Why Lie ?

[Moemg]

Am I being naive in wondering why people would be Internet trolls ? What do they get out of making up ridiculous stories for strangers ? Is their life so sad that this is how they get their kicks ?? Just wondering ?

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Am I being naive in wondering why people would be Internet trolls ? What do they get out of making up ridiculous stories for strangers ? Is their life so sad that this is how they get their kicks ?? Just wondering ?

You've heard the Army's old slogan "Be all you can be?" The Internet gives you the opportunity to be so much more...

Surely you've had a patient or two who relished the opportunity for conflict whenever the staff came within their range. If they had bedside access to a broadband ISP then they'd probably leave you guys alone in favor of a more target-rich environment.

[FinanceDude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Am I being naive in wondering why people would be Internet trolls ? What do they get out of making up ridiculous stories for strangers ? Is their life so sad that this is how they get their kicks ?? Just wondering ?

Because they don't want to take responsibility for their own life, so they feel they get "respect" by putting down others with fake intelligence.........

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Am I being naive in wondering why people would be Internet trolls ? What do they get out of making up ridiculous stories for strangers ? Is their life so sad that this is how they get their kicks ?? Just wondering ?

It's a great question. I'd add, why do they manifest such a range of anger and hostility toward others whom they have never met and where there is no real-world connection?

I think you got it right - lack of fulfillment in the other, real life; safe and captive place to let loose character flaws and even personality disorders.

I guess we should just be glad that we can also get to "know" the other 98% who are civil, sharing, interesting, and -- in all probability -- have a life outside the web.

[smileydog]

You've got me there as to why? For the most part this forum faires pretty well with a low number of "trolls". Any time you have an open forum such as this you always get a few. I try to avoid these negative people and focus on the positive whenever possible. The common goal of FIRE and the collective experiences of the forum keeps us pretty much on track.

keep on smiling!

dog

[CuppaJoe]

I love riding trains when I have time; there is a book out there somewhere that actually suggests that you can invent a new persona for yourself when you travel by train. I remember telling someone (the truth) that I find ways to get four months a year off; he stood up and shook my hand, he was doing the same thing.

Of course, money is the big secret, I can't be honest about it at work or among friends and relatives. Why lie here; where the truth brings me so much information.

[lazygood4nothinbum]

when you can't even face who you are to yourself, how can you show your true face to someone else. if you think lying just on forums is bad, try getting a date on this thing. my last attempt was with some guy whose description said he was bald but when he sent me his picture he had hair. i said, "what's up with this?" he said "what do you mean?" i said "your picture doesn't match your description." "oh," he said, that's about (operative word) 5 years old." i wanted to say: "but i don't want to see who i would have been chatting with 5 (being generous) years ago, i want to see who i'm talking to now." but instead i said "huh, must've been a tough five years." he said "cya". i said "buh bye".

but the internet doesn't just give you a chance to lie, it also gives you a chance to tell more of the truth than you might otherwise have shared. i met my very best friend early on in the internet age. we opened an "spirituality m4m" room on aol and we wound up with a really wonderful 10-year relationship, more intimate than any i ever had outside of my relationship with my partner. we took that opportunity online to get pretty deep into people's heads. we had a lot of married guys, deeply religious guys and the like entering the room and sharing how the lives they found themselves in, how religious dogma interplayed with their sexual selves. it was really interesting and the level of honesty was often quite heart warming.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Moemg Am I being naive in wondering why people would be Internet trolls ? What do they get out of making up ridiculous stories for strangers ? Is their life so sad that this is how they get their kicks ?? Just wondering ?

People are so complex and I am sure there are many reasons. I think that one common reason is that there is a certain population out there that has a weak grasp (if any) on reality. I know of at least one that is on disability for psychiatric reasons, and who really believes in the alternate reality that he spews on newsgroups and message boards. He is quite intelligent but as some others have said unkindly, "He is nutty as a fruitcake". He has all the time in the world to spend online, and back in the early 90's when I observed his posts, he was posting as many as 200-300 or more posts per day just on one newsgroup. They were actually articulate posts, too. He had nothing else to do with his life. Sad, really.

[lazygood4nothinbum]

want2, now that you mention that i recall a guy online who at first sounded really interesting until he started telling us how he controls the direction of hurricanes. he considered it his job to steer them away from the coast. wow, and i thought i had a rough job.

[W2R]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazygood4nothinbum want2, now that you mention that i recall a guy online who at first sounded really interesting until he started telling us how he controls the direction of hurricanes. he considered it his job to steer them away from the coast. wow, and i thought i had a rough job.

ROFL!!! He probably sounded very believable, too, until you started thinking about exactly what he was saying! At least that guy I knew, did.

[Coach]

A wonderful New Yorker cartoon.

Coach

[wildcat]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Coach A wonderful New Yorker cartoon. Coach

Actually Coach, I believe we do have a few German Shepherds that post on the forum from time to time. They really skew the retirement polls when they claim they RE'd at age 10. Throw in a 14 yr old girl from Missoula, MT and we get an interesting crowd.

Moemg:

Why we lie? Hmm. Dunno. I am just a young, working schmuck who would love to retire earlier than most people. My portfolio isn't that big, my salary isn't that big and my life isn't that exciting. How is that for honestly?

[Martha]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa It's a great question. I'd add, why do they manifest such a range of anger and hostility toward others whom they have never met and where there is no real-world connection? .

A former member of this board who had a knack for reacting with out of proportion hostility said once that he never had the feeling that people online were "real." (Inotherwords, how they feel is unimportant?)

He also said that he was far truer to himself online than at home or at work where he had to get along with everyone and had to suppress disagreement.

One last telling thing he said was that he enjoyed risky behavior. I believe that he has moved on to riskier endeavors than trolling for reactions on an internet forum.

[Moemg]

Thanks everyone for the great answers !

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha He also said that he was far truer to himself online than at home or at work where he had to get along with everyone and had to suppress disagreement.

Imagine waking up everyday and having to be him.

[Nords]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martha I believe that he has moved on to riskier endeavors than trolling for reactions on an internet forum.

As long as it's not on this Internet forum!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa Imagine waking up everyday and having to be him.

Or having to work for him...

[cute fuzzy bunny]

Ah, the memories...

[bbbamI]

It seems to me that Internet Trolls would have to have a lot of energy. I could never be one.

[Helen]

I always wonder why people write viruses and unleash them.

I did meet someone at a day long demo of a new computer system. It was a field test system and there was a known bug in it. We stupidly left the system unattended for a few minutes and he took advantage of the bug and brought down the system.

I'm sure I know who did it as there was a dweeb standing close by as we discussed what the problem with the system was.

I'm sure it made him feel superior for a few minutes.

My guess is these people feel very inadequate in life and exact their revenge in a cowardly way.