So Gus was a sockpuppet? Did I skip too much?

Lots of questions. No answers. You should go back and read if you have a chance.

Yes! Although I think his real name was "Fictional piece of drama that I can 'kill' off to gain love."

And-he's-black-like-me and he likes-when-I-rub-a-piece-of-paper over-his-face and can-I-make-him-a-vampire and I've-written-it-down-so-he'll-live-forever

Who is, perhaps, best known as: I'm only 10 years old, don't ask why I'm posting from Ireland at what must be three in the morning, there.

Children of: Penlind, a.k.a. no-really-my-husband's-real-name-is-Riley-Finn.

.

So Gus was a sockpuppet? Did I skip too much?

Not a sockpuppet so much as a pseud. There is some indication that this was a pseudicide rather than a real death.

There's no evidence that the real person (as indicated by the death notification) actually existed. And Gus' backstory doesn't jibe with what is searchable.

As far as I've seen, no one has come forward and said they were sending Gus emails, asking where he's been, or that the emails mentioned b.org (so that she'd know they were b.org friends as opposed to other internet friends), and/or that they mention the Bitches thread, so that she'd know to post there, when she got to this big site.

The lurkers informed her in e-mail.

There is some indication that this was a pseudicide rather than a real death.

I'm going to get all pedantic and note that it'd be pseuicide. Because, come on, it totally sounds better anyway.

Well, someone existed. ETA: Or continues to exist. Someone was posting as Gus, in other words. But the facts of Gus's life, as given by him, aren't verifiable -- notably the PhD stuff and the professor at a university stuff.

My husband is quite real, but Google him and you get nothing. He's just never worked in jobs, or participated in online forums, where he would be found.

It is a small possibility that he was quite real but wished to continue to remain anonymous and "Guy Straley" is also a pseudonym.

I keep hoping this is the case.

Me too.

The whole situation just makes me sad.

So no one ever talked to Gus on the phone or met him then?

What was that weird 4th of July thing where people were invited to his place but he disappeared?

I'm going to get all pedantic and note that it'd be pseuicide. Because, come on, it totally sounds better anyway.

I don't like that coinage because there's no verbal distinction. Dammit!

So no one ever talked to Gus on the phone or met him then?

No.

What was that weird 4th of July thing where people were invited to his place but he disappeared?

That's when a lot of red flags went up.

Children of: Penlind, a.k.a. no-really-my-husband's-real-name-is-Riley-Finn.

Yes! I knew I was forgetting something vital about the husband who was too good to be true.

I also remember the thing that impressed me with the Penlind situation was how impressive it was back then to watch people fan out and break the story down. It's a lot harder to create a feasible fake story than one would think, I remember realizing. Because even though you may think you're safely in a one-note town, claiming to be part of some obscure field? In an Internet forum there's always someone who knows someone who can call you on your crap.