In every forum, blog and chatroom I have ever been on there have always been a few people who are not who they say they are. They change their gender, age, nationality, country of residence and create non-existant jobs, workmates, friends, relatives, pets and partners to support the stories they have woven around themselves. Some go to the trouble of creating whole groups of families and friends that post on the same site and have lengthy dialogues between these fictional characters in an effort to support and prove their stories.
There are many reasons to create these alternate lives. Some do it because they feel that their real lives are too humdrum or boring and use these created lives to escape into an unreal reality. Some do it as a means of protecting their own privacy. Some do it for a laugh. Some, however, do it nastily, hoping to use this life to impose their views and ideas on others. Some are fairly crude and can be spotted pretty quickly by those other posters they interact with, others are more subtle and cleverly done and are much harder to spot.
I personally don't have a huge problem with people playing let's pretend with their lives, as long as the fakers don't adversely affect the posters they interact with.
How do others feel about the topic? If somebody you have been talking to on a forum turns out to be not who they say they are how do you feel about it? If you have been talking about a topic with half a dozen people and they turn out to be the same person what is your reaction?
Some forums I have been on out their sock puppets and fake lifers, others, such as here on GW, do not. When somebody is found out what should be done? Should posters with multiple personalities or fake existences be "outed" or not?
There are many reasons to create these alternate lives. Some do it because they feel that their real lives are too humdrum or boring and use these created lives to escape into an unreal reality. Some do it as a means of protecting their own privacy. Some do it for a laugh. Some, however, do it nastily, hoping to use this life to impose their views and ideas on others. Some are fairly crude and can be spotted pretty quickly by those other posters they interact with, others are more subtle and cleverly done and are much harder to spot.
I personally don't have a huge problem with people playing let's pretend with their lives, as long as the fakers don't adversely affect the posters they interact with.
How do others feel about the topic? If somebody you have been talking to on a forum turns out to be not who they say they are how do you feel about it? If you have been talking about a topic with half a dozen people and they turn out to be the same person what is your reaction?
Some forums I have been on out their sock puppets and fake lifers, others, such as here on GW, do not. When somebody is found out what should be done? Should posters with multiple personalities or fake existences be "outed" or not?
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