What about lying?

[halo_tightens]

3) Somebody might make up stories about his or her life to make it seem more exciting than it really is. If you suspect this but have no evidence, the best thing is to ignore this person. You can either use the ignore feature here or just mentally ignore their posts. If the person is irritating you, feel free to report their posts and tell the mod team exactly what you think if you find that cathartic.

Yes, this one seems to be the most annoying-- AND most prevalent. It's annoying in its own right but also for another reason to me: It takes away from everyone who really IS experiencing something just then.

If everyone is all wrapped up in MsFakeMember's tale of attempted murder by rabid ninjas last Tuesday, no one is going to notice that OtherFakeMember is having kind of a hard time with her family this week. You're right, that isn't nearly as exciting. It's true, though, and her requests for support are being overwhelmed by fake drama.

I know there's nothing that can really be done about it without proof... But man, oh man. I do hate to use the ignore feature, though I know I'm on some people's lists. I'd rather know what's going on, even if it is annoying, than be in the dark about the general feel of a thread.

There are a few people I expect entertainment from rather than the truth. I've seen some pretty wild stories float through.

Right on, this is exactly what I'm saying. When I certain names pop up on a thread, I instantly think, "Oh, great; let's see what kind of drama it is THIS time..."

[Amoretti]

Believe me, I know exactly how you feel I tend to ignore those people unless it's a really wild story and then I'm agog at their inventiveness. The mind boggles at times.

[halo_tightens]

I think I would want you to ask me about perceived impossibilities/contradictions in my posts. I certainly wouldn't want you or other posters to think of me as a liar if there is possibly a plausible reason for some conflicting information in my posts.

So, if anyone out there has any questions about information in my posts - please just ask!

I second this. I don't make a habit of going around telling lies, so I'd be more than happy to clarify anything that doesn't seem to add up.

[MsBubbles]

Seems to me like the issue here is discerning whether it's 'entertaining and embellished drama', or bordering into trolldom.

It always makes me shake my head whenever a member posts "Use the search function first before posting old/irrelevant threads - I hate having to trawl through pages of useless threads to get to the relevant ones".

What?!

Is it that hard to click 'next page'? Are some people still on dial-up?

How is this relevant to the topic? Well certain wolf-crying (for example) LHC members might well 'litter' the boards with utterly fake topics. It's not a danger to anybody else. They aren't stalking anyone or getting off on hair stuff. But as long as there's a continuing fresh influx of newbies, people will always feed this troll with 'poor you' answers (for example), even though the rest of us are staying far, far away.

That borders on trolling, to me, because the newbies don't know not to feed that troll.

[halo_tightens]

I just realized during a separate conversation that that's what bothers me the most-- when I see people falling for the lies.

[Themyst]

I just realized during a separate conversation that that's what bothers me the most-- when I see people falling for the lies.

Agreed. And it makes me wary when there is a wolf in sheep's clothing running around, you know? Whatever they're lying about ... I don't believe in harmless lying.

[manderly]

Well, LYING constantly to basically attention whore and create wildly insane threads that usually spiral out of control and get locked fall under the "TROLL" category IMHO.

It's not productive to the community, and it takes the attention away from real posters who are generally honest (as honest as one is on the internet) just so they can do a "LOOK AT ME!!" thread.

It's annoying, and far too many members continue to feed the troll unwittingly. I don't want to get tossed out of LHC for calling them out on their bogus game (and who knows what the true intent is?), but I'm getting tired of seeing good and innocent members get sucked in and wasting their energy on them. I wish the mods would look into this issue.

[krissykins]

On the other hand, I totally see where you are coming from. I think that we are a open community and share a lot of personal things with each other. It should be a safe environment where we can trust others to tell us the truth. I wish it was, I am with you on the suckiness of it all, but I just don't see any way to prevent lying. Especially since it is SO hard to verify.

If everyone is all wrapped up in MsFakeMember's tale of attempted murder by rabid ninjas last Tuesday, no one is going to notice that OtherFakeMember is having kind of a hard time with her family this week. You're right, that isn't nearly as exciting. It's true, though, and her requests for support are being overwhelmed by fake drama.

Agreed, agreed, agreed! One of the main reasons I don't post about my personal life out on the main forums is because of a few members who have to exaggerate about how it's so hard to go on with life make me feel inferior for wanting to talk about things in my life that upset me but aren't as exciting as other "topics". It would also make me uncomfortable to know some drama queen is trying to one-up me. I got in a car accident last month which caused my new car to be totaled? Well, Drama Queen's husband died in a fiery car wreck when his car flipped over and rolled down the side of a mountain until it hit an orphanage full of young children whose parents died from AIDS.

I really enjoy my interactions with most LHCers, but I've been uncomfortable with the idea of appealing for help with personal things on the forums because of the possibility of being trolled.

I'm sorry for the rant, but this has been something that's been building for awhile now.

[pennyroyal]

I kno of a certain member who seems to have the most exciting, wonderful, amazing life but who also has the worst problems anyone could ever imagine but who also manages to do the most out there things despite their problems. Everything is either the worst or the best for this person & i am quite sure they are lying so i just try to ignore their posts. It is hard tho to see other members fall for their posts & praise or sympathesize with them. I wonder if we are all talking about the same person?

[spidermom]

I'd almost bet money on it.