Munchausen syndrome by internet

coolcait

BugglyB wrote: »

I think thats absolutely the right attitude, I hate it when you see posts like 'I woke up worrying about you this morning' or 'please let me know you're ok I'm really sick about it'. At that point I think people should stop using forums as really you shouldn't let it affect your emotional wellbeing.

But, how many of those 'posters' are actually sock puppets of the original troll/munchausen syndrome by internet-ter?

It's an extension of the con artist's trick of having a few associates planted in the crowd - to exclaim loudly that the perfume/bags/other merchandise are 'the real thing'; 'buy it quick!' and so on.

(I got caught by that one in my salad days, when I was green )

The more people you have endorsing the munchauser's story - whether by saying that they know the munchauser in real life; or that they have had the same/similar experience/ or that they are worried about the munchauser - the more superficial plausibility the story can gain.

By my reckoning, that's a far more common occurrence than people genuinely 'waking up worrying'.

But I make little secret of the fact that my mind translates the phrase "I'm a regular user under an AE"/variants thereof into a far more blunt phrase.

Which has now, and henceforth, been replaced by "Munchausen syndrome by internet"

Thank you, thorsoak and others, for the links!

Saturnalia

Unless I'm nearly-100% certain the poster is a troll I'll treat them as legit and advise if I can. I figure that people going through very bad times maybe don't have the most coherent thought processes, that it isn't unheard of to go through lots of bad stuff all at once, people are guarded due to concerns about privacy which can look like holes in their story, and tone-of-voice etc. doesn't come across properly on forum posts.

And if the poster is a troll, well perhaps someone who really is in trouble is googling and comes across the thread, in which case the advice might land in the ear of someone who can benefit from it.

shegirl

getzls wrote: »

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.

Link?:o




That was too short apparently!

FatVonD

coolcait wrote: »

(I got caught by that one in my salad days, when I was green )

I can certainly remember a Christmas when a certain 14 year old gave everyone the same foul-smelling 'perfume'

coolcait

lostinrates wrote: »

The only other thing worth mentioning is even if its not what they are saying is wrong these people ARE ill and so deserve some ....forgiveness i guess is the word. Compassion would just feed the need i guess.

Are they ALL ill, though? (those who make up stories on the internet, I mean).

I don't think so.

In fact, although I like the 'Munchausen syndrome by internet' phrase, I don't really believe that all the 'trolls' are ill.

Some of them may be. Not all.

coolcait

Sparklebabey wrote: »

...
I can understand using a differnt user name if your query is of a sensitive nature and you know that friends/family use the site but I do laugh when it starts off as 'I am using an AE as hubby/Mum/friend ete use the site' and then go into the most tiny details!!!

...

:T:T ^^ This.

If you genuinely don't want friends/family to know, why:

- announce that you are a regular user, under a different name
- explain that it's because friends/family use this site
- give a detailed account of your life (with identifying characteristics of all the people involved)...
- especially when it's a detailed account of a very unusual situation

My automatic reaction to such threads is - 'troll!' (especially those threads where the posting style is so distinctive). I will now also think - 'maybe munchausen'.

I have often wondered - 'manipulative?'

After all, if you are posting on a forum which you know your friends/family use, and are announcing that fact, are you looking for a reaction from them...

coolcait

carolan78 wrote: »

This is why I would still offer advice because you can never 100% know if it is a troll or there is someone real behind the problem. I just wouldn't allow myself to get drawn into the situation any further than the advice or opinion I have.

Don't let it put you off posting, ignore the few that might shout troll ect ect because really they are no better than the actual troll.

I agree with you. And I do try to do the same thing. Not always successfully .

It's easy to spot the threads where I have cried 'J'accuse! Troll!' They're out there in black and white.

It's easy to spot the threads where I've thought that the OP was genuine, or I've had enough emotional energy to post neutrally. They're out there.

Who can tell how many threads I haven't replied to- even though I have information which might help - because I had a limited amount of emotional energy available at the time - and wasn't able to spend it on a thread which I thought might be a troll thread?

I have no idea myself. But I know that they exist. I may not be the only one who has hesitated to post under those circumstances?

I'm not really thinking about this part of the forum, but more the DFW/Bankruptcy boards.

coolcait

FatVonD wrote: »

I can certainly remember a Christmas when a certain 14 year old gave everyone the same foul-smelling 'perfume'

That 14 year old has more of an excuse than I did.

I was older than that (though clearly still 'green')

and - after all these years - it still makes me turn red to think about it

scooby088

I once thought about having a alternate username was thinking I could have a conversation with myself on here. I am sure some long time posters who use an alternate often contribute to a thread they have started.

tyllwyd

scooby088 wrote: »

I once thought about having a alternate username was thinking I could have a conversation with myself on here. I am sure some long time posters who use an alternate often contribute to a thread they have started.

I knew I'd arrived on this site when somebody created a new username just to respond to one of my posts! And then they had to create another one to reply to that one - I thought about mentioning it but decided to let it die out ....