why you are not who you say you are

[Buddha's Penis!]

hello. as the perennial newbie, i'll start my association here with an outsider's question.
like i said in my reply to the "why are we here" thread, i am bothered by the concept of the internet persona. what i want to know is, why does one set up an alternate personality online? (the most common is the "i'm not really a jerk")
i realize that it can be seen as an entertainment thing, the always popular "riling up" of people, but is it not also an escape from the everday personality? and, if it is an escape, is it not a result of insecurity or dissatisfaction with the regular personality? isn't it, well, phony (in the full catcher in the rye sense, of course)?


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my typewriter is tombstone still. and I am reduced to bird watching.
just thought I'd let you know, fucker.

[Faceplant]

i say 'fuck' a lot in real life..its my favorite word..i also bust balls hardcore..i make fun of people, but im a really out going guy and im friends with literally everyone, every group of people, every age and what not so they know im kidding when i call someone a stupid fuck...but sometimes i mean it if they really are a stupid fuck, and they know it..but..fuck, im just rambling...blab.bla..a;lfk;lskfdn

[Mudflap]

<FONT COLOR="Orange">All facets of my personality could never be displayed via what I contribute over an internet forum, irc, or any other means of interaction online. Some set out to decieve intentionally. Others, like myself, contribute whatever and however they see fit. Regardless of what an individual tries to portray, it will always be fragments of a much bigger whole. I know bits and pieces about regular posters in this forum, but I don't presume to truly know who any of them are. I take what I see here at face value.

When I truly want to get to know Rogue Warrior, I will show up on his door step, weapons and ammo on hand, and ask if I can pal around with him some.

When I truly want to know Koliedrus, I will show up on his door step, philosophy texts in one hand and educational toys for the kiddies in the other, and ask if I could shadow him for a few days.

When I truly want to know Rabble Rouser, I will show up on her door step, a collection of needing to be stickied toys on hand, and announce to her my intentions to stalk her.

When I truly want to know Muffy, I will 1st need to kill Rogue Warrior (you know he wouldn't stand for me moving in on Muffy), travel to the other side of the world, show up on her door step, and request permission to study as a monk in the order of Muffyism.

When I truly want to know Mattdecay, I will show up on his door step, popular gaming magazines on hand, and invite myself in and watch his girlfriend henpeck his sorry ass.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Don't ask me how I know where all of you live. I know people that know people that know all of YOU.</FONT c>

[Koliedrus]

If I have something I think is worth your time, I'll put it here.

'net personas are temporary masks. See me as "Koliedrus, the planet of living crystal"
or "that guy".

We use this medium to convey thoughts to people we may not approach under other circumstances. A 'net persona allows us to break boundaries that hold us back and gives us the ability to express our thoughts without fear or retribution.

Then again, you know me as Koliedrus.

My persona reflects my true nature.

Would my given name make me different in your mind?

I choose this persona because it allows me to show you who I am. I hope it can be enough.

'nuff said.

[Dog Breath]

I don't believe there is a separate persona. We are whom we are.
To say we are a different person online is to deny our true self and admit to being deceptive or scheming.
Do we act differently online? Yes we do almost universally. We are interacting with each other within a different set of guidelines. In person it would be offensive and frightening to have a screaming fight. Online it can be enjoyable due to the fact it will not turn physical and is a mind against mind conflict.
We use fake names to protect ourselves, to separate this aspect of our lives from others.
Whom can say they are the same person at work, home, and in the car alone. When was the last time you yelled at a co worker and called them an idiot? OK then when was the last time you did that in your car when someone did something stupid? You won't lose your job by yelling at someone in traffic, in fact they won't know you did it. You want to act out at work but there are guidelines there that you must follow in order to remain employed.
I say there is no alter ego. This reflection of ourselves is just ourselves in a different situation with fewer social rules but ones that may not be broken. Showing up at a co-workers house might be a pleasant experience but if some stranger from the internet showed up unexpectedly things would most likely be different.
In closing I say BP it may seem to you that you are the only one here presenting your true self to us. I say you are not alone.

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Woof.
If it's so sick, why are you laughing?
<IMG SRC="http://sites.netscape.net/mydogbreath/dogbre2.gif" border=0>

[Rabble Rouser]

What you have seen of me at the SPF is only one side of me. I am a very opinionated, stubborn, and tough-skinned person. If you piss me off, there will be all hell to pay. Don't get on my bad side. The moods I feel, like anyone's, tend to be influenced by the people around me. I get angered when I'm around stupid people, so naturally, my bad side gets the most airplay there.

But my bad side is all that is displayed at the SPF. It is a real side of me...it's not made up. But there are many more sides that I display outside of that cesspool. Everyone here has seen that I can also be vulnerable, compassionate, friendly, and funny. Of course, my whole self will never be truly displayed, as I feel that it is impossible to know all aspects of a person you only know by talking to them online.

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"You can't post that on the internet! You don't know if it's true!" - Lisa

[This message has been edited by Rabble Rouser (edited 03-13-2001).]

[Buddha's Penis!]

i'm sorry dog, don't get me wrong. i'm not accusing anyone of fakeness, just asking a question about an area of the online life that i don't understand. i ask because i've see people say so many times in mediums such as this one that they aren't this confrontational or jerky or wacky in real life.
the single-dimension aspect of the internet is definately a hindrance to understanding. it's interesting to consider how i'm viewed by others based only on this type of communication, and how i've misjudged people for better or worse.
but what i really meant was that sometimes people act contrary to what they claim their true natures are, and that they sometimes act contrary on purpose. i wasn't making assumptions about who those people were, but was interested to see if this applied to anyone.

an important thing to realize when dealing with questions like this is that they're bullshit. new aspects and points can be discovered seconds after posting. the one thing that i really didn't consider was what rw brought up, that being the differing moods in different places. when you feel you're surrounded by "inferiors", nobody is going to be their friendly social self when offered anonymity. my forays into the dotFORUM have proved to me that "myself" can be a prick if i am confronted with a hundred idiots, and that even if the prickishness may be supplanted momentarily by my normal grinning idiotic love, it exists.

this brings to mind questions of social standing and elitism. maybe people can only really be themselves with equals, and some kind of an act is natural when faced with your -eriors, sup or inf.

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my typewriter is tombstone still. and I am reduced to bird watching.
just thought I'd let you know, fucker.

[Faceplant]

i hope im not on anyones bad side..well actually, i dont care.

[D_I]

Hmmm....I tend to joke around on most boards I post on. Mostly because I am there to be entertained not usually for heavy deep conversations. I will on rare occassions get into serious discussions but I have to be in the mood. That is pretty much the way I am in real life also.

THT tends to lean towards the seriuos side so sometimes I bite my tongue. But Im here, I read and I post. I enjoy.

Besides I am rarely funny, anyway.

[Rabble Rouser]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Dead_Inside:
Hmmm....I tend to joke around on most boards I post on. Mostly because I am there to be entertained not usually for heavy deep conversations. I will on rare occassions get into serious discussions but I have to be in the mood. That is pretty much the way I am in real life also.

THT tends to lean towards the seriuos side so sometimes I bite my tongue. But Im here, I read and I post. I enjoy.

Besides I am rarely funny, anyway.[/quote]

I'm right there with ya. I like to think I'm funny. I can certainly get into deep discussions, but like you said, I have to be in the mood to do it, and rarely am. I'd rather be the comedian than the philosopher. I'm like that irl too.


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"You can't post that on the internet! You don't know if it's true!" - Lisa

[Buddha's Penis!]

i was thinking still about the superior/inferior thing, and i don't think there's any way for a reasonably intelligent person to be proven completely inferior. this is good, because results in a wider scope of self-assured people, but bad because it's easy for a person to claim superiority but impossible to prove them conclusively wrong. proving someone to be inferior isn't a healthy pursuit, of course.
it's almost impossible to affect someone's self-esteem online, which is why there are so damn many giant egos on the internet. what was my point?


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my typewriter is tombstone still and I am reduced to bird watching.
just thought I'd let you know, fucker.


[This message has been edited by Buddha's Penis! (edited 03-14-2001).]

[Poteen]

I've always been Poteen (once I was Fluffy for about 5 min. but that about wraps up my different aliases) and how I am here is pretty much how I am in the real life.. Pretty much..

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<IMG SRC="http://fp.geocities.com/matiasjakobsen/snail.gif" border=0>

Geocities can suck my brass nuts!!

[Koliedrus]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Poteen:
I've always been Poteen (once I was Fluffy for about 5 min. [/quote]


AAahahhhaaaaa! http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

Make that a half-case of Stoli http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

[Rabble Rouser]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Poteen:
I've always been Poteen (once I was Fluffy for about 5 min. but that about wraps up my different aliases) and how I am here is pretty much how I am in the real life.. Pretty much..

[/quote]

I'm never going to Denmark. http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif


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"You can't post that on the internet! You don't know if it's true!" - Lisa

[Cruise Director]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Buddha's Penis!:
i was thinking still about the superior/inferior thing, and i don't think there's any way for a reasonably intelligent person to be proven completely inferior.

[/quote]

Case in Point: How many people first logged into the SPF only to be immediately drilled by a bunch of "whores?" Does whore status really make a person superior? Or is that the person had too much shit to say. There were some people there with a true meaning in their posts. Others posted every stupid fucking thing they could think of to elevate themselves to the status of "whore." My first post over there was not the "hell, I'm new here" type. It was in response to a good question. A so-called whore tried to flame me for being a newbie and I ate him / her alive.

I am who I am and take on no persona to be on the internet. It's like it's been stated before; different sides of me come out when provoked. Just call me the "Cybil" of the internet world. http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/biggrin.gif

BTW Penis... I always enjoyed your posts at the SPF and am glad to see you made it over here.



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"It's not my fault you're too stupid to flip hamburgers. Blame God for that !"

[Uberwonder]

Hi!! I'm new here! My real name is Suzy and I live in Malibu. That's in California, which is in the USA for any foreigners that may post here.
I have a question for you if you are a parent or if you know one.
I go to a private school because my parents say there are too many bad people in the public schools and they told me that there are more minorities than Americans in those schools.
My Question is, if there were more minoritie people than Americans then wouldn't that make the Americans the minoritie and if the minoritie people aren't American, then what are they? THey have to be something. I know they aren't from anyplace called Minor because I looked at my globe that my daddy got me for Christmas (He still pretends he is Santa but I know he isn't), and there is no country called Minor except for Asia Minor but I think those people are called "Asians".
Bye!!!

[Buddha's Penis!]

i got in some minor whore-trouble upon entry to the spf, but that was due to my being a self-righteous prick. i was responding to what i thought the "atmosphere" of the place was, and so was not being myself.

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by RogueWarrior:
Buddha's Penis! has consistently been a source of enjoyment for me....
[/quote]

ha HA! i love this name. constant punning! and thanks.

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my typewriter is tombstone still and I am reduced to bird watching.
just thought I'd let you know, fucker.

[Mattdecay]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Cruise Director:

Case in Point: How many people first logged into the SPF only to be immediately drilled by a bunch of "whores?"

[/quote]

Not I. I was ignored by 98% of the members there on most of my posts until I had like 500 posts. One of these days I won't be boring! I promise.

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<A HREF="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/kollection" TARGET=_blank><IMG SRC="http://fp.geocities.com/mattdecay/sigfinal.gif" border=0></A>

[estero]

<font color=pink>....and I still ignore you.



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[estero]

<font color=pink>THe minute i entered the SPF, I WAS READY TO RUMBLE!!!! I got in a tiff the second I got there, and then EVERYONE in the place was fighting with me. The "in" thing was to hate "KAYE". It was golly good fun, and very entertaining for me.

Then Rogue wanted to hug me and stuff, then it was all over......

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<IMG SRC="http://www.thehypertribe.net/images/kaye3.jpg" border=0>

[This message has been edited by Kaye (edited 03-15-2001).]

[estero]

<font color=pink>YES I REMEMBER! I just didn't want you to look like the mutha fuckin' pervert that you really are.

I know this is an impossible task http://www.thehypertribe.net/ubb/smile.gif Don't say I didn't try.

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<IMG SRC="http://www.thehypertribe.net/images/kaye3.jpg" border=0>

[Dog Breath]

I thought Latinas were supposed to call you daddy. (papi?)

Maybe it is just me.

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Woof.
If it's so sick, why are you laughing?
<IMG SRC="http://sites.netscape.net/mydogbreath/dogbre2.gif" border=0>

[estero]

<font color=pink>heheh I DO CALL MY REAL FATHER papi... papi y mami. YOU SICK BASTARD

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<IMG SRC="http://www.thehypertribe.net/images/kaye3.jpg" border=0>

[Deadpool]

Oh comon. The SPF has quality topics like, "Whats your favorite Street Fighter II ending?".......WTF.

[Buddha's Penis!]

it's weird, though: whenever i have some minor philosophical insight i take it to the spf, though there are most likely better places to post such things. i guess it's that when you get past everything else about it, there are a lot of intelligent people there. a lot of idiots and pseudo-intellectuals too, but that's just background noise and is easily dealt with.

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my typewriter is tombstone still and I am reduced to bird watching.
just thought I'd let you know, fucker.

[Rabble Rouser]

I was never flamed by anyone when I first joined...but it was a different crowd back then too. I just stated my opinions and didn't make a big deal (or one at all) about the fact that I was new.

It's weird though...for as much stupid shit as that place has, I still go there more than any other forum I visit. I guess there are still those few cool people who make it worth my time.

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"You can't post that on the internet! You don't know if it's true!" - Lisa

[Uberwonder]

I was never flamed by anybody when I first joined because there were only about twenty members.

[Stevo]

<BLOCKQUOTE><HR>Originally posted by Buddha's Penis!:
if it is an escape, is it not a result of insecurity or dissatisfaction with the regular personality? isn't it, well, phony (in the full catcher in the rye sense, of course)?
[/quote]

Yes... yes it is.


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she's got everything i need..... pharmacy keys

[Koliedrus]

Hmmm. So this has turned into an "SPF: First experience".

I'll play.

I posted one of my usuals in a thread that had nothing to do with the topic. Raven encouraged continuation of my thoughts and kindly suggested that I begin a new thread based on my topic. In the meantime, Po was taking requests for graphics and helping Raven create a sig.

It was good to watch. So is this.