Munchausen syndrome by internet

mazza111

LOL @ NotaKid. I do wish you lot would pm me when this is going on, I do love a good laugh as you know :rotfl:

Dunroamin

Don't forget the resident BB troll, andy&flo who faked an online nervous breakdown and the next day his "daughter" posted to say he'd committed suicide!

Still around under a variety of AEs having had numerous PPRs. potting him's become something of a spectator sport!

patchwork_cat

If you try to point out to other posters that all may not be as it seems they will flame you.

I was bitten fairly recently when for some reason someone pm'ed me some info on another poster who was accepting gifts off others.

Some people just would not have it and I reckon my name is still mud to some OS'ers!

GlasweJen

I remember recently one of the discussion time regulars posted that she couldn't put on her own underwear but she bragged about how she did fitness and lifted weights in her spare time, she was trying to claim DLA and boy did that thread get messy!

gunsandbanjos

FatVonD wrote: »

:eek:

I'm clearly on at the wrong time of day, the most exciting thing that's ever happened to me on here is someone once PMed me the address of a local Morrisons.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

angelil

There was an article on this the other day on the BBC as well:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18282277

This then led me to this:
http://community.macmillan.org.uk/blogs/b/admin/archive/2011/11/25/please-read-anna-johns.aspx

and this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaycee_Nicole

and finally this:
http://www.metafilter.com/comments.mefi/7819

A lot of reading but fascinating in a horrifying sort of way.

I agree with others that there's a fine line to walk between sympathising or empathising with someone online, thinking of them from time to time IRL, and even meeting them for real (heck, I met my husband online so I'm bound to be a little biased!), and some of the depth of emotional and financial involvement indicated in the links I've just posted. You can't spend your whole life living through others.

carolan78

patchwork_cat wrote: »

If you try to point out to other posters that all may not be as it seems they will flame you.

I was bitten fairly recently when for some reason someone pm'ed me some info on another poster who was accepting gifts off others.

Some people just would not have it and I reckon my name is still mud to some OS'ers!

This is why if I smelt a rat like I do with one particular poster in this section at the minute, I just ignore. The messenger gets shot all too often

tyllwyd

I've come across a couple (that I know about, probably a few more that I didn't spot) - someone pretending to be a teenage mum on a pregnancy board, and someone who eventually faked her own death. My advice to my kids is always to start from the assumption that anyone on an internet forum is probably mad.

Having said that, I don't like the way in which people - especially on MSE - are quick to jump in and accuse posters of being trolls. I try to take everything with a pinch of salt, but there are a lot of strange people/situations out there, so just because something sounds totally incredible, doesn't mean it isn't true, so even if I'm suspicious I try to answer sensibly anyway just in case someone really is in distress.

getzls

There is always a suspect thread going on this site. One going now on the benifits and tax credits at the moment which is a bit iffy to me.

mazza111

GlasweJen wrote: »

I remember recently one of the discussion time regulars posted that she couldn't put on her own underwear but she bragged about how she did fitness and lifted weights in her spare time, she was trying to claim DLA and boy did that thread get messy!

Funny how we all remember that one innit :rotfl: