Oh. I forgot all about the girl with the mom in a coma and taking care of her baby sister. Which is funny because I seem to have posted about it in the wake of Penlind. So clearly Penlind wasn't the first. Just the most notable.

ETA: Okay this is kinda fun. Thanks, tiggy!

Damn, I just find all this fascinating. I'm not sure why.

I want to read more.

My high-school girlfriend was pretty much a pathological liar. At one point she told me that she was dying of cancer, and that her parents didn't know about this, because she was seeing a doctor who was writing off her treatment as "research." She had all sorts of details to the story, like how nasty and painful the spinal taps she had to have were (this predates the movie Spinal Tap). Oh, and also, she used to be in a rock band.

I didn't believe her, but the times when I told her I doubted what she was saying she would totally freak out....

eta: Thanks, tiggy!

I'm with tommyrot in finding it morbidly fascinating -- and also awful. I got as far as tiggy's post expressing disappointment that people were becoming so jaded and cynical that they would doubt Penlind's existence, and I just got nauseated at the thought of tiggy and all the other Bronzers having their emotions jerked around (the moments of silence! Gah!) and sticking up for someone who was playing them (and okay, okay, I understand that Munchausen sufferers are suffering, and sick, and compelled, but it's just a depressingly manipulative, discouraging kind of sick).

I'm also fascinated by the scammer stories. And disgusted at the same time. Some people need a Jay and Silent Bob housecall to get the message that there are real people they're toying with.

Huh. I never knew there was a phrase for "Munchausen by Internet".

This has been both fascinating and appalling reading.

Some people need a Jay and Silent Bob housecall to get the message that there are real people they're toying with.

I think this is key. Buffistas is pretty much my one and only. But I'm fairly sure I'm not alone in hurting for the people who post here about their hurts and feeling joy at- of course since it's fresh- say juliana's wedding. I don't "know" these people I suppose, but I enjoy their virtual company and feel like I've gotten to know at least a part of them. It would feel like a kick in the stomach if I were just a toy or an ego experiment.

it's definitely like a train wreck. i didn't get much work done today because i was so engrossed with finding the big blow-up.

it was very sad that someone who was obviously so intelligent thought she had to lie to get our sympathy to become a member of our board. she would have fit in just fine if she hadn't lied to us. she often brought up many interesting debates for the topiccy folks.

Allyson - do you need anything else? i'm sure there's probably more. i was trying to track down the board that had Penlind exiting the board on it, but i haven't found it yet. i don't even remember it, but it is mentioned in later boards.

Cindy - one or two of the boards i uploaded have Penlind's TA, "Tom", posting. i'm guessing that is who you were talking about.

Tiggy, I'm all good. It's been an embarassing (yet funny) trip down memory lane. Look what a jerk I still am! Heh.

she would have fit in just fine if she hadn't lied to us. she often brought up many interesting debates for the topiccy folks.

That's what I was thinking in rereading. She was very well spoken/written and seemed fairly knowledgable on a variety of interesting subjects. She would have done just fine on her own.

For some people it's more about standing out than fitting in.