# I Pit NotOkay for convincing the entire board umkay had died! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [June 23, 2012, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044 "2012-06-23T07:01:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 37
**Author:** ![choie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/choie/32/7829_2.png) [@choie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choie)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/721 "2012-06-25T21:06:01Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > [**umkay** has been banned an announcement has been posted in ATMB.](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=656426) While message board mods aren’t really in a position to demand proof for a person’s life story, **choie** is right that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence - and the **umkay** saga became one extraordinary story after another. It’s best to remain skeptical while also refraining from jumping to conclusions. Reposting this because a) thanks for the corroboration, and b) thanks for the compliment. Oh, and c) because I don’t get to see this nearly often enough: > [@quote it again for me baby](#): > > **choie** is right Ahhhhh. That was good. I could _totally_ feel that one in my face! > [@gonzoron](#): > > See that’s what I’m not so sure of. If I go and pick a random “Ask the..” thread, like, say this one: > [Ask the parent of a kid with Down Syndrome - In My Humble Opinion - Straight Dope Message Board](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=656037) > > NOTE: I AM NOT CALLING LANCE STRONGARM A TROLL, NOR AM I ABOUT TO DO SO. > > We’ve got a new poster (Joined Jun 2012) “claiming” to be a parent of a disabled child, writing in a cheerful enough manner. But he says right up front he won’t get too specific because of internet creeps. If this thread goes on long enough to develop a following, will his story become “extraordinary” as he reveals more and more details, but keeps his boundaries? Will people commending him for his thread be seen as feeding a potential troll? Surely somewhere out there someone has at one time trolled a message board pretending to be a parent of a DS child. If someone digs up old posts from that troll, do they automatically cast doubt on Lance? How recent would the other troll have to be to link them? How close would the screen name have to be? You don’t seem to get this. Your answer is: _it depends_. Dozens and dozens of “Ask the…” threads have been posted, and even more initial posters have just introduced themselves and told their stories that are unusual. And they weren’t called out. Some were. And why? Because of a bunch of various factors. If you’re in a community long enough, especially a big and popular one like this, where there’s a significant pool of members, you start to recognize patterns of behavior. These aren’t just hunches, though they may start as that at the very very beginning, but one develops an increasing familiarity with the way certain poster types, in particular troublemakers, act. Troll detection is never 100% perfect by any stretch of the imagination, I don’t believe anyone has ever said that. But whether you believe it or not, there are recognizable features that exist between the various types of trolls/fakers/psychos, and it’s quite possible for people with experience in multiple communities, good eyes for detail, some awareness of group dynamics and psychology, even research and editorial skills (not to mention long memories) to pick up on these patterns earlier than others. And as you yourself said, you do admin a community but have been fortunate enough – er, for varying definitions of fortunate! – to only be besieged by spammers rather than trolls. (Though yeah, I’d rather deal with a spammer than a troll any day. Divisive threads like this are way.) FBI profilers exist. I’m not saying that we members of the, um, quad squad, were anything nearly that intelligent or special (or important, I mean, it’s a troll, not a serial killer!). But the reason profilers exist is because people behave in identifiable patterns, and at least for me and **Giraffe** and **Sarahbellum** and many others including **splatterpunk** – the latter, btw, is who should get the vast credit for having been the first to spot the **sezyoo** situation and PMed **Tuba** as asked – we recognized them. The fact that others didn’t doesn’t make you utterly stupid, the harsher members’ insults notwithstanding. But I do wish you would open your mind to the possibility that yes, there _were_ reasons to doubt **umkay** , and soon not just doubt, but move from doubt to suspect to almost certainty about her lack of veracity. Even _before_ the **sezyoo** connection was spotted. You didn’t see them, fine. Others did. Accept it and if you’re interested enough, look up enough of these troll scams and you’ll soon develop a good eye for 'em too. Me, I can’t manage to see the patterns in those stereographic images that were big in the '90s. But I don’t think that those who can are lying. > [@](#): > > Anyone opening an “Ask The…” thread will, by definition, have something interesting in their life worth asking about. Is having an interesting life really extraordinary? When you compile a list of details about a person’s life, the longer the list gets, the more unlikely for someone to fit it. But that’s true of any person. Argh, I can’t believe this is still being repeated. Once more with feeling: there’s interesting, there’s unusual, there’s extraordinary, and there’s holy fucking shit this is off-the-charts ridiculously improbable. **umkay** ’s behavior and claims _started_ the dial at _Unusual_ (a quad-sex-fetish thread as her very first post) and swiftly moved on from there. The death hoax and her behavior upon return was when the dial began shifting past _Extraordinary_. Once **sezyoo** was discovered, we reached HFSTIOTCRI territory, with the red flashing lights and everything. Let me give you a f’rinstance why no, I don’t think every “Ask the” thread is going to be called a troll thread – although for the nth time, the simple answer is because they don’t exhibit the same freakin’ behaviors! Earlier this year – actually not all that long before **umkay** , I think it was in April – I opened an **Ask the…** thread myself. Now admittedly, mine was a situation that no one in their right mind would brag about (hoarder/clutterer) but instead it could certainly have been one of those sympathy trolls instead. I did mention what led me into this level of squalor, some health issues such as depression and agoraphobia, and so on. Those who responded were remarkably unjudgmental and kind and supportive way beyond my expectations, and instead of the abject shame I was expecting, I started to feel more able to deal with the situation as time passed. At that point , were I a troll, I could’ve hinted at, I dunno, being on disability, or having health bills, or needing money for the clean-up, or whatever. It really depends on what kind of troll I was. A sympthy troll could’ve invented more horror stories about my life (or even just acknowledged some more of my own real ones, heh). But I didn’t, because, y’know… not a troll. If I _had_, though, I am dead certain I’d have earned some dubious glances. People might have started checking my past posts. (For all I know, they might have done so anyway.) If they had, they’d have seen clues about my situation from posts a year or so ago, which probably backed me up and is why I received no cries of BS. Also because I did have a history here, posting on a boatload of varied topics (well, mostly Cafe Society stuff, though at the time they’d’ve been bombarded with Mafia posts too. :)). And maybe my posts seemed sincere, because I _was_. I never asked for anything (except support) and was as forthcoming with details as I felt comfortable with. Hoarding is quite the fad TV phenom, and it wouldn’t surprise me at _all_ if some troll had picked up on it and started a thread very similar to my own, perhaps with the end result of simply gaining attention or even scoring some PM donations, either spontaenously given or requested, in order to “help him/her clean up” and so on. But no one called a troll, because I didn’t have the signs. **umkay** did. Sure, some people might be more suspicious in future. But you know what? THAT IS NOT OUR FUCKING FAULT. Stop blaming the people who defrocked the abusive troll and turn that misdirected anger at the _troll_. Because SHE, or HE, is the one who is responsible for that future suspiciousness. Not those of us who wanted this manipulative shithead out of our community. > [@Fenris](#): > > Ah-ha. No wonder your posts are bitchier than normal. You’re having your period. > [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > And those of you \*still \*believing in umkay, give me your fucking car keys. I don’t even want you driving. I am fully ready to worship you both adoringly, no questions asked. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/722 "2012-06-25T21:07:17Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Trolling in the sense of manipulating people to produce an emotional response, perhaps, but not just to irritate or upset them. Which seems kind of convoluted compared to a term like “liar.” Someone on the DPW spectrum arguably is as much delusional as they are a troll. Pretending to be disabled, or wanting to be disabled, is simply not normal. Whether that’s a pathological abnormal as opposed to a statistical abnormal is debate material. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/723 "2012-06-25T21:11:06Z")
I have an unusually sensitive bullshit detector. If anyone needs me to use it in future threads I’m available. I promise to only use my powers for good. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/724 "2012-06-25T21:15:28Z")
“It is more shameful to distrust one’s friends than to be deceived by them.” I know many would say it is gullible to have treated umkay as one should treat a ‘friend’ with the story they came in with. Why? Obviously because they are an anonymous person on a message board, not a friend, that’s why. But that is also the same reason there was nothing at stake, nothing to be won or lost, by taking them at face value. It was an entertaining thread. Interesting, and full of information, some actual, some imagined, but almost all entertaining. As I said earlier in the thread before the mommy board evidence, umkay paid more in time and thoughtful post composition than anyone else spent in reading or replying to them. Nobody had anything to lose, whether they bought it hook line and sinker, or approached the situation with due skepticism and eyes-wide open but simply chose to read posts as written without looking for evidence to disprove them, or even any desire to know one way or the other. umkay has always been and remains exactly what anyone should have ever expected them to be - an anonymous person writing posts on an internet forum. There are board rules against massive misrepresentations and they were exposed and banned, but anyone gloating about how anyone else was gullible or naive is the one who just doesn’t get it. There was no reason to be paranoid or suspicious, unless you put so much into what you read on the internet that you felt you had something at stake if you bought the story and turned out to be misled. You need to have some sense that they would ‘win’ and you would ‘lose’ in order to care one way or the other. If you think anyone had that much at stake you may developing values very similar to those that a troll must have. Once presented with enough dirt uncovered by those who simply couldn’t rest until they exposed the fraud (with motivations that I very much agree were based on **Una Persson’s** description earlier) of course one has to accept them as likely proof (even if one was never looking for or hoping to find proof one way or the other). The biggest giveaway to me in the mommy board posts was the use of KWIM as noted by someone earlier, and also “over the moon” > [@sezyoo](#): > > There’s ALWAYS someone better off than you…and there’s ALWAYS someone worse off. KWIM? > [@Ask the Girl in the Wheelchair](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-in-the-wheelchair/622436/54): > > I say, there’s always someone better off than you, and there’s always someone worse off. KWIM? > [@Ask the Girl in the Wheelchair](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ask-the-girl-in-the-wheelchair/622436/514): > > F\*ck hands. If I could just have one shoulder, one elbow, and one wrist back, I’d be over the moon. > [@sezyoo](#): > > Nevertheless, it’s been my and my husband’s dream to have a child together, and we are over the moon that we are about to > [@Beastly\_Rotter](#): > > Because they were feeding their fat fucking egos by gushing over the sweet cripple girl as being so BRAVE and INSPIRATIONAL, patting themselves on the back at how UNDERSTANDING and SUPPORTIVE they were. They would have done better to treat her as a human being with faults and failings instead of some fabulous zoo animal, then when the troll was exposed they would have had nothing to be ashamed of. That, though, would have meant not being able show their EMPATHY in a sickening fawning competition, though, and the idiots who got showed up deserve to be mocked for their dribbling credulity. Yes, and in all of your 4 months here have you ever seen… wait, who the hell are you? And why do you mostly participate in threads about trolling and socks? At least umkay’s posts were interesting and generally pleasant to read. But your post does shed a little light on something that has been puzzling me during this entire sideshow; why do people feel they have so much to gain or lose based on reading threads on a message board? We don’t know for sure who is posting any of them. Why should anyone feel foolish for taking something at face value when they have nothing at stake either way? I can see why though if they think others like you believe they deserve to be mocked for it. And if you want a little cheap psycho analysis for your problem read the last paragraph of post #518. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/725 "2012-06-25T21:19:59Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > Well, if you’re gonna lie about what I said and all, then I guess that makes you no better or worse than what I’ve come to expect. AH, the old vague-and-unsubstantiatable charge of “lying.” WHAT am I lying about? Are you denying that you cheerfully and clearly signed up with the Forces of Dumb and Gullible, only to be made to wear a “DUM + GULIBULL” sign around your neck and wear a DUNCE cap? You look awful foolish over there going, tearfully, “You’re a liar! That’s what!! You’re lying! Liar! Wah, wah, wah” with that cap, wearing that sign. Clean yourself up, change your pants, and explain what I’m lying about. This should be good. ---
**Author:** ![Nzinga\_Seated](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5ac83/32.png) [@Nzinga\_Seated](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nzinga_Seated)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/726 "2012-06-25T21:32:09Z")
> [@Crazyhorse](#): > > "… And if you want a little cheap psycho analysis for your problem read the last paragraph of post #518. Hahaa! You got me. You made me wade back to post 518, last paragraph just so you can imply others are just jealous! Just jelly that umkay was so awesome! Gesus krist. You sound silly chiding others for being all ‘internetz iz serious bizness’ too. You really do. “why do people feel they have so much to gain or lose based on reading threads on a message board? We don’t know for sure who is posting any of them. Why should anyone feel foolish for taking something at face value when they have nothing at stake either way?” Man, come on. The skeptics aren’t taking it this seriously. They are having a light hearted laugh at you is all. Lighten up. ---
**Author:** ![tapu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/49beb7/32.png) [@tapu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapu)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/727 "2012-06-25T21:34:09Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > . . . so during the second such absence she either stayed away completely or monitored the board in an unlogged state. I know this has the potential to be shit-stirring but Broomstick brought it to mind for me. First, I have no dislike and no affection for umkay. It’s all interesting but I was only around for the last few days of it. Now, yes, she could have stayed away or monitored unlogged, but she also may have another account and logged in with that. And… she could still be. I hope no one has a conniption over this. Emotions are certainly running high, but if you think about that possibilty, it is a good idea to keep yourself in reign when someone on a board starts tugging at you during your offline time. ---
**Author:** ![Crazyhorse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crazyhorse/32/31_2.png) [@Crazyhorse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crazyhorse)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/728 "2012-06-25T21:35:33Z")
> [@Nzinga\_Seated](#): > > Hahaa! You got me. You made me wade back to post 518, last paragraph just so you can imply others are just jealous! Just jelly that umkay was so awesome! > > Gesus krist. You sound silly chiding others for being all ‘internetz iz serious bizness’ too. You really do. “why do people feel they have so much to gain or lose based on reading threads on a message board? We don’t know for sure who is posting any of them. Why should anyone feel foolish for taking something at face value when they have nothing at stake either way?” Man, come on. The skeptics aren’t taking it this seriously. They are having a light hearted laugh at you is all. Lighten up. I was actually referring the poster that I quoted and was replying to, back to post 518 but I am entertained and getting a light-hearted laugh at you for being so naive about quote boxes and replies. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/729 "2012-06-25T21:39:07Z")
> [@choie](#): > > Dozens and dozens of “Ask the…” threads have been posted, and even more initial posters have just introduced themselves and told their stories that are unusual. And they weren’t called out. Of course many of those people have been longtime posters, not people who showed up and made a couple of posts before starting the “Ask the” thread. I realize someone asked **umkay** about starting such a thread, but really, when you show up here one day and your first post begins > [@Consequences of a hysterectomy](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/consequences-of-a-hysterectomy/621856/43): > > Somewhat OT, but I am a quadriplegic due to a spinal cord injury when I was 14. You know darn well someone is going to ask you to start a discussion of your experiences. > [@Broomstick](#): > > Someone on the DPW spectrum arguably is as much delusional as they are a troll. That’s also possible. I don’t know if it’s true, but it’s compelling and explains how **umkay** came to know so much about the life of a quadriplegic. > [@Crazyhorse](#): > > “It is more shameful to distrust one’s friends than to be deceived by them.” > > I know many would say it is gullible to have treated umkay as one should treat a ‘friend’ with the story they came in with. Why? Obviously because they are an anonymous person on a message board, not a friend, that’s why. But that is also the same reason there was nothing at stake, nothing to be won or lost, by taking them at face value. There’s only one person involved in this who should be ashamed (leaving the possibility of delusions out of it). I am glad if you don’t feel taken advantage of or that you’ve lost anything of consequence here, but other people might, and I’m not eager to see that happen again. Being skeptical is not a character flaw - particularly not here - so please don’t treat this as a moral issue. Being openhearted is great, but being a sucker is not, whether it’s by temperament or by choice. You can be one and not the other just like you can be skeptical without being negative or nasty or suspicious. ---
**Author:** ![LaurenIpsum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@LaurenIpsum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LaurenIpsum)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/730 "2012-06-25T21:49:41Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Better than the average troll/pretender, with signs that this person is learning and improving. For example: during the first “medical emergency” absence **umkay** discovered **Ambivalid** was checking up on her logging in, so during the second such absence she either stayed away completely or monitored the board in an unlogged state. Count me as someone who was completely fooled by her, although I did wonder at the time why she seemed so touchy about the fact that **Ambivalid** had checked when she last logged in. But I just figured she was overly concerned about privacy and being identified (which I guess she was, in a way). ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/731 "2012-06-25T21:57:35Z")
What I don’t get is why she pretended to have died and then came back to say she hadn’t. That was a big risk. The story was going so well. Why jeapordise it? Is it a case of, like they say with serial killers, she secretly wanted to get caught? ---
**Author:** ![BMalion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e274bd/32.png) [@BMalion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BMalion)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/732 "2012-06-25T21:57:39Z")
I was completely taken in. But then, I’m home all day. I needed a hobby, oh well. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/733 "2012-06-25T21:59:40Z")
> [@mutantmoose](#): > > What I don’t get is why she pretended to have died and then came back to say she hadn’t. That was a big risk. The story was going so well. Why jeapordise it? > > Is it a case of, like they say with serial killers, she secretly wanted to get caught? It may be that NotOK was an independent troll whose act turned out even better than he could have hoped. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/734 "2012-06-25T21:59:49Z")
> [@Broomstick](#): > > Apparently, this one did some excellent research, has prior experience, and no doubt is already moving on to the next message board. For some reason the music to “The Littlest Hobo” just popped into my head, along with a vision of ummmmmbop spreading the good word about paraplegics from message board to message board for years to come. ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/735 "2012-06-25T22:02:11Z")
> [@mutantmoose](#): > > What I don’t get is why she pretended to have died and then came back to say she hadn’t. That was a big risk. The story was going so well. Why jeapordise it? > > Is it a case of, like they say with serial killers, she secretly wanted to get caught? Did you see the OTT emotional responses to the death, and again when it was revealed that there was no death? Trolls live for that shit. ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/736 "2012-06-25T22:03:05Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > It may be that NotOK was an independent troll whose act turned out even better than he could have hoped. Have the mods checked to see if NotOK had the same IP as Um? ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/737 "2012-06-25T22:06:37Z")
I got suckered but it was still a fun ride. ---
**Author:** ![mutantmoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@mutantmoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mutantmoose)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/738 "2012-06-25T22:08:37Z")
> [@Alice\_The\_Goon](#): > > Did you see the OTT emotional responses to the death, and again when it was revealed that there was no death? Trolls live for that shit. Maybe, although she was getting all the love and sympathy anyway. She didn’t need to “die”. It was a risky strategy. Maybe it’s two people involved and NotOK posted it as a joke against UM. Um didn’t seem very angry when she returned - strangely non-angry in fact. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/739 "2012-06-25T22:16:53Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Let me see if I understand this…the _similarities_ are what makes her the same person on two boards, but the _differences_ are what makes her untrustworthy? > > Is it possible that the _similarities_ are coincidences and the _differences_ prove there are two persons? > > Is there the slightest possibility that [confirmation bias](http://www.skepdic.com/confirmbias.html) is at work here? Not just similarities but idiosyncrasies of words, phrases, the way she types out certain expressions, right down to the very software, hardware and sort of injury she describes. The differences are all, more or less, superficial and play into the kind of fictional character s/he’s presenting herself as. In essence, _within_ these differences are similarities and idiosyncrasies far too great to be pure coincidence. If you can, especially since you’re probably much more familiar with the content of her posts than I, remove yourself as much as possible and go over **sezyoo’s** posts with an objective demeanor, and tell me that it’s not the same person wearing two slightly similar disguises. Every poker player has a tell. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044/740 "2012-06-25T22:19:44Z")
It wasn’t sustainable for very long. Sooner or later someone was going to stumble over the link and blow \*\*Umkay \*\*out of the water. What the death thing was put everyone (well, almost everyone) into panic-and-wailing for a brief while. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044.md?page=36) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-notokay-for-convincing-the-entire-board-umkay-had-died/626044.md?page=38)