Anonymity

Like Bags I'm forever chatting to friends and family about things that have cropped up on Gransnet. My (adult) children will sometimes introduce the subject by asking me questions about it; the favourite being, "so what's happening on the net of the grans at the moment?" They all know my username and as my life is pretty much an open book anyway I don't think there's any problem. I am quite careful about giving away third party information though.
As for absent's researcher friend, I can well imagine it's easy to find out quite a lot of information if people are determined and skilled enough. I once tracked down someone in a similar way (for positive reasons I'm happy to say). When I've been asked to provide a home for someone I usually do an internet search before meeting them and occasionally I even astound myself at the amount of information I can acquire.

But presumably you're searching for their real names, ga. I can understand that, but not how a username could provide so much information.

Mumsnet members name change often for advice on delicate matters, I don't see why it should be any different on here.

Hello Bags- this is my old name. I will pm you with my new one. Will also send it to a couple of you who appear on here in a lot of subjects.

I too am careful what I say as my family all know I am on Gransnet. absent your story is quite disturbing, but I think we must all be aware that Big Brother , and all his siblings are watching us. I have changed my name whilst on here,but regretted it as soon as I had done it, it was a mad moment of paranoia!

Ana I was once able to get on to the blog site of a gransnetter's (adult) daughter simply by following up a few references made by the GNer. I was not stalking, but had an interest in the subject area and I let the GN member know what I'd discovered and how interesting I'd found it.

Help! How do I contact HQ please?

Ana Yes, the names were from two social forums. He trawled through umpteen posts by these people – you'd be surprised how much we tend to give away in our posts. On GN, for example, we know broadly where JessM, Greatnan, HUNTERF, Galen, absent and quite a few Scottish grannies live. Those are just the ones that immediately crossed my mind but assiduous trawling would undoubtedly produce a list of names and places and would also begin to narrow down areas.

The friend I asked to help is quite skilled in this sort of area and I think did a bit of cross-matching on other sites, Facebook and Twitter. He understands how to use the computer to find and sort in a way that I don't. I could probably only manage to do some identifying on this specific site (which I don't intend to do) but that is how that particular part of my block-buster best-seller works. [inyourdreamsabsent emoticon]

Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the 'contact us' link.

I think it's scarily possible and is a great idea for a novel, absent....
(Hope no one trawling websites nicks it after reading it on here! )

It's only the sub-plot Ana although the main theme of the story wouldn't work without it.

Thanks, Grannyactivist.

BAnanas- how I agree with you! Your story about the ear-piercing-
Absolutely outrageous! And everything else you say I agree with wholeheartedly.
Have just changed my user name. Will pm you

Oh dear- that one was taken. Had to think of another one!

Because I live alone in a non-English speaking country, I have joined several forums over the years, as it is the only way I can enjoy the discussions that I used to have with family, friends and work colleagues.
I have found that some forums are much more 'user-friendly' than Gransnet, in that they have 'Edit' and 'Delete' buttons so if you think you have been indiscreet you can take out your own post, but not those of other people. This can give rise to some odd threads, as people are replying to deleted posts.
I have decided to make my profile private, and I am going to do the same on Facebook. My daughter was not happy for any photos of her family to be in the public domain, but even when restricted to Friends Only it makes her uneasy.

My advice to new members would be to take it slowly, see how much information others give about themselves, never use the real name of anyone in your posts.

I won't change my forum name - I do use my real name on some expat forums but I gathered it was not the custom on Gransnet.

I think this is quite worrying, am I alone.

Given the nature of some people to cause trouble for others, would this mean it could happen? I am by no means saying this would be the case, just asking 'IS IT POSSIBLE TO DO'.

Just googled my user name but no links came up anywhere. Some similar names on FB but not me!! I do not use nanaej anywhere else.

No Pogs , you are not , this is quite worrying !

It is possible to suss people out from the information they put online. If you put together what they say on here, what they put on Facebook, on their own page and on other people's, plus profile photographs, you have quite a dossier. Then you can go to 192.com and put in the real name (from Facebook) and the town or area (from here) and often there is the name and address and telephone number. You might not always get that info, but if you were a conman you would repeat the process with other people and eventually strike lucky.

There are a couple of links to Gransnet threads, nanaej - I just had to look...

I am not on facebook or twitter , no intentions either !

Oh I mean links to other info about me elsewhere!

Anyone googling my user name will end up very confused. I have discovered all sorts I didn't know about me including that I live in another continent and am a lot younger than I thought I was Don't think it is that easy with just the user name.

I'm lost because I do not have any concept of computers, apart from being on GN or looking at my e.mails or e.bay. I might throw something in to Google every now and again to look something up but that's as far as I use it.

I am seriously asking this question now the subject has been spoken of.

Have I got this right. Simply by being on GN and using the name POGS, my real identity can be established? Other than my details being held by GNHQ. Or have I totally got the whole thing wrong.

I tend to think I am very boring and nobody would be bothered to find out anything about me. Then again, people can be vindictive by nature and I would like to know if this could happen, especially as it would appear to be done so easily as absent has eluded to.

Well I share my name with a black rugby player .