# We've seen this syndrome here, I'm sure: MbI **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 19, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935 "2011-04-19T06:07:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/1 "2011-04-19T06:07:00Z")
[Münchausen by internet](http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/mnchausen-by-internet-the-sick-world-of-the-internet-fakers-20110419-1dm9l.html): > [@](#): > > Think of the characters portrayed by Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter in Fight Club, only these support groups are virtual, and the people deceived are real. From cancer forums to anorexia websites, LiveJournal to Mumsnet, trusting communities are falling victim to a new kind of online fraud, one in which people are scammed out of their time and emotion instead of their money. The fakers have nothing to gain from their lies - except attention. ---
**Author:** ![flatlined](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/eb9ed0/32.png) [@flatlined](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flatlined)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2011, 6:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/2 "2011-04-19T06:14:44Z")
If you want good examples of that, go to Second Life. Sick and dieing people abound. I’m not saying that everyone is like that, I’ve found some very good friends there…but there are a LOT of attention whores out there. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/3 "2011-04-27T05:27:13Z")
Frikkin’ hell. I go on internet sabbatical for a week and what happens?\*\* Frikkin’ Nothing\*\*! Can’t you people get your own contentious threads going off your own bat? I ask you. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/4 "2011-04-27T07:13:15Z")
Hey now don’t you be looking at me askance, **Askance**. We can’t all be reading every single thread. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some cancer treatments to take because I got cancer back when I was in Special Forces. ---
**Author:** ![Double\_Foolscap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/85e7bf/32.png) [@Double\_Foolscap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Double_Foolscap)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 9:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/5 "2011-04-27T09:18:52Z")
I don’t have MbI. My girlfriend might, though. She’s a model, but lives in Canada so you probably don’t know her. ---
**Author:** ![Otara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a88e4f/32.png) [@Otara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otara)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 9:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/6 "2011-04-27T09:52:29Z")
Well its common enough that net savvy types can get suspicious about almost any health or death related issue in an internet forum. The problem being that you just know you’re going to put your foot in it with a genuine case when you try to call someone on it. Otara ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/7 "2011-04-27T15:58:30Z")
I wish I could care about this but the seventeen meds they have me on for my bipolar disorder agitates my Aspbergers and that med makes me feel pretty numb. Also I fucked Matt Damon. Just saying. ---
**Author:** ![Wargamer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Wargamer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wargamer)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/8 "2011-04-27T16:06:19Z")
> [@Rushgeekgirl](#): > > I wish I could care about this but the seventeen meds they have me on for my bipolar disorder agitates my Aspbergers and that med makes me feel pretty numb. > > Also I fucked Matt Damon. Just saying. Sarah? ---
**Author:** ![Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/angel_of_the_lord/32/2949_2.png) [@Angel\_of\_the\_Lord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Angel_of_the_Lord)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/9 "2011-04-27T21:40:22Z")
> [@flatlined](#): > > If you want good examples of that, go to Second Life. Sick and dieing people abound. I’m not saying that everyone is like that, I’ve found some very good friends there…but there are a LOT of attention whores out there. +1 to this. You know, the third time someone you know there claims to be either in rehab after an amazingly fast 2 month heroin bender in Japan, or to have been stranded in Turkey with appendicitis, or to be going horribly, irreversibly blind, you just sort of start admiring the creativity. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2011, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/10 "2011-04-27T23:57:12Z")
A post in MPSIMs by a certain notable poster raised a tiny shadow of a doubt of this sort when I saw it earlier today… ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/weve-seen-this-syndrome-here-im-sure-mbi/578935/11 "2011-04-28T01:49:22Z")
I have a horrible, incurable fatal disease that can only be cured if I can be immersed in several hundred pounds of Gold dust. Please send all you can spare. My need is urgent.