is however clearly against GN rules:

Username-changing

We don’t allow members to change their usernames because we want everyone to be able to trust the relationships they build up with others ...

and yet there are members here who have changed names unpteen times in the past couple of years.

I think it's fine to name change if you tell other posters you've done it, eg. if posting about a medical problem. I've done that on MN.

Posters should change back though. I use one name on here and one on MN because for some reason my MN name isn't accepted on here.

How do they manage to change, if it is not allowed?

If a person de-registers from GN then decides to come back, even the next day, there's nothing stopping them.

GNHQ don't allow name changing while you're still registered as a member under one name already, except in certain circumstances and you have to go through them.

When I approached HQ to ask if I could do this - for just the sort of reasons that Indinana has outlined - HQ said that they did not encourage name-changing, except under circumstances where your anonymity has been breached and where this is a problem for you.

FarNorth- exactly. If you de-register and re-register, it would be clear that the ip adress is the same?

Point is, some people here have changed so many times- how do they get away with it, again and again? Their style and ways do not change though- and they become quicly recognisable anyhow?!?

Question to GN though.

I think that at one time there was a lot of name changing - or producing different versions of the same name for some unknown reason! - but that this has been tightened up recently.

Did you have a particular reason for bringing this up?

Well, as I see it, I really don't mind the name changes. If I think I recognise a new name from a previous poster under another name, then I just go along with accepting that. Otherwise, it's just another poster that I take at face value.

It's tolerated because they don't just change their name. They deregister. Leave. Go away completely.

And when they come back they have to choose a new username. Them's the rules.

Chill, gj.

On occasion, someone has a legitimate reason to change their name while remaining a member. They do that by getting in touch with HQ and explaining their reason for wanting the change. HQ then does the necessary.

That has always been available but now GN is so big it's impractical to encourage that so they don't but it's still possible. Someone did it recently.

You used to be juragran. Now you're granjura. I suggest you get off that horse.

ahaha never knew how that happened- never did so intentionally I can assure you. It would NOT however take a brain surgeon to work out that it is the same person though, would it? I did discuss with a friend when it happened at the time whether I should report it, and she said no, it was obviously non-intentional and clear who was who!

Eh? Surely you had left and then came back, so you wouldn't have been able to use your former name anyway...

Does it matter? yawn emoticon.
The point of user names is surely that we are that identity within these 4virtual walls. Do I care if sonebody's real name is Doris or Smithers or Fred?
I don't think so, the point is the post not the poster.

And that is fine- and yet, if it is clearly against forum rules- why is it tolerated, again and again? Simple question to GN perhaps, rather than members.

When you de-register, it seems that you have to de-register your e-mail address- so, can you re-register with the same e-mail- and just change names. Interesting question, again to GN, please. Thank you.

Thank you for this clear response. It is just that it seems to happen so often, to some posters in particular who seem to have had a string of names, and it seemed a bit bizarre aa clearly against forum rules. But thanks again for clarification.

GNHQ must be fed up with answering this query.

In which case I am very sorry, never saw the question asked before. So thanks again.

Thanks - nearly wine o-clock- just off to geth changed to go out for dinner with friends- so cheers, or as we say here 'santé'

As a comparative newbie I've caught myself smiling when I recognise a name and have a sneaky hunch how that person might respond. So far I've only read good natured ribbing. Long may that continue.

Any other newbies feel the same or differently?

I didn't know about rules on name changes: Surely, if a family member recognises events or family anecdotes, I assume a name change is inevitable.

What is bad about that?

Excuse my ignorance, but I completely fail to understand the what, where, why and how concerning changing your user name.
Most of all, why? What is the point of it?