Could be said about Wildest Bill at one time as well.
I hear ya, Andros.
This is exactly how we normally interact with anyone in a normal message-boardy way.
A troll, get one over on Dopers? That’ll be the day!
Yes JohnClay is a worry…
BTW I first started threads here in 2002:
Threads started from 2002-2004:
For parents who refuse to ever hit their kids…
For PARENTS who refuse to EVER swat their kids…
Why did the price of RAM double?
You are subscribed to this thread What’s in sausages, meat pies, pet food, etc?
Fullbody tingling due to epiphanies - what’s the science and what’s it called?
You are subscribed to this thread What if basically all school class were based on ability, not age…
You are subscribed to this thread If the long lifespans in the Bible aren’t literal, what do they mean?
Looking for french 70/80’s song title (got some lyrics)
You are subscribed to this thread How can the creation week last for 6 days if the earth is old?
To copyright lawyers:
Objectivist ethics and the Heinz dilemmas
Can fans who modify video games to include copyrighted characters be sued?
Why do national suicide rates vary so much?
Is lying allowed when asked “are you a cop”? (Multi-page thread 1 2)
Touching and electron/nucleus collisions?
New reality TV show - Men unknowingly date drag queen? (Multi-page thread 1 2)
Can you use USB 2.0 card on USB 1.1 computer?
Pronouncing “H” as “Haych”?
Medical term for 2 dimples above butt?
Is there an operation to stop male ejaculation?
Are colder temperatures evidence for Global Warming & why?
Trademark infringment & modified public domain cartoons
Australian/US film copyright questions
Any Mac users switch their fingers on their one-button mouse?
Can RSI be reduced by changing mouse fingers on one hand?
Unknown UK? 80’s/90’s sci-fi show…
Fake X-Ray glasses?
Equipment for hanging upside-down?
Quantum physics and “observers”…
Australian digital TV (technical)
Radioactive decay…?
Evolutionary Psychology explanation for pointless creativity?
The legality of defacing money in different countries?
3D card memory - 128 Mb vs. 64 Mb…
Gradually losing the ability to classify specific animals?
Can drugs help those with painful terminal illnesses?
80’s cartoon about blue boy elephant?
Non-supernatural explanation for a religious vision while driving?
You are subscribed to this thread Brain activity before we have new thoughts…
U.S. grammar - can a comma preceed “and”?
What’s the best palette reduction program/source code?
A blind, deaf female writer…?
Human reflex and reaction times
The “observer” and quantum theory ?
Visual Perception questions
“Act of God” clause in warranties/insurance
Armpit hair and body odor
How do you do the spoon bending trick?
Ancient Hebrews’ knowledge of the earth’s shape
Then suddenly:
Is your love life more depressing than mine?
People were very supportive. I guess it encouraged me to start introspective threads…
BTW it’s a bit like a kid - if they have a tantrum and the parent gives in the child would be encouraged to do it again, even if the parent tries to stop them in the future. Parenting is about consistency, at least according to the Supernanny.
Anyway after my depressing thread I started to become manic and was believing in the possibility of magic… then I started this thread:
I’m Satan at the moment
What about Broomstick?
The gays seem like a very nice bunch of guys, John. I’m sure they’ll welcome you gladly.
As long as you’re hot, at least. 
Would the blog be on another site? If so would I be allowed to advertise it here?
BTW I had been manic in 2000 before I started posting all those fairly normal threads. I hadn’t believed in magic yet though.
Maybe. How good are you at designing malware?
I can’t believe that anyone thinks he might NOT be a troll.
What were your favorite threads of mine? You can do a search for threads I’ve started… thanks.
BTW recently my doctor said something about watching out for trolls on the messageboards. I lamented that lots of people think I’m a troll…
Though it was the first thread of its kind I’d started, it was about the most introspective thread I’ve written. I also used people’s real names - something that I’ve been avoiding. I even said “I went to a legal brothel once - but I didn’t blow my load” I mean I was quite sexually explicit. And yet people were very supportive.
Post number 18 said:
But it seems to be directed towards Beware of Doug…
Mine said something about watching out for trolls under bridges, like I shouldn’t because trolls aren’t real. I miss my hallucinations. 
JohnClay, speaking as someone who has overshared now and then (weekly?) I am happy that you are here to draw the flak. 
Just curious, do you drive? Are you on the road with a car?
No he didn’t.
That con’s so long, and thanks for all the fish. 
I have a car - not at my house though - and I drive it sometimes. Otherwise I go on buses or get rides. BTW I often go on the Internet while I’m a passenger - like I am right now.
Actually as far as I can recall, I’ve NEVER lied or said anything misleading on these forums. On the other hand I do it too often in real life but if I didn’t my life would be more lonely… also in the past people have found out I’ve had a mental illness due to me trying not to be misleading and those situations didn’t end well.
On the other hand I guess this thread is meant for JohnClay’s critics so carry on…
There’s as much chance that he might be as that he isn’t.
I’ve never seen him exhibit the traditional troll behaviours though. I’ve never seen him threadshit, nor enter a thread and goad or harass other posters, I’ve never seen him deliberately flaunt the rules (apart from perhaps once or twice the special **JohnClay **rules). So if he is, at least he’s novel.
Anyway, you’d think that after 13 years the smartest place on the internet would’ve figured it out by now.