Have you noticed the number of threads lately, posted by “anonymous” members?
Sweating. Shingles. Talking to myself. Feeling very strange. A mental problem… All just mundane topics.
Now I fully understand the incognito cover when posting or replying on a subject some members might feel awkward or embarrassed about, such as sexual matters or bowel/bladder issues, when a “Regular” well known “character” wants to keep this private.
However, when it comes to starting an ordinary thread about a routine topic, example, “test results”, “just diagnosed, help with answers”, etc etc, I do not understand the need to use the Anonymous button. Are we not ALL anonymous, using our username? Flutterby? Sssue? Paolo? Catwoman Carol? Me as Poppy?! Spacejacket?
I just don’t get it and am beginning to find it tiresome. I’ve decided I’m not going to respond to these Anonymous thread starters.
Hi Poppy It doesn’t bother me at all. Folk are strange, I mean interesting! I always read your posts cos I like Poppy’s! I would reply to anyone that has chocolate in their name!!! Time to get my day started again, have been awake since 6. Take care and filter! Ellie x
Hello Poppy, it doesn’t bother me. I would say that mental health can be a very private thing for some people. Some are also aware that MS nurses and other HCPs, family members take a look at this forum, so I can understand why some might want to be anonymous. This forum is open to anyone to view and is not private.
I guess we all have different views on this and that’s ok. xx
Never meant to offend anyone honestly. I just meant isn’t “Chocorange” and “Sunny Outlook” etc Anonymous enough? I just don’t get it.
Unless you tell reveal where you live, what hospital you attend and so on, I can’t see how someone can be identified by an ms nurse etc. using whatever name you use on the forum.
Ignore me. I probably got out of the wrong side of bed.
Sometimes it looks as if some people are using their real name as their user name - not a good idea. Poppy, I too prefer posts from people where I can see the user name - this is because over time you feel you get to know that person as you’ve read many of their posts - although in reality you know very little about that person. The ‘anon’ facility is important but there are some posts which are posted ‘anon’ and you wonder why.
I went through a phase of thinking ‘why are these people anon? I’m not going to bother answering.’ But then I thought that for some people just getting up the courage to talk to strangers about what may seem mundane to you and I, might seem quite daring for them.
Eventually, they will perhaps gain a bit of confidence, perhaps in us, perhaps in themselves, and start to be openly anonymous, i.e. just post under the anonymity of their user names.
The only thing with anonymous is that sometimes there are a few anonymous replies in a thread and it can get a bit confusing.
I’m afraid I’m easily confused nowadays.
Another thing I find quite irritating is when people block write instead of leaving spaces between sentences. I get so tired trying to work out what they are trying to say. Sometimes I give up!
Poppy it is funny you have put this thread on as I was thinking of doing the same thing. The reason I find it annoying is because I like to get to “know” people, and when they all put anon on their threads I cannot figure out who is who lol.
We should play a game of guess the ‘Anon’ & all answer just to see if we can all recognise who’s who under this guise. Mind you, I can perfectly understand why people do it, there are some people that are uncomfortable at first, as time goes by, their confidence grows, that’s fine, long as they ‘come out’ eventually. Personally, I’ve always been a sort of I am me type of person, but not all can do that, so Anons everywhere, we are nice, whoever you are we try not to judge & your input is extremely important, being ‘Anon’ is ok, but in order to be part of a community you need to be known, whether you think some of your questions are silly or not, we all do them, but not incognito!!! Come forward & belong ‘strangers are friends you have not yet met’ come into the light (but only if you want to!!!) xx
I’m not sure I’ve made my point very clear really. I can understand the use of Anon in a post/thread where there is something embarrassing/awkward or whatever. It’s just I can’t understand it for an opening conversation of a seemingly innocuous subject like is this shingles" or “do you think this is ms?”. I mean, who’s going to recognise who “Tinkerbell” is?!
Unless the persons User Name is their actual name, surely they’re Anon anyway?
Anyway, I seem to have tread on enough toes for now and been told it’s not my business, so I’ll sign off of this thread.
I wonder if some posters think that their personal details – full name etc. can be accessed if they give their user-names when posting and feel more secure by using the ‘anon’ facility.
