Malicious mischief– RANT

[JoB]

You can’t know how much i like a good joke…

and as a writer i can truly appreciate the skill required to construct an online personality and stay true enough to it to post for long periods of time…

but there is a point where the deception moves from a good joke or “put on” into malicious mischief.

Contrary to popular opinion… conversation doesn’t have to become combative to expose both sides of an issue…

And the emotions that combative conversations provoke obscure true disagreement with emotional rants.

Someone is playing on our boards… and they aren’t playing nice. They have crossed the line between provocation and goading.

The thing is… i could care less that they have assumed personalities. I truly enjoy conversing with the provocative side of those personalities… have in fact… when they add to the conversation i admire them…

but goading is just plain rude. It is malicious mischief because it’s only intent is to cause discomfort to someone else.

it’s too bad because i have glimpsed the personality beyond those posts and have often wondered if one of those who post regularly is actually our mystery poster. I think there is someone with a real sense of humor behind those posts… but any joke can go too far and this one has.

This blog is West Seattle’s living room. It is personal to those of us who participate. Real (real time) connections and friendships are forming here. And the discussion often generate constructive action. This forum is far too important to lively dissenting discourse to degenerate into childish theatrics and emotional rants.

This isn’t disturbing my sleep but i do think it prevents people who might want to join in the conversation from doing so for fear of being publicly spanked by our malicious mischief maker or caught in the crossfire he/she can generate.

Enough already! Troll if you want.. but be a nice troll. There are plenty of bridges here and i have always enjoyed a bit of mischief. Those you want to impress noticed you long ago… And sometimes even laugh at the joke.

Keep your personalities if you like.. but stop goading. It isn’t nice. But worse, it just plain isn’t worthy of your talents!

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[Anonymous]

JoB – you’re taking the high road here and attempting to appeal to someone’s sense of decency. And maybe you truly believe there is a more intelligent person attempting humor behind these posts, but what if you’re wrong? Bertha, on another thread seemed to know this person is real. Our original introduction via the swearing construction worker fiasco seemed pretty genuine also. If this is a joke, I’d be just as concerned. What kind of person would it take to think this is funny? And would that person stop just because we don’t like the joke? To me, it seems like the altercations are escalating and I’m not thrilled to see where it will end.

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[WSB]

Unfortunately pretty much any open forum will attract trolls. And like I always tell my kid when he heads off to school and gets pestered by such people, if you completely ignore them they will eventually go away. That said, I am still working on the ignore plug-in. Can’t guarantee it but in the short run, I really highly suggest just completely acting as if someone who bugs you doesn’t exist. I see which posts you’re referring to and while they are extremely annoying, they do not violate any rules at this point and there is nothing I can do about that, aside from trying to help you by installing a filter.

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[Ken]

What person or persona are you talking about? I don’t go into every thread here, just the ones that interest me so maybe I have missed it.

Real trolls say provocative things in inappropriate places or threads. I may not have noticed any here or ignored them so completely that I don’t recall the conversations that some of you do.

Take a look at this essay on wikipedia named “What is a Troll?” to see if anything here reaches the current consensus view for wikipedia specific trolls.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:What_is_a_troll%3F

Wikipedia also has a very interesting history of trolling as it relates to the Internet at this link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29

And finally, this essay on identity and deception on the Internet may be useful to readers of this and other threads on this forum.

http://smg.media.mit.edu/people/Judith/Identity/IdentityDeception.html

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[Anonymous]

JT – I, too, think this particular poster is reaching a breaking point. It’s strange to see someone’s anger escalating like that(if it’s real).

JoB – Are you implying that lattemom is House? I don’t think I would be that surprised if that was the case.

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[JoB]

JT.. i like the high road… i believe that if you treat anyone with respect.. you will eventually earn theirs.. and that includes trolls.

if bertha is right and lattemom is an honest personality then that person needs to know that they have exceeded the boundaries of acceptable behavior. we can’t help them unless they want help.

if they are a mischief maker.. then they also need to know they are exceeding the boundaries of acceptable behavior.

sometimes people just don’t know when enough is enough.

besides.. i did label this a rant…perhaps mild for a rant.. but that’s my way.

and as a last resort.. there is always shunning. i would hate for it to come to that.

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[Kayleigh]

It’s funny that trolls become so self-impressed when they create a reaction, not realizing how pathetic their lives are if that gives them a rush of pleasure. I’m embarrassed for them, really, because they don’t realize that the joke is on them. This particular one sounds a bit unhinged.

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[Anonymous]

I think she either doesn’t care that’s she’s gone too far and is enjoying being the center of attention or…is genuinely disturbed and capable of going a little postal. IMO respect has become irrelevant and I’ve lost all desire to participate in any blog get togethers. I’m a little freaked to know I could innocently be giving information to a psycho who is now bringing up their love of hunting.

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[JoB]

i think that is giving this particular mischief maker a little too much attention.

i know my memory isn’t so good sometimes.. but i would swear that lattemom was talking about living on 35th and now she is overlooking alki. where will she be next?

and the taxidermy really is going a bit far.

i don’t think it’s real and if it is.. attention will only make it worse… so i plan to ignore it.

jt..don’t give up on the rest of us perfectly nice folks just because some people can’t play nicely… we would miss you.

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[Kayleigh]

‘course, JT, that bit about hunting could be BS too, designed to get a rise out of the animal lovers here. But I hear you.

Somebody once described trolls as greasy-haired 30-something men in black t-shirts living in their parents’ basements. Whether or not that is true in this case or any other, the image still makes me smile.

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[JanS]

Kayleigh…I like that image. Now picture said greasy-haired 30-something man in black t-shirt with a pot-belly and a cigaret hanging out of his mouth – oh, and a 3 day stubble…

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[Anonymous]

JT

Please don’t give up on the get togethers. You WILL recognize this person (it may take a few minutes) because what you see here is what you get in person. I have read this blog for quite a while and have refrained from commenting about her but this is getting a little out of hand.

The sad/funny part is that she is really trolling herself, so to speak. She is very angry and much like an injured animal any attempt to help or be friendly can be interpreted as a threat.

An interesting exchange of opposing ideas is as impossible for her as it is for chickens to knit!

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[Anonymous]

(this post has been deleted by site editor. e-mail me if you want to know why.)

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[Anonymous]

I’m glad that it was verified that “lattemom” is “cinnamon” and my name was not included! Please know, everyone, I have been passionate in my posts before, but I am level headed and sane. I quickly switched from feeling sorry for lattemom in the pit bull thread to realizing she was unstable.

I can’t believe she had to move her daughter to a different school! I feel sorry for the little girl. She is probably more embarrassed by her mother than anything.

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[Anonymous]

LatteMom’s identity is that of a man, I have been very dishonest with you all and have been trying to prove several points, without any success.

I am a single man without any family in the area and I have way too much time on my hands. I will leave now and go away as you all want.

I read many of the postings on Seattle Times and thought I’d find a local website to entertain myself but it ot out of hand.

It is far to easy to obtain information inline, personal information and that is what I have done. Now you all can see how dangerous this really is.

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[WSMom]

Your post makes me so sad for lattemom/cinnamon. I hope that somehow she will get the help she needs. I will pray for her and her family.

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[Anonymous]

Anyone can make up an identify. See. Again, I am male, single and never married or have children. You all have me confused with someone I do not know but was able to obtain information to trick each and every one of you.

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[JoB]

i was so hoping that lattemom was part of theHouse’s mischief…

still… it’s odd. she posted that she is nearly 50… and has young children? possible i guess…

there were so many inconsistencies.. i just figured she was mostly imaginary.. and maybe she is.

whatever… this is too sad. i think i will go tiptoe through the tulips if i can find any.

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[Anonymous]

JoB, You got it. I am imagery! You are smart. I am also not 50 I am 35.

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[Anonymous]

Ummmm, I’m not positive, webmaster, but that last post there from lattemom seems a little threatening.

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[Kayleigh]

You got it, Jan. And I reckon the t-shirt is stained with pizza sauce. Another reason I don’t post under my real name (which is kind of unusual and would be identifiable)

PS I am in need of a massage so I might soon have the privilege of meeting you in person. :)

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[Anonymous]

JoB – I am 51 and have a 7 year old. Surprises happen!

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[JoB]

lattemom..

i think we still don’t know who and what you are…

and if you are that single guy with too much time on your hands… it’s too bad..

i enjoyed your conversation when you approached reality. and sometimes your posts generated interesting conversation. The real you might be an interesting addition to conversation.

As for what you think you proved… i don’t think so. I don’t think there is anyone on this forum naive enough to believe that it isn’t possible that many of the people posting on this site are not all they appear to be. The posts are only as honest as any of us make them.

Yet, regardless of what voice you choose to use here.. or anywhere for that matter… it is only a voice.. fed by a real person.. and that person can’t help coming through sometimes.

We would all be glad to see the lattemom persona go away.

It is so much sadder if this persona is built on a real person whose identity you lifted.

Or.. if you really are lattemom and the lonely young man is the persona. or….

it doesn’t really matter a lot.

i hope whoever you are that you find a way to participate in this forum or another in a way that is productive. messing with people just makes them angry.. and it never lasts long.

And as for the rest of us.. i think we can all survive one more impostor in our lives… real life is full of them you know.

It’s just like the pit bull thread.. if you walk the streets in fear of the marauding pitbull, you won’t get out much… same here.

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[JoB]

berthe..

same surprise happened to my friend… and she has found it an incredible blessing… but i don’t know how she does it.

of course, she doesn’t know how i do the dogs:)

i hope you too are blessed.

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[Anonymous]

I am truly Stan the lonely guy from Auburn, WA. I do have way too much time on my hands. I am very lonely. I do not have any family in the area. I am so truly sorry for everything I did. I will promise to go away. I do need to clarify one thing, I have only been pretending to be this LatteMom, I am not the same as this Cinnamon and I have never posted on Seattle Times as someone on here reported. I only gathered information online to make up another identify. Again, I am truly sorry! I will go away. But now you all see just how very easy it is to assume another identity and get away with it at least for some time. Pleae, everyone be careful. I have seen afew of you post online your email addresses, please do not do that unless you would like someone to assume your identity.

I got the name LatteMom from all the Starbuck Coffee Houses in town, a play on words.

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[Author]

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