Are we getting trolled or are we just going nuts with Covid-19 times?

I miss TinyBlu.

I miss tacy022. She was a knowledgeable poster.

Send, the difference between a sock puppet and a troll is that the former is usually capable of creating multiple personalities, and has the intelligence and creativity to do so, kind of like an actor or actress is capable of adapting to many different types of people.

If you think about creating another personality, changing your speech style, and other aspects, it's really not that easy to do.    I do admire their ability to do so, but don't like being deceived, especially by someone pretending to be the opposite sex.

Trolls are interested in disruption, criticism, troublemaking, and generally no good.   They deliberately provoke confrontation and friction.   

ShakingDustOff was a poster who claimed to have a hostile relative, but I don't remember if it was her mother or brother, or both.   She ranted and raved, sometimes to the point that it seemed her personality segued into someone else during her posts.  

She was extremely negative, hostile and critical, and sometimes went off on rants against other posters.   

After a while it seemed that she really was one person who segued from one personality to another; at least that was my last takeaway before she either was banned or left voluntarily.

It's a lot of fun being awake after midnight on the AC forum!
I can recommend it!

Yesterday, I took a mini vacation recommended by CWillie.
Went to some beaches, via live Cam, while resting up at home.
It was nice, and since it was live, almost felt like I was there.

It was like looking out the car window, deciding against going out because it was too crowded, and too foggy/smoky from fires.

Then looked at live cams around the world! Wow!

GardenArtist:
If I don't remember someone, I go look it up.
Hard to do if a person's comments were so bad that they were deleted!
How can I tell?
What is remaining are comments by posters taking 'ShakingDustOff' to task for being so nasty.
🙄

What is the difference between a sock puppet and a troll? If any...

Does anyone remember ShakingDustOff?  Eventually I thought she was not only herself but her mother and brother as well.    I was never sure though if she was a troll or really suffered from multiple personality disorder.

My favorite troll was from last year (when I was a lurker on the forum) - the woman whose husband forced her to take care of his mother - including wiping her butt (she went to the bathroom on her own) but for some unspecified reason couldn’t wipe herself. Answers and advice went on a few days with the OP’s answers going all over the map.

I have been on here many years,, and my favorite "Troll" was the 13 YO who posted about "poop" for a week before she got busted big time.. LOL. I also thought the millionaire thread was over the top. Just got back from that vacation every one is wishing for.. with my mom and fil it was not that relaxing.. lol And at the end of the month I'll be doing it again... but with my aunt instead of the fil! Just goes to show we never learn...

Cwillie, perhaps the lady hasn’t recovered from an overdose of salt. I now realize that the dinner gurus aren’t being imaginative (I can't find the 'accusation of lying'), it’s just that they don’t cook all the stuff themselves. That explains the ‘honey macadamia glaze’ type ingredients.

I don’t know about any of this I just wanted to 2nd the vacation. Very badly needed 😊 for all of us

Cwillie, it's the accusation that someone is lying that is the problem. No fixation, everyone is entitled to voice their opinions and thoughts, whether you like it or not.

Alva, I didn’t know about sock puppets either. Interesting, but I’d never keep track of it.

Yeah but.....what is going to happen to the monkeys?

After this, I am going to troll on over to the dinner thread, seeking an invite!

"Isthisrealyreal,'

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy my "what's for dinner" posts and that they give you ideas in regards to your own meal planning. Even the multi-colored cold pasta salad I served was purchased from the store in a pre-made container. I described what was in it just so people had a better idea of what I was talking about. For me it isn't so much what I'm serving for dinner as it is giving a variety of ideas that may go with the same main entree. Just as my husband and I don't want to get bored eating the same thing all the time, I don't want to get bored making the same thing all the time. Believe me I don't want to spend hours cooking nor do I have time to like I did 20 years ago. I guess my reason for saying anything at all was just the accusation that it's made up and from what I can tell many agree that it was.

Also after reading "lealonnie1's" post a few minutes ago - she talked about eating being a true joy for a lot of us and now that I watch my mom not eating much anymore while under hospice care, it's a reminder that I too someday will be in that same situation of not enjoying or being able to eat. Neither my husband or I are obese by any means - even our dog isn't! Unfortunately, my being pre-diabetic was inherited from both sides of the family and my dad died of Pancreatic Cancer because of it.

Thanks again for your comments!

I never knew about Sockpuppets and I LOVE knowing about them.

Ha, no dumping for me; I just found out about the recipes! I am all in!

Are we seriously going to fixate on dumping all over someone because they find it unbelievable that caregivers can put together so many amazing sounding meals? Is there something in the water down there that has you all feeling so confrontational??🤯

Margaret: This country has an obesity problem precisely BECAUSE we fixate on what to cook for dinner...........especially now that there's little else to do. Sigh. The quarantine 15 is REAL folks. Eating is a true joy for a great number of us, me included. Unfortunately.

I missed the 'millionaires' post myself. Too bad; it sounded like a doozie! I often think to myself that some of these 'questions' can't possibly be real. But then people answer them as if they are very real, which gets me questioning MYSELF. Who knows? Some are real and some aren't, methinks.

In these days of anonymity, it's too easy to create an account and post all over the internet. To invent ourselves and become whoever we'd like to be. Sometimes I feel like many posters here (and elsewhere on the net) are fake, speaking of sock-puppets, because we CAN be. Look at Catfish, the guys created an entire long running TV series off of a past time people have of creating online dating personas and then getting called out for being fake!!

I'm with you Alva. I know darn well I need a vacation and I do stay away from this site and other online sites from time to time, but I still need a REAL vacation too! LOL

I find it beyond ridiculous that anyone has to justify what they are having for dinner. Nothing said was inappropriate or extravagant. Margaret really? Don't read it if it bothers you so much.

Nobodygetsit I appreciate your posts, it gives me meal ideas. Keep sharing your create meal combos.

The millionaire story seemed a troll. The dinner thread I find interesting. No one I cook for is obese, we can afford to eat our choices and my parents are in assisted living. I enjoy cooking and have the time. Not all of us have identical living situations.

Elaine1962, I apologize for not explaining sock puppets; I just assumed most people knew about them.    And SendMetoHelp, thanks for providing a very good explanation.

Clementine, one poster I knew had about 6 different "socks"; I don't know how he kept them all straight.  I suppose it might be like acting, but the roles are more extensive than those created just for posting.   

I keep Excel sheets for expenses; if I tried to sock, I'd probably have to create an Excel spread sheet to keep track of the different identities.   

Some of these people are really clever; they CAN argue with themselves, which is interesting in a way b/c of the different viewpoints one person can espouse w/o becoming contradictory.    But I do think that deceit, control and manipulation play a role in socking.

I suspect there's a LOT of socking taking place on political forums these days.

Someone (Alva?) made a suggestion of referencing standardized and often addressed questions, such as appropriate DME equipment.    Any other thoughts on this?   I could see a database link that could be referred to, and newbies could just search there for answers.

"Clementine," - I myself haven't noticed what you said about people having multiple accounts, posting questions and answering their own queries. If that's the case, that's a new low!

"AlvaDeer," - Thanks for the laugh about writing your own question and answering it to the point you might even argue with yourself! Too funny.

If you go to the "what's for dinner" discussion thread and share your Buffalo Hot Wing Pasta Sauce recipe, you may kill us all. Just remember do it at your own risk as you may be considered someone who is first a "troll," it being to complicated and expensive to make!

Oh, Clementine, THERE'S an idea! Write you own question and answer it, as well. In all likelihood I could do that, even argue with myself. Kind of like those speech and debate classes where they made us take the other side, after defending our own.
Wow, would I love to know who you feel might match with who? Do private message me if there is something here to watch.
As to cooking section, I have never gone there. Sounds like a whole new addiction. I already have too many. But if I DO go there I am gonna teach you all how to make Buffalo Hot Wing Pasta Sauce. Guaranteed to give you an instant ulcer, or to irritate the one you already have. Or, for Sunday dinner with the MIL from Hades.

"Sockpuppet" -okay, now it makes sense. Thanks. There also seems to be an increase lately by some very bored people who join the forum in two (or more?) different accounts and then "play" with the rest of us by responding to their own queries. Has anyone else sensed this?

That's ok "Sendhelp," - it just struck me as apropos at the time when I read it and I probably had too much coffee - please don't feel like a dumb monkey! :)


YES - I LOVE PUNS!! My husband thinks I'm dumb for liking puns!

Oh, NobodyGetsIt, I think I do get it now that you have explained it to me. Kind of like a pun.
I feel like such a dumb monkey.

Elaine1962,
Looked this up for you, referenced by GardenArtist. She is more sophisticated than some, and very knowledgeable.

Sockpuppeting:
 Techniques > Propaganda > Sockpuppeting
A 'sockpuppet' (one word) is a false identity, a made up person which is manipulated to appear as if they have done specific things or have a particular opinion about something.
Generating sockpuppets on the internet is easy when email addresses, social media profiles and so on can be created without having to prove who you are.
To make sockpuppets work, get them having conversations, stating opinions and generally seeming human. Drop in bits about their lives, from picking up the kids to going out with friends. Create three-dimensional characters with varying attitudes and personality.
You can run entire communities of sockpuppets, having them argue and agree, subtly changing the minds of readers.
Example
A political party creates conversations online between fake members of the public who praise the politician and criticize her rivals.
A car manufacturer adds a lot of fake reviews to a customer site, praising a new car and arguing against critics.
A religious website posts fake stories of conversion from 'new adherents who have seen the light'.

Sockpuppets, explained.

Dear "Sendhelp,"

Oh, I'm sorry about that - I was just making a "play on words" to your last sentence in your comment addressed to "AlvaDeer." The subject of this discussion/thread was about trolls and when I saw your statement: "I admit, isolation at home since early March has taken it's toll on me," I said "...at least it hasn't taken a "troll" on you. I wasn't making fun of you - I've just always liked play on words humor. No harm meant by it.

Hope that clears it up! (I think I'm getting all confused now) :)