From the LJ on fake deaths.
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Clues to Detection of False Claims
Based on experience with two dozen cases of Munchausen by Internet, I have arrived at a list of clues to the detection of factititous Internet claims. The most important follow:
1. the posts consistently duplicate material in other posts, in books, or on health-related websites;
2. the characteristics of the supposed illness emerge as caricatures;
3. near-fatal bouts of illness alternate with miraculous recoveries;
4. claims are fantastic, contradicted by subsequent posts, or flatly disproved;
5. there are continual dramatic events in the person's life, especially when other group members have become the focus of attention;
6. there is feigned blitheness about crises (e.g., going into septic shock) that will predictably attract immediate attention;
7. others apparently posting on behalf of the individual (e.g., family members, friends) have identical patterns of writing.
Many of those do not apply to Gus.
Really, he didn't mention his disease much (outside of the times he had to go to the hospital). Or am I misremembering?
There's a reason tehy call it Munchausen by Internet. (Sometimes Muchausen by Internet by Proxy, if you're killing off relatives who may or may not exist!) And, after all's said, I always prefer that the Munchausen's among us happen via internet, where no real person is actually ingesting bleach (e.g.).
This always happens when there's a gash in the world here-- we plaster it with hundreds or thousands of posts.
Very much so. And for those of us who are sated, like yours truly, I begin to use the scrolly wheel and/or my dastardly ability to skim. For those who need to keep talking and looking, I understand that impulse and won't chide it until such time as I perceive it turning inward or nasty. For those who don't read Bureaublahblah, they've got to be thinking that we're having the flamewar of all time, when really -- I'm shocked at how polite we're all being.
I like Sep and Snacky's guide to Pseucide
(Comes with kitty picture illustrations!)
I've actually appreciated reading how thoughtful and careful everything has been.
I know I differ from most of you in that I think being lied to, even in cute narrative form, in a community where we are our words and we know each other based on text, is something I loathe. I'm not saying people with pseuds are bad.
But I personally feel manipulated when someone creates an entire persona to play out a narrative with the group, one that is presented real, mainly because it evokes real emotions to people who believe it.
I'm not saying Cass not posting as her real name is the problem, because it totally isn't. But if Cass created this elaborate, even if well-sustained, persona, and then created situations like a disease, a debilitating accident or whatever, one that created sympathy and upset in others.... well, that's kinda shitty. But with Cass, I'm certain she has not.
With Gus, I'm not so certain. So, frankly, I'm already feeling gullible for buying any of the narrative and thinking of Gus now as "Gus" doesn't make me feel better. Sure I liked the stories. But I could have just as easily not worried about the "man who returned from Africa with a debilitating monkey bite" if he weren't real.
Again, realizing I'm in the minority.
I'm feeling Big Fished, I guess. without the lovely effect of seeing the beautiful Ewan.
I knew people faked illnesses and deaths online; I just never knew there were so
many....
BTW, there's no Guy Straley at www.ratemyprofessors.com, either.
Hah. That was the first place I checked. Of course, I have colleagues that don't appear there despite teaching at multiple universities.
Regarding PhD/teaching evidence: There is no reference for my dissertation that shows up via Google. However, there are conferences, articles, university websites, etc. In the past, I've googled people that have gotten jobs I applied for and found no trace, so it is possible, just very unlikely.
I think it is good that we have this conversation and do what we can to figure out what's what. At the same time, I really don't think we should repeatedly try to contact "kimi" to find out. Either it's a complete ruse, in which case, what's the point?, or she has just lost someone close to her and I think we should be sensitive to that.
FYI, in googling myself, I found a whole string of email messages from the DCista list. I thought that was a bit troubling.
When do we stop? When do we say, this is the most information we're going to get, and we aren't going to know any better than this?
