nm
One way to be good at trolling is to come off as a bad troll, so bad that no one suspects you.
And I must say, I get people being more skeptical this time than with umkay. With umkay, there was absolutely zero downside in believing her. But, with this, believing the guy made you feel really bad.
But there’s still a difference between a little skepticism and what Sevencl did. A little skepticism means you don’t post in the thread, or, if you feel you have a duty to others, post a very nicely worded post about not being sure. You don’t be a dick about it.
Personally, I think olives is amazingly strong to be able to be able to shrug off the emotional investment in this case. I would not be able to do it, and would have preferred to be just a little skeptical, enough to at least remind myself that it might not be true.
On balance I think this board is pretty good about that - in fact I’m often surprised at how trusting the posters are. People were more open than usual in challenging Frosty Camel when he started posting. Posters who have been here a long time generally get a different reception from posters who show up with a fantastic story or who join and almost immediately suffer some kind of unbelievable trauma.
I slept kinda funny and my back is stiff. I know it will work itself out, but right now it’s bothering me. Take my word on it or go to fuckin hell, dammit.
Let me be the first to cast doubt upon your claims.
Well, I may have exaggerated slightly. Feeling a bit better already. Thanks everyone for their concerns. I do not have time to respond to each PM separately, but understand that they meant the world.
You weren’t defending him that strongly, I was just busting your balls a little, but I was thinking of your posts in the original thread about the accident, like these:
This. Exactly.
This is why I so intensely despise such trolls.
I tend to simply avoid posting in threads started by posters I’m not familiar with venting about traumas or tragedies nowadays. It’s sometimes impossible, without investing a lot of time, to tell a fraud. Engaging either way leads me at least to feel like a chump (if I believe them and they turn out to be a fraud) or an asshole (if I don’t believe them and they turn out to be real).
You know, there is a middle ground between acting like a dick and believing everyone who posts on a message board.
Take me for example! I never acted like I dick to Frosty Camel. I only even posted my reasoned doubts here in the pit thread someone else started. I didn’t shout names at anyone. I didn’t threadshit.
So, you can be a skeptical caring person and not act like a dick. Personally, I have better things to do with my life than get suckered in by every sob story I hear.
That being said, sevencl is a grade A asshole, with which we can all agree, suckers and skeptics alike 
I don’t have a problem with being one of the ‘fools’ who believes stories written by people on this board. It’s part of my nature to empathize with people and I like that about me - I hope it doesn’t change. There is no harm in it and it passes the time.
Now the fact I have been played for a fool in real life a few times is a problem that I’m working on…
I endorse this message top to bottom.
I bet he was only pretending to have Münchausen by Internet in order to gain sympathy.
A long term poster will have some credibility with the board. They’ll have a history of interactions and maybe some people who are already virtual friends who can give them meaningful support. Someone who has never posted here before? Well, they shouldn’t do that. They should seek the support of people they already know, friends or family, professional counselors, their spiritual adviser (if applicable) etc. Venting to a bunch of complete strangers on the internet, a medium full of liars and trolls and rude anonymous people, just isn’t a good idea for anyone.
Which is why this time the poster started a few “normal” threads before he suddenly killed off his family in the car crash. But even then he only waited a couple of weeks, and some people were suspicious that he’d fallen victim to such a tragedy right after signing up.
Before the Straight Dope, I found it impossible to believe that people would just make something up like this. When I first started talking about my past here, some people thought I was a troll, and I was just dumbfounded. Since then I’ve seen a lot of trolls come and go on these boards and I understand better why some people are so suspicious. I still assume by default that someone is telling the truth, but I’m now open to the idea that they might be lying.
This is where I think, ‘‘Hey, it might not be true in this case, but it’s happening to someone out there right now.’’ We live in a world of holocausts and tidal waves and suffering the likes of which my mind cannot comprehend. In a way I’m already emotionally invested, and was emotionally invested before I even knew this poster existed, and will continue to be emotionally invested as long as I know that this is reality for some people. Knowing that he was making shit up doesn’t really change anything for me.
And now Sevencl, who I just learned is of the female persuasion has decided to shit all over this thread.
She really is a troll-bitch.
Troll. . . troll. . .don’t say troll. . .I said troll. Troll. Troll. Troll. Trollytrollytrollytrolltrolly. TROLL! BLOODY TROLL! WE’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT THE BLOODY TROLL OUTSIDE THE PIT BUT THERE’S A BLOODY TROLL WINKING ME IN THE FACE! I WANT TO CUT UP HIS POSTS AND MAKE SOME GUACA-TROLLY!
I feel better n- TROOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL!
(Pokes Sevencl with stick)
Thanks for pointing that out. I may get in trouble for what I just posted in there, I couldn’t help it. It’s worth a lump or two. She might be more entertaining if she wasn’t just so og-danged stupid.
Fuck, she’s from Glasgow. I really hope I don’t know her in RL,