ts the bloody Copy & pasters that get me the most. The exaggeraters make me laugh.

Both can generally be spotted & will trip themselves up!

What are you getting at Mish

I must admit that I tend to talk to the same people and they are the ones that I feel are honest and genuine. It's disappointing when you do come across a liar or exaggerator as it is unnecessary and pointless to make up stuff. Life is crazy enough at times without having to make stuff up. Blimey, sometimes I have wished my life didn't resemble an episode of Eastenders!!

Jest nit, my family resembles a soap opera at times - more like the US soaps. Whats the saying, "You can choose your friends, but not your fanily"!!!!!

This is me too! Can barely keep my real life straight, always messing up the kids arrangements etc. really couldn't manage a double life!

And I'm always the last to spot the inconsistencies, partly because I have such a bad memory so I'm usually completely surprised when a troll is finally outed.

There was a really nasty/sad case on a parenting forum I was on when my kids were small. Someone who claimed to have had a series of miscarriages, she got loads of support and sympathy and members even clubbed together to send her flowers and stuff. But over time people came to realise that her dates just didn't add up and it all turned out to be a big lie from someone sad and attention seeking.

You get them in every on-line community.

J.

God knows, boredom, ego who knows, but its sad and in some cases dangerous


Agree with you both .... I am afraid, as someone who does not beleive anything until I feel its true, to many holes in to many stories, and being a cynical old so and so, I pick my way through them.


I know who you are talking about and thankfully in the latest case a serious tragedy was prevented.

I have no problem with people inventing themselves on the net..its a bit sad , and rather funny in some cases..but as with this one could have ended up badly.

unfortunately I am also surprised how many are taken in by some that are nto what they say.

I think a lot of it is down to attention and simply that.

And sometimes the lies get bigger and bigger the more attention they get. Or in other cases the subject of the lies is one which is prominent on a particular forum

There are IMO 2 "main" types of liers, those like the Romanian princess who invent a whole persona and to them its probably all a laugh, who knows why, perhaps they don't like who they are, perhaps they want attention from people believing their stories and asking questions etc.

Then there are those who infiltrate a forum and then lie to get attention perhaps saying their family or pets are ill, as they have already become a firm member people tend to believe them and give out friendship or advice or in some cases financial help etc, those are dangerous people as the next time someone genuine needs help or has a similar situation the help might not be so freely offered, which is a crying shame when the case is genuine.

I guess on forums we can all be who we want to be, say what we want to say, and act in any manner within the forum guidelines; people will act how they see fit, with kindness, with compassion, with suspicion or with indifference. ...

... None of those actions is wrong but the person creating persona or spinning lies is most definitely wrong IMO.

A number of things I'd imagine.

• Sometimes people lie to cover up something stupid they did.
• Sometimes people like to hoodwink or trick others for self-interest (greed?)
• Sometimes people like because they like stirring up trouble between others (usually down to insecurity)
• Sometimes people like/try to find a scapegoat to dig themselves out of a whole that they dug for themselves.

We can often find a reason - but it doesn't make it ok, people shouldn't lie but face up to things instead, imo...

What a beautiful and accurate summing up of those who seek to decieve.

Those who lie will get their just rewards at some point whether we are around to see it or not.

I was shown the 'truth' about that person!

That may have been the same one I was involved in Blu. Person caught out finally because they started posting pics of a supposedly new puppy they had just got, but pics were years old and nicked off a public photo uploading site. Also had doubts as said person emigrated to a country then posted pics of breeds of animals I KNEW did not exist there, in fact some of person's pets - alledged to have gone along on the emigration - were illegal in that country. The apology and admission was part of conditions imposed by mods to allow person back on that site.

I've met people like that in real life though as well, full of hot air. It doesn't take much to see through them eventually.