Trolls, Being Duped, And Appropriate Responses

[Beau Geste (imported)]

As we all know, the internet is one of the least regulated zones of human interaction, and many of us have had contact with some of the less happy implications of that. Years ago, I read that at least one acting class had as a class assignment, concocting a role for the student to play in a chat room. The student would then go into the chat room, assuming the role he or she had created, and the student would play the role either until he was found out or until the assignment was completed. And it's generally realized that, in a lot of boy-meets-girl chat rooms or message boards, some of the "girls" are actually gay males who want to do cybersex or more with straight men. It's a wild and woolly internet, and you have to be ready for anything. It helps to be a hardhead.

So, I wasn't particularly surprised when, a week or so ago, a post appeared on a thread on the Archive message board, in which someone said he had recently lost his testes, and requesting information and support. The first time I saw the message, I suspected the post was fishy, and after looking at subsequent posts I would still be quite suspicious. At least one other long-time archive member apparently doubted the validity of the post. Apparently somebody sent the poster a rather nasty private message, and he made a posting saying he was ending his activity on the archive.

The point I would make is that, while some posts have been made on the archive in which somebody obviously was trying to dupe archive members, and at least one person who made a post saying he had lost his testes and asking for support, later admitted he wasn't telling the truth; while that is true, I think it makes sense to err on the side of caution, and treat all posts of that type as though they are genuine and honest. This is because some people who post may do it in an awkward or inarticulate way, and they may be sincere even when they appear not to be. And it's important that people who genuinely need information and support, not be turned away. At the same time, you don't lose anything except your pride if you're duped by somebody on the internet, and don't send them money.

Another thing to realize is, that a lot of people may read posts of that type. At the time that the first of the posts I referred to above was made, it was made in a thread which already had something like thirty posts in it, and which had pretty much run its course. Yet, after the first post in which the person claimed he had lost his testes appeared, the number of views of the thread nearly doubled. Some of those views may have been the poster and his friends repeatedly viewing the post--this sort of thing excites some people--but some of the views may represent people who themselves had a problem regarding loss of the testes, and who were looking for information or at least reassurance that what had happened had not "ruined" them. It has to be remembered, that when a post is made on the archive, it is open to the entire universe of computer-literate people, which must be at least a third of the population of the world.

So, my point is, even if a post appears to be an obvious attempt by somebody to dupe the members of the archive, every post which relates to castration and which is a request for support or reassurance or information, should, in my view, be treated as an honest post rather than a phony one. Obviously, you can't let trolls take over the archive, but it doesn't seem that there is any present danger of that happening. Nothing is really gained by being nasty or by questioning somebody's integrity, at least until the person becomes obnoxious.

[Paolo]

BG.,

You make some good points and also state some good reminders.

That hottie you may think you're talking to in Beverly Hills ... is more than likely a 300 lb. man in Omaha... you never know...

I like to give anyone new here the benefit of the doubt, until I have reason to believe they are lying. In that case, my policy is to give them enough rope until they hang themselves with it. I have told Members that, and I'll restate it.

At this point, I do not suspect anyone (except maybe Yoli and/or A-1- (laugh!)) of trolling.

Of course, begging for money on the Archive (unless it's IE in need of hardware/software/licenses) is definitely NOT smiled upon.

One exception would be like when Uncle Mac's keyboard went bad. I was wild for someone - anyone - to send him a new one!

[Bagoas (imported)]

Beau Geste, I agree with you completely. I would rather err on the side of compassion even if someone is trying to make a fool of me than turn away someone who needs help.

Advice, even good advice, is cheap. We lose nothing by giving good advice to someone who asks for it and may well need it. Even if the intended recipient is not sincere, someone else who reads it may benefit from it.

[transward (imported)]

I think we are misusing the word troll a bit. Wikipaedia defines it as: "a troll is someone who posts controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion." So it is not enough to just not be the persona you claim to be, it also requires a malevolent intent. Anyone who has tried internet dating can tell you that people in person tend not to be as young, good looking or charming as their online persona. I have known a number of trans people, who because of physical, family, financial or economic reasons could not transition, who maintained long standing and well respected female personas in online forums. One told me she felt the online persona was more the real self than the one in the real world. There is ample precedent for this. There are many men writing romance novels under female names. Several famous women novelists in the 1800's wrote first under male pseudonyms in order to be published. EA, by its very nature probably has more of this than most other sites. So, since I have never met the lady, I will admit that the possibility exists that our Yoli is really a creation of a black guy on welfare in Maine, though I certainly hope not. That would ruin half the fantasies of EA members, including my favorite involving a (probably anatomically impossible) fourway between Yoli, her cute Thai trans friend, myself and the De Tomaso.

Transward

[FianceeUvBigGuy (imported)]

So, since I have never met the lady, I will admit that the possibility exists that our Yoli is really a creation of a black guy on welfare in Maine, though I certainly hope not. That would ruin half the fantasies of EA members, including my favorite involving a (probably anatomically impossible) fourway between Yoli, her cute Thai trans friend, myself and the De Tomaso.

Transward

Tranny,

That's a hoot! After all these years of membership, were I a fake/troll/imposter, or space alien, I'd have become bored with the role and wandered off by now.

I AM as stated and so are my friends; BG and spouse, Ash(leigh), the ladies of the KiKaKo, Barry T. Eunuch, "Treasure", the firm that overpays me, Houston Eunuchs One and Two, and so on.

My love of *shopping, my devotion to OU Sooner Football, my outdoor adventures (sometimes MISadventures) and my other quirks are real too.

As my Dad oftens say, mimicking Popeye T. Sailor Man..."I yam wot I yam and that's all wot I yam...Toot toot!" (Pass the spinach, please.)

Yoli

*Just ask the grateful retailers here in San Antonio and in Dallas.

[moi621 (imported)]

Tranny,

That's a hoot! After all these years of membership, were I a fake/troll/imposter, or space alien, I'd have become bored with the role and wandered off by now.

I AM as stated and so are my friends; BG and spouse, Ash(leigh), the ladies of the KiKaKo, Barry T. Eunuch, "Treasure", the firm that overpays me, Houston Eunuchs One and Two, and so on.

My love of *shopping, my devotion to OU Sooner Football, my outdoor adventures (sometimes MISadventures) and my other quirks are real too.

As my Dad oftens say, mimicking Popeye T. Sailor Man..."I yam wot I yam and that's all wot I yam...Toot toot!" (Pass the spinach, please.)

Yoli

*Just ask the grateful retailers here in San Antonio and in Dallas.

I Believe In Yoli !

Yoli Moi

[A-1 (imported)]

Tranny,

That's a hoot! After all these years of membership, were I a fake/troll/imposter, or space alien, I'd have become bored with the role and wandered off by now.

I AM as stated and so are my friends; BG and spouse, Ash(leigh), the ladies of the KiKaKo, Barry T. Eunuch, "Treasure", the firm that overpays me, Houston Eunuchs One and Two, and so on.

My love of *shopping, my devotion to OU Sooner Football, my outdoor adventures (sometimes MISadventures) and my other quirks are real too.

As my Dad oftens say, mimicking Popeye T. Sailor Man..."I yam wot I yam and that's all wot I yam...Toot toot!" (Pass the spinach, please.)

Yoli

*Just ask the grateful retailers here in San Antonio and in Dallas.

There you did it.

You ruined it...

Every time I hear somebody from Texas talk about "tooting" my mind flashes to "Blazing Saddles" and the scene around the campfire with Slim Pickens and company eating BEANS...

Spinach, INDEED!

Harrrrummph!

(Not to be confused with Pahrump)

[StefanIsMe (imported)]

Every time I hear somebody from Texas talk about "tooting" my mind flashes to "Blazing Saddles" and the scene around the campfire with Slim Pickens and company eating BEANS...

I grew up with a fun, really loving Mom, who could be gently risque but was easily embarrased by certain things.

On my 9th or 10th birthday, she took me and my friends to a movie.

It was Blazing Saddles .

She left "to get more drinks" soon after the start of the farting scene, and returned well after... and in later years told me with obviously still-stinging cringes how she was utterly DISGUSTED in the scene, with the effect multiplied many times by seeing her one and only son and his friends almost pissing ourselves laughing at it

[FianceeUvBigGuy (imported)]

Yoli speaking,

Up early in prep for some fishing...MORE KAWFEEEE!

Anyway...My Dad still maintains that Alex Karras is deserving of an Oscar for his portrayal of "Mongo". Then again, Dad IS easily impressed

Many of you know that I am a football (AMERICAN!) fanatic, with emphasis on college and high school play....University of Oooooooooook-lahoma (Where the wind comes sweepin' down the plain.) and my high school Alma Mater (Not doing all that well lately.)

I did some research on Alex Karras and learned that he played for Iowa U. and had a stellar career as a Detroit Lion until...One day he entered the locker room and discovered that his locker had been cleaned out, his name removed. That's how he learned he'd been cut from the team. Pretty shabby treatment IMHO.

He had a hit TV series, co-starring with his real-life spouse, Susan Clark and a cute little black kid, Rodney Rippy, who played "Webster", the title role.

All's well that ends well.

Yoli

[transward (imported)]

As my Dad oftens say, mimicking Popeye T. Sailor Man..."I yam wot I yam and that's all wot I yam...Toot toot!" (Pass the spinach, please.)

Yoli .

You, your dad, Popeye, me and the Lord God Almighty. "they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM" Exodus 3: 13-14

Transward