Cybersickness - Munchausen by Internet Breeds a Generation of Fakers

[WombatWoman]

My Name is Gossip

I have no respect for justice
I maim without killing
I break hearts and ruin lives
I am cruel and malicious
I gather strength with age

The more I am quoted
The more I am believed
I flourish at every level of society
My victims are helpless
They cannot protect themselves against me
Because I have no name and no face

To track me down is impossible
The harder you try
The more elusive I become
I am nobody's friend.

Once I tarnish a reputation
It is never the same
I topple governments
And break marriages
I ruin careers
I cause sleepless nights
Heartache and despair

I spawn suspicion
And generate grief
I make innocent people
Weep into their pillows
Even my name hisses

I AM GOSSIP

~Author Unknown

 

[Ulfwald]

EngineNr9, unless you have the stones to make your post directly rather than making snide sarcastic comments, I would suggest that you just STFU!

 

[reitz]

Whoah, let's slow down for a minute. EngineNr9 didn't level any individual accusations, and I don't believe his original post was directed at anyone in particular. I think he deserves the benefit of the doubt before anyone jumps down his throat.

 

[compuwiz1]

Maybe we should all cool our jets and wait for EngineNr9 to respond.

 

[UNCjigga]

Hey, I remember back when I was a 50-poster Dennil mentioned something about how he stood up to some guy who was fondling a waitress and punched him, and the waitress was all happy or something. Then after he got home his 'illness' started to kick in, which was some wack thing that leaves him weak all the time. He kept complainin' about the pain. What did Dennil claim his illness to be? Do y'all think the whole incident with the waitress was a sham too?

 

[PistachioByAzul]

Why am I holding back names? It's just my own speculation, it doesn't need to be a big deal. I figured most people would have noticed the same things, the same trends. It doesn't take "stones" to single people out and label them over the net. Besides, what purpose would that serve? Ultimately it would just make people feel bad.

 

[datalink7]

<< Why am I holding back names? It's just my own speculation, it doesn't need to be a big deal. I figured most people would have noticed the same things, the same trends. It doesn't take &quot;stones&quot; to single people out and label them over the net. Besides, what purpose would that serve? Ultimately it would just make people feel bad. >>



EngineNr9

I have the balls that you apparently don't. I am willing to make accusations. And I say this:

ALL YOUR POSTS ARE OBVIOUS FAKES!

 

[WordSmith2000]

It is very hard to accept that people like to whine about their personal problems online. It is so sad that these people do not utilize the resources to get their problems resolved in the real world. Of course, most of the people that post here lead completely normal lives; there are others who have devastating personal illnesses and tragedies and do not let anyone here know.

If you want sympathy, join a support group or figure out how to pay for a shrink to learn how to deal with it. And by &quot;support group&quot; I do not mean HERE.

Maybe we should have a new forum where people can complain about their aches and pains and personal tragedies all day, fully sanctioned by AT. This is not meant as a slam against any one person, but is a general statement.

 

[AndrewR]

Reminds me of Fight Club.

 

[Red Dawn]

<< Do y'all think the whole incident with the waitress was a sham too? >>

Well seeing that Flossie was a physical cripple (He wore orthopedic shoes because one leg shorter than the other) and his propensity to lie like a rug I would assume that whole story was BS.

 

[WordSmith2000]

Shoot, how do we even know he was a cripple that wore orthepedic shoes???

You cannot trust anything you read or see in this B-BS. Unless I met you in person and had a look at your medical records, financial records, and voting records, I would take everything you say here with a grain of salt...

 

[Optimus]

Wow - an interesting article.

While I'm not sure if/what Engine9r is getting at entirely, I can say that I too have seen several &quot;questionable&quot; stories here. I'll have some stones to come right out and say:

1) I am NOT referring to Jean. There are many people carrying the weight of illness on the Internet and I completely believe that WW is one of the good souls that, despite the illness and health problems, makes sure to spread laughter, encouragment, and friendship.

2) There was a guy on here a while ago that said he was making adult films. He told stories of being shot at by fathers/boyfriends of his &quot;actresses&quot;, etc. I called and still call BS.

3) Some recent stories of cancer and former boyfriends attacking the new one sound completely faked.

I'd name names but I honestly can't remember them and can't be bothered searching.

But even things I have my doubts about, like - to be honest - HappyKitten, I find no reason to attack, scream, or get upset. Stories from strangers can only take you in as much as you let them.

Let's not turn this into a witch hunt, people. You are fooled only by what you let yourself be fooled by. If something turns out to not be true and it devastates you personally, then I think you need to step back, breathe, and go talk to people in real life.

 

[Doboji]

Know what this article makes me think of more than anything... Fight Club.

Faking on the internet is one thing... Dennifloss doesnt fall into these categories because he didnt fake illness all that time... he simply created more personalities... and when he realized how deep he was he attempted to &quot;kill&quot; off nowheremom... then he screwed up further after that... but This is very different, these are people going to great lengths to claim illness in order to keep attention... while dennifloss was trying to get rid of attention.

Hell I think all of us have faked it.... I'll be totally blunt... when I was 14-16... I faked all kinds of stuff... sometimes for jokes... sometimes for the hell of it... I lied about how I looked... where I was from... etc. I used to play jokes on the cybersex freaks... c'mmon you know the type... &quot;looking for girl to cyber&quot;... Just for laughs I'd PM the kid... offer phonesex... and when they called... answer in my deepest loudest masculine voice.... -Hey Baby-... and then laugh my ass off...

Ok babbling a bit... but the point is... there's a difference between making a fake identity on the internet and joining support groups and faking illnesses to steal the attention away from people who really need it.

-Max

 

[Siva]

I WASN'T BORN A MAN!

 

[Red Dawn]

<< Shoot, how do we even know he was a cripple that wore orthepedic shoes??? >>

Because people that have met him told me and these individuals are not prone to BS'ing

 

[Russ]

The only thing more sad then the faker are those who automatically believe everything they read on a BBS and then, when confronted with the reality that not all is true, forever seethe in anger at their own gullibility.

Some people need to just get over it.

Optimus,

Porno Boy was 403Forbidden.

Russ, NCNE

 

[Athanasius]

If one wants to reap trust, good will, and friendship, one has to be willing to sow it.

The one who sows, even if that one gets taken sometimes, must be willing to take that chance.

If three out of four seeds sown ultimately bear no fruit except pain for the Sower, yet the fourth seed will reap a manifold harvest.

This does not mean one should be reckless or actually put oneself at risk. The world is full of predators and the sooner the Naive realize that the better off they will be.

But, in the end, the one who refuses to trust is far more wounded, and ultimately bankrupt, than the one who gets taken.

Especially on the internet, where, as Russ pointed out, this &quot;Munchausen&quot; stuff only wounds pride.

My pride needs to be wounded. From that wound, real life can flow.

 

[SSP]

So how is Dennil doing?