Online Personality: Fantasy or Reality?

[Dutch Uncle]

Some posters use anonymity to create Rambo versions of themselves. There was a former Iraq War-supporting Chickenhawk poster here who claimed to have been hired by Department of Defense to work as a contractor in Baghdad's green zone, and he regaled us with tales of dodging insurgents and IEDs.

LOL I've run into a few copypasta vets online. Most vets love to cut them down to size.

Harder to detect is someone who actually served but highly exaggerates their role such as a clerk typist at Baghdad HQ claiming to be an operator. They know the lingo, have talked to the actual people and may even has seen results of an attack.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

For sure, for sure. We had a couple of young guys in the group (the rest of us were middle-aged (40s). They taught themselves how to make beautiful graphics using (I think) ASCII. They just gave them away for free! They made the banners and graphics for the BBSs, and for your own computer too if you just asked. Although Win 3.0 was out by then, most of us ran on DOS so the graphics were nice to have. Heh, remember when connecting at 14.4 was smokin' fast?

Yes, probably ASCII. I was never that good. Yes on 14.4. I forget how many years I used it but 14.4 and AOL was a mainstay for several years at my house.

Remember this sound? ....or the sound when someone else picked up the phone? LOL

 

[Cypress]

LOL I've run into a few copypasta vets online. Most vets love to cut them down to size.

Harder to detect is someone who actually served but highly exaggerates their role such as a clerk typist at Baghdad HQ claiming to be an operator. They know the lingo, have talked to the actual people and may even has seen results of an attack.

There's been a few self appointed Rambos who, when more details leak out, turn out to have worked sitting in an air conditioned building in a military service and support capacity.

 

[Cypress]

Which he got out of a comic book, no doubt. lol

I'm pretty much the same online as I am in real life. Pretending to be or have something that you don't means you have to remember your lies. I'm far too lazy for that.

I don't know what the point is of trying to impress people you don't know and will never meet with vague exaggerated tales of glory and heroism.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

There's been a few self appointed Rambos who, when more details leak out, turn out to have worked sitting in an air conditioned building in a military service and support capacity.

That would be the easiest way to pass since they actually served. The easiest to catch are those who never did.

It's natural for people to want to make a good impression but I never understood why someone would be compelled to live a fantasy life with others online. Most, it seems, are young; teens to early 30s so it's kinda understandable even though still wrong.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I don't know what the point is of trying to impress people you don't know and will never meet with vague exaggerated tales of glory and heroism.

They clearly want to be seen as something much greater than they are which indicates a self-esteem issue. Why they think lying will improve their self-esteem is a mystery to me. If sane, they would also be living in fear of being found out. The wackadoodles wouldn't know the difference. LOL

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

Yes, probably ASCII. I was never that good. Yes on 14.4. I forget how many years I used it but 14.4 and AOL was a mainstay for several years at my house.

Remember this sound? ....or the sound when someone else picked up the phone? LOL

Not only do I remember it, I set it on Mr. Owl's phone as his default ringtone.

At our old house:
<Modem connecting sound. Keys tapping>
Teen daughter in her room: MOOOOMMMM! Why are you on the phone line? I need to call my friend!
Mom: *&^@#$ I was in the middle of downloading something and you knocked me offline! Ask first!

Good times, good times. lol

 

[Cypress]

That would be the easiest way to pass since they actually served. The easiest to catch are those who never did.

It's natural for people to want to make a good impression but I never understood why someone would be compelled to live a fantasy life with others online. Most, it seems, are young; teens to early 30s so it's kinda understandable even though still wrong.

My brother's air force career involved sitting at a desk and managing contracts, but he never tried to pass himself off as a hero risking his life for the nation.

Without clinical psychological evaluations, I always assumed exaggerated and grandiose message board bluster was linked to a lack of self esteem.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

There's been a few self appointed Rambos who, when more details leak out, turn out to have worked sitting in an air conditioned building in a military service and support capacity.

There was one here just last year. Remember Capt. Underpants aka Rev. Hellhound aka Big Mouth Dollar? lol

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

I don't know what the point is of trying to impress people you don't know and will never meet with vague exaggerated tales of glory and heroism.

I don't either. It's very weird. The thing is, no one would probably question it except for when they use their made-up career or fictitious wealth or fabulous home in an affluent area or huge armory to denigrate and/or threaten other posters. It's simply delightful when one of the braggarts gets exposed as a complete fraud, isn't it?

 

[LurchAddams]

Not only do I remember it, I set it on Mr. Owl's phone as his default ringtone.

At our old house:
<Modem connecting sound. Keys tapping>
Teen daughter in her room: MOOOOMMMM! Why are you on the phone line? I need to call my friend!
Mom: *&^@#$ I was in the middle of downloading something and you knocked me offline! Ask first!

Good times, good times. lol

Ah yes. The days of the happy modem handshaking sound.

I do NOT miss those days!

 

[Dutch Uncle]

Why have the Christians crashed so spectacularly?

Answer that question and then you will be a long way towards answering this one.

Christians haven't crashed.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

That would be the easiest way to pass since they actually served. The easiest to catch are those who never did.

It's natural for people to want to make a good impression but I never understood why someone would be compelled to live a fantasy life with others online. Most, it seems, are young; teens to early 30s so it's kinda understandable even though still wrong.

And some are in their 60s and *still* pretending to be all that, while bitterly envying everyone else who really has the claimed life, career, family, education, credentials, etc. Remember BullshitBob?

 

[Dutch Uncle]

I don't either. It's very weird. The thing is, no one would probably question it except for when they use their made-up career or fictitious wealth or fabulous home in an affluent area or huge armory to denigrate and/or threaten other posters. It's simply delightful when one of the braggarts gets exposed as a complete fraud, isn't it?

That would be a realistic purpose but I believe it's secondary for most. Most, IMO, have self-esteem issues, primarily feeling less than others. They'd bolster themselves with a fictitious background as a means of defense but that could easily become an offensive weapon as you pointed out. It seems such people eventually go to far and implode.

Example: Great American/Terri4Trump.

On a side note, notice how many are RWers. Except for the sock Tigerred, I don't know of any (allegedly) LWers doing this. Rambos are almost always RW.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

And some are in their 60s and *still* pretending to be all that, while bitterly envying everyone else who really has the claimed life, career, family, education, credentials, etc. Remember BullshitBob?

Agreed. What percentage of them are wackadoodles? I'm thinking it's pushing 100%.

In Bob's case, I think there's an element of truth there (i.e. he worked for NASA). Obviously something went sour in his life (e.g. mental illness/alcoholism) and he's sunk into the gutter. It's not an optimal solution for happiness.

Speaking of which, while a psycho can be happy harassing and trolling others, their life isn't happy. If we each rank other members on a happiness scale, would all the trolls and haters be grouped toward the bottom of that scale? Yes, IMO. I have no doubt the majority of those who regularly participate on The Nice Thread are generally happier and better-adjusted than on other competing threads in that category. Their posts prove it by their focus on positivity instead of negativity.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

My brother's air force career involved sitting at a desk and managing contracts, but he never tried to pass himself off as a hero risking his life for the nation.

Without clinical psychological evaluations, I always assumed exaggerated and grandiose message board bluster was linked to a lack of self esteem.

Agreed on self-esteem. It's a lack of will and determination for whatever reasons. Some people "wish" they could be something better and other people actually work on being something better.

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

That would be a realistic purpose but I believe it's secondary for most. Most, IMO, have self-esteem issues, primarily feeling less than others. They'd bolster themselves with a fictitious background as a means of defense but that could easily become an offensive weapon as you pointed out. It seems such people eventually go to far and implode.

Example: Great American/Terri4Trump.

On a side note, notice how many are RWers. Except for the sock Tigerred, I don't know of any (allegedly) LWers doing this. Rambos are almost always RW.

There must be some psych stuff going on there that low self-esteem, a made-up fantasy life, and being a RWer coincide so often. I imagine such people are drawn to the authoritarianism and clannishness of the RW because it makes them feel safe. Plus they're among others with poor self-esteem and perhaps not much in the way of accomplishments. In the GOP they can huddle together and throw snark and spitballs at all the supposed "elites" on the left.

 

[Cypress]

There was one here just last year. Remember Capt. Underpants aka Rev. Hellhound aka Big Mouth Dollar? lol

I didn't pay much attention to him, but he didn't seem mentally balanced!

 

[ThatOwlWoman]

Agreed. What percentage of them are wackadoodles? I'm thinking it's pushing 100%.

In Bob's case, I think there's an element of truth there (i.e. he worked for NASA). Obviously something went sour in his life (e.g. mental illness/alcoholism) and he's sunk into the gutter. It's not an optimal solution for happiness.

Speaking of which, while a psycho can be happy harassing and trolling others, their life isn't happy. If we each rank other members on a happiness scale, would all the trolls and haters be grouped toward the bottom of that scale? Yes, IMO. I have no doubt the majority of those who regularly participate on The Nice Thread are generally happier and better-adjusted than on other competing threads in that category. Their posts prove it by their focus on positivity instead of negativity.

Very true. As I've mentioned earlier, if you have to constantly congratulate yourselves on how well-adjusted and happy you are, "thank God we're not like THOSE people over there," odds are high that you're neither well-adjusted or happy.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

There must be some psych stuff going on there that low self-esteem, a made-up fantasy life, and being a RWer coincide so often. I imagine such people are drawn to the authoritarianism and clannishness of the RW because it makes them feel safe. Plus they're among others with poor self-esteem and perhaps not much in the way of accomplishments. In the GOP they can huddle together and throw snark and spitballs at all the supposed "elites" on the left.

LOL A good theory although I'm reluctant to include all RWers in that mess. Still, as tonight's presentations will prove; there's a lot of wackadoodles in the Party of Trump. All RWers, all violent, all authoritarians and mostly all wackadoodles.