Onlyme--Care to tell us a bit about yourself?

[Tap]

The fact that I have been reprimanded by concerned board members via pm coupled with being accused of being immature, coy, mean spirited, and unkind makes me think I should defend myself.

 

But on the other hand, the troll has been outed, so my work here is done.

 

 

I don't understand why people would be upset with you. You asked a question of the poster. You were direct and honest about your feelings. You weren't hiding behind a mod. You put it all out there, opening yourself up to being wrong. You had the same possibility of ridicule as the other poster....even more so in that you have a reputation here of being a valued member. I would say you had more to loose than a new member.

 

 

The poster had been asked the same question (s) you asked, in several threads. He/she never answered the question, even though they continued to post in those threads. You just made it more obvious by starting a thread with his/her name.

 

Someone compared this to snickering teens.... I think it just the opposite. You went directly to the source. You gave them the chance to respond and clear their reputation. You even put your self in the line of fire....that is not teenage bully behavior. That is adult behavior, in giving the poster a chance to clear the air by letting everyone know their POV. You in no way limited the opportunity to be heard.

 

I hope that by standing up for yourself you have not had any grief or distress.

 

~Tap

[Heather in WI]

The fact that I have been reprimanded by concerned board members via pm coupled with being accused of being immature, coy, mean spirited, and unkind makes me think I should defend myself.

 

Wow. Anyone that would think that of you hasn't been here long. :)

[Corraleno]

If I were a betting woman, I would imagine it was not the first username created by someone at that ip #.

:iagree:

This person (1) was not a homeschooler and probably not even a parent, (2) only posted in threads about tattoos and piercings (as well as posting 1 or 2 word answers in a few pointless "A-to-Z" threads he or she started); (3) sent people bizarre PMs; (4) sounded exactly like another troll who posted here a while back and was also banned.

 

Jackie

[Corraleno]

Wow. Anyone that would think that of you hasn't been here long. :)

Exactly. And ironically it's newbies who are most likely to fall for trolls when they start asking for personal info or stirring up trouble, so they're the ones who stand to benefit when someone like Nakia outs a troll.

 

Jackie

[simka2]

Hi guys; haven't read through all this thread, which I just saw, but for a while I used stuff from the PNEU, I think it was called. Two kids in the house. Actually I think geographical knowledge is quite a gap in ppl's minds; I started a number of threads about geographical knowledge, which seem to have been quite popular. Someone said I might not have learned English in North America: that's right. I lived in more than one country, guys; let me know if my style of writing is somehow off the wall (I learn sth all the time!). BTW, some the PM stuff I'm reading about must relate to someone else; I don't have any other screen names.

 

I got to head out soon; have a great day.

 

I thought she did a pretty decent job of answering the ?'s here. I really hope that it was the ip address thing. Otherwise, I feel completely on edge. From my perspective it "looks" like because she sounded like someone else...she was guilty and had to be proved innocent. I'm not saying questions should not have been asked of her. Something in this whole deal seems off. I just asked her in a PM if she was homeschooling mom and things like that, she was very upfront.

 

Hopefully it was the IP address :)

[aggieamy]

I thought she did a pretty decent job of answering the ?'s here. I really hope that it was the ip address thing. Otherwise, I feel completely on edge. From my perspective it "looks" like because she sounded like someone else...she was guilty and had to be proved innocent. I'm not saying questions should not have been asked of her. Something in this whole deal seems off. I just asked her in a PM if she was homeschooling mom and things like that, she was very upfront.

 

Hopefully it was the IP address :)

 

I notice that you are a new face around here (much like myself actually) but you'll eventually see that the moderators around here are pretty low-key. I've never seen someone banned because they didn't speak right or asked questions wrong or anything like that. There's a reason that they are moderators and the rest of us are not. They've got a hard job to do keeping this place running so I recommend cutting the moderators plenty of slack and not worrying too much about why other people are banned.

[LauraGB]

I thought she did a pretty decent job of answering the ?'s here. I really hope that it was the ip address thing. Otherwise, I feel completely on edge. From my perspective it "looks" like because she sounded like someone else...she was guilty and had to be proved innocent. I'm not saying questions should not have been asked of her. Something in this whole deal seems off. I just asked her in a PM if she was homeschooling mom and things like that, she was very upfront.

 

Hopefully it was the IP address :)

 

Some of us who have been around a while (like Nakia) have had the misfortune to witness these trolls (or even be sucked in by them). They have a certain...vibe...they emit through their posts. They have a tendency to post oddly, about odd things. Certainly not all new people qualify - we'd have the same old bunch of people all the time. New people are just that - new. And they occasionally post about homeschooling ;). Trolls are...different. Some are easy to notice, some not so much. :glare: And if someone calls someone out, if you will, usually they respond less elusively if they are legit.

[Joy at Home]

If I were a betting woman, I would imagine it was not the first username created by someone at that ip #.

 

 

Perhaps, but I think they automatically pick this up when a new registration has then same address. She would have been banned as soon as she registered if that was the case.

[aggieamy]

Perhaps, but I think they automatically pick this up when a new registration has then same address. She would have been banned as soon as she registered if that was the case.

 

I don't know how that works because DH and I wouldn't be able to have two different usernames at the same ip address if that was the case.

Edited May 10, 2010 by aggieamy

[Joy at Home]

:iagree:

This person (1) was not a homeschooler and probably not even a parent, (2) only posted in threads about tattoos and piercings (as well as posting 1 or 2 word answers in a few pointless "A-to-Z" threads he or she started); (3) sent people bizarre PMs; (4) sounded exactly like another troll who posted here a while back and was also banned.

 

Jackie

 

And you know this how? And who cares if she only responded to certain threads.

 

Look, I've been here a long time too, and my gut instinct may have told me there was something "off". I guess i just prefer to wait until the point, if ever, that she crossed the line or revealed herself in a more obvious way.

[Joy at Home]

I don't know how that works because DH and I wouldn't be able to have two different usernames at the same address.

 

I think you'd have to pm the moderator on that one. I was banned temporarioy when the computer automatically detected the same address when I created another username (long story but nothing sinister, I promise). I was told it runs an automatic check.

[Tree House Academy]

I thought she did a pretty decent job of answering the ?'s here. I really hope that it was the ip address thing. Otherwise, I feel completely on edge. From my perspective it "looks" like because she sounded like someone else...she was guilty and had to be proved innocent. I'm not saying questions should not have been asked of her. Something in this whole deal seems off. I just asked her in a PM if she was homeschooling mom and things like that, she was very upfront.

 

Hopefully it was the IP address :)

 

Um, no. Answering the questions would be something like, "Hi! I am X, I have twi children I am homeschooling right now and they are ages 5 and 15. Sorry if I came off weird when I sent nonsensical pm's to other members...my 5 year old go on the computer on night when I wasn't looking and started typing. Silly girl."

 

Of course, what she said was "yeah, I homeschool or maybe I homeschooled. when I did I used something that I don't remember the name of. I have no idea how long I homeschooled and i have two kids in my house. I have lived in a lot of countries."

 

I agree with Nakia...Um...okay. Thanks for clearing that up. :confused:

[mammaruss]

And you know this how? And who cares if she only responded to certain threads.

 

Look, I've been here a long time too, and my gut instinct may have told me there was something "off". I guess i just prefer to wait until the point, if ever, that she crossed the line or revealed herself in a more obvious way.

:iagree:But then that's how I roll! ;) Also, if I am put on the spot--not getting any info out of me--my lips are sealed!:D

[ThatCyndiGirl]

There was some bad juju going on here last weekend. It was eerie, strange and unsettling.

 

Wanting to protect your family info is fine. Someone could respond, "I homeschool two elementary age kids and use BJU" or some such, but the "answers" were.....not so much. They were very vague and not at all forthcoming.

 

It was weird.

 

 

This is NOT a mean girl situation at all. I believe, deep down in my heart....that this person knew what they were doing............and will be back. :glare:

[Crissy]

This is NOT a mean girl situation at all. I believe, deep down in my heart....that this person knew what they were doing............and will be back. :glare:

 

 

I agree with this.

I think the question is whether or not trying to 'out' someone believed to be a troll is the best way to deal with the situation.

My personal feeling is that contacting an admin, spelling out your concern and letting him deal with it is probably better.

[Nakia]

I don't understand why people would be upset with you. You asked a question of the poster. You were direct and honest about your feelings. You weren't hiding behind a mod. You put it all out there, opening yourself up to being wrong. You had the same possibility of ridicule as the other poster....even more so in that you have a reputation here of being a valued member. I would say you had more to loose than a new member.

 

 

The poster had been asked the same question (s) you asked, in several threads. He/she never answered the question, even though they continued to post in those threads. You just made it more obvious by starting a thread with his/her name.

 

Someone compared this to snickering teens.... I think it just the opposite. You went directly to the source. You gave them the chance to respond and clear their reputation. You even put your self in the line of fire....that is not teenage bully behavior. That is adult behavior, in giving the poster a chance to clear the air by letting everyone know their POV. You in no way limited the opportunity to be heard.

 

I hope that by standing up for yourself you have not had any grief or distress.

 

~Tap

 

No distress or grief. I was certainly not trying to be the mean girl. I stand by what I did.

 

Wow. Anyone that would think that of you hasn't been here long. :)

 

:001_wub:

Exactly. And ironically it's newbies who are most likely to fall for trolls when they start asking for personal info or stirring up trouble, so they're the ones who stand to benefit when someone like Nakia outs a troll.

 

Jackie

 

I gotta say I fell for it once. I won't go into the details, but I got burned. Not gonna happen again.

 

Some of us who have been around a while (like Nakia) have had the misfortune to witness these trolls (or even be sucked in by them). They have a certain...vibe...they emit through their posts. They have a tendency to post oddly, about odd things. Certainly not all new people qualify - we'd have the same old bunch of people all the time. New people are just that - new. And they occasionally post about homeschooling ;). Trolls are...different. Some are easy to notice, some not so much. :glare: And if someone calls someone out, if you will, usually they respond less elusively if they are legit.

 

:iagree:

Um, no. Answering the questions would be something like, "Hi! I am X, I have twi children I am homeschooling right now and they are ages 5 and 15. Sorry if I came off weird when I sent nonsensical pm's to other members...my 5 year old go on the computer on night when I wasn't looking and started typing. Silly girl."

 

Of course, what she said was "yeah, I homeschool or maybe I homeschooled. when I did I used something that I don't remember the name of. I have no idea how long I homeschooled and i have two kids in my house. I have lived in a lot of countries."

 

 

 

Exactly!

[Corraleno]

And you know this how? And who cares if she only responded to certain threads.

 

Look, I've been here a long time too, and my gut instinct may have told me there was something "off". I guess i just prefer to wait until the point, if ever, that she crossed the line or revealed herself in a more obvious way.

Well, she did out herself in an obvious way, when she was unable to remember what curriculum she used and apparently couldn't remember too many details about her "kids" either. I think Nakia just speeded up the process a bit. And I think it's much better to nip these things in the bud than to wait until naive people get sucked in, and possibly scammed or hurt.

 

When I just saw a few of Onlyme's posts scattered in various threads, I thought they were odd, but it wasn't until Nakia started this thread and I did a search and read ALL of her posts that I realized just how "off" the whole thing was.

 

This is NOT a mean girl situation at all. I believe, deep down in my heart....that this person knew what they were doing.........and will be back. :glare:

:iagree:

 

Jackie

[MelanieM]

I agree with this.

I think the question is whether or not trying to 'out' someone believed to be a troll is the best way to deal with the situation.

My personal feeling is that contacting an admin, spelling out your concern and letting him deal with it is probably better.

 

I agree.

 

Nakia, you seem like an absolutely lovely person, and I don't believe you were trying to be mean here. (And obviously your instincts were correct as this member is now banned.) However, this thread overall was very strange, and I can see how it could make many other new people, especially lurkers, nervous about posting here at all. I *do* think it's important to notify admin about trolls, and to have these conversations as a community so that members understand the types of things that can happen online. But when there's even a chance that a person is a real poster and not a troll, then publicly calling them out is going to seem passive aggressive to onlookers. And if the answer is that there's no chance they're not a troll, then it begs the question of what's the point of trying to engage them in any case -- it's rather like reverse trolling of the troll!

 

I don't say that to be harsh or mean to anyone that has posted, but I think it's important to point out why this type of thread can feel uncomfortable for people.

 

That said, I'm thankful to the community watch and the moderators/admin for keeping the streets clean around here. It truly is a great online space, filled with intelligent and caring parents, and I'm grateful for all the amazing support that is present here.

 

ETA: I see mention here of creepy/odd PMs, and I think that brings up another danger... what if trolls are privately writing to members and the scams are going unnoticed? In that case, it certainly helps to have people publicly outed. I wonder if that might be dealt with by having a public list of banned members, or announcements from admin when such a thing is reported? Then people would have a place to check if something suspicious has crossed their PM box.

Edited May 10, 2010 by MelanieM

[ThatCyndiGirl]

I agree.

 

Nakia, you seem like an absolutely lovely person, and I don't believe you were trying to be mean here. (And obviously your instincts were correct as this member is now banned.) However, this thread overall was very strange, and I can see how it could make many other new people, especially lurkers, nervous about posting here at all. I *do* think it's important to notify admin about trolls, and to have these conversations as a community so that members understand the types of things that can happen online. But when there's even a chance that a person is a real poster and not a troll, then publicly calling them out is going to seem passive aggressive to onlookers. And if the answer is that there's no chance they're not a troll, then it begs the question of what's the point of trying to engage them in any case -- it's rather like reverse trolling of the troll!

 

I don't say that to be harsh or mean to anyone that has posted, but I think it's important to point out why this type of thread can feel uncomfortable for people.

 

That said, I'm thankful to the community watch and the moderators/admin for keeping the streets clean around here. It truly is a great online space, filled with intelligent and caring parents, and I'm grateful for all the amazing support that is present here.

 

 

I understand what you are saying here, but in the past people have been "outed" for NOT being upfront and public about their suspicions.

 

There is really no way to win. :confused:

[Corraleno]

Nakia, you seem like an absolutely lovely person, and I don't believe you were trying to be mean here. (And obviously your instincts were correct as this member is now banned.) However, this thread overall was very strange, and I can see how it could make many other new people, especially lurkers, nervous about posting here at all. I *do* think it's important to notify admin about trolls, and to have these conversations as a community so that members understand the types of things that can happen online. But when there's even a chance that a person is a real poster and not a troll, then publicly calling them out is going to seem passive aggressive to onlookers.

 

I don't think this is "mean" at all:

I have noticed a lot of your posts, and I wondered if you wanted to tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you homeschooled? What curriculum do you use? How old are your kids? Anything else that might be interesting to a homeschool community?

 

If Onlyme had been a legitimate member, she could have responded and had a friendly, welcoming conversation. Other posters have noted that Onlyme was asked these questions in other threads and deliberately avoided them, so starting a thread with her name on it was a reasonable idea, I think. And in the end it accomplished exactly what it was designed to do.

 

Jackie

[Orthodox6]

Nakia, I'm sorry that you have received a backlash. I don't know that I would have started this thread; however, I perceive that it turned out to have proven useful.

 

In order that everyone reading this post have "full disclosure", I hereby acknowledge that I sent a PM to the moderators some hours ago. I wrote only that a number of people were feeling varying degrees of discomfort over the individual's posts, and that I wondered whether there were some method of establishing whether the person were "legitimate." I also noted that there might not be any legal means of attempting such.

 

So fire bullets at me, too.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Nakia, I'm sorry that you have received a backlash. I don't know that I would have started this thread; however, I perceive that it turned out to have proven useful.

 

In order that everyone reading this post have "full disclosure", I hereby acknowledge that I sent a PM to the moderators some hours ago. I wrote only that a number of people were feeling varying degrees of discomfort over the individual's posts, and that I wondered whether there were some method of establishing whether the person were "legitimate." I also noted that there might not be any legal means of attempting such.

 

So fire bullets at me, too.

 

No bullets. You took care of things in what I believe was the proper way.

[swimmermom3]

My personal take on this situation is that Nakia asked a valid question and did not behave in a high school "mean-girl" fashion. However, I did let my own irritation at odd and unsettling posters get out of hand and stooped to ungracious behavior. For that I apologize, especially if it put new board members like Simka2 on edge.

 

In general, we are fairly welcoming community to members who genuinely want to participate and contribute in a positive fashion. It's not always about homeschooling. We have long-time posters who stick primarily to the General board. They've run out of curriculum questions and prefer some social interaction.

 

What can set the board off are things like 50 LOL responses in a row simply to up thread count and trollish behavior. There seems to be a certain pattern to troll behavior that is a tip-off. The poster may start fairly controversial or outrageous threads on hate groups or gay marriage or terrorism tied to a specific religion or race. Often no question is attached to the inflammatory information so it's not a request for information or conversation. Sometimes the question is a bit "thin." Often the op doesn't appear again in the thread. They are happily watching the train derail.

 

Awkward phrasing can be a sign of someone for whom English is a second language and I suppose that different cultural standards of "polite behavior" could account for a certain edginess. The questions that onlyme posted seemed carefully crafted. They rode the border of intrusive and judgmental, especially for someone who appeared to be very careful of their own privacy. I would like to give someone in this situation the benefit of the doubt, but I could swear we have been here before. If it was onlyme sending the poetic pm's then we have definitely been here before. Those are usually meant to unnerve the people they are sent to and they do a pretty good job of it.

 

For our new posters: Welcome! And we truly mean that. Most of us at some point or another have been "called out." Typically, we have violated a board rule and someone politely explains what we could have done instead. Sometimes the instruction is not so polite and it can be embarrassing. Being a forum member is a learning process.

 

Nakia, I know your question was a genuine and I apologize for contributing to the deterioration of your thread.

[simka2]

Nakia, I'm sorry that you have received a backlash. I don't know that I would have started this thread; however, I perceive that it turned out to have proven useful.

 

In order that everyone reading this post have "full disclosure", I hereby acknowledge that I sent a PM to the moderators some hours ago. I wrote only that a number of people were feeling varying degrees of discomfort over the individual's posts, and that I wondered whether there were some method of establishing whether the person were "legitimate." I also noted that there might not be any legal means of attempting such.

 

So fire bullets at me, too.

 

Sounds like you handle things in a very correct way.

 

I wasn't really bothered, by her posts, because I was factoring for the possibility that English was not her 1st language.

[Corraleno]

Oh, I also notified the mods ~ I'm sure several of us did. What I don't understand is why people think it would have been "less mean" to report Onlyme to the mods before she was even given a chance to respond and clear things up? :confused:

 

Jackie

[Crissy]

Oh, I also notified the mods ~ I'm sure several of us did. What I don't understand is why people think it would have been "less mean" to report Onlyme to the mods before she was even given a chance to respond and clear things up? :confused:

 

Jackie

 

Because if she were not a troll, she would have been given the chance to explain herself to the admins without having her name publicly associated with trouble-making.

[Corraleno]

What can set the board off are things like 50 LOL responses in a row simply to up thread count and trollish behavior. There seems to be a certain pattern to troll behavior that is a tip-off. The poster may start fairly controversial or outrageous threads on hate groups or gay marriage or terrorism tied to a specific religion or race. Often no question is attached to the inflammatory information so it's not a request for information or conversation. Sometimes the question is a bit "thin." Often the op doesn't appear again in the thread. They are happily watching the train derail.

 

Awkward phrasing can be a sign of someone for whom English is a second language and I suppose that different cultural standards of "polite behavior" could account for a certain edginess. The questions that onlyme posted seemed carefully crafted. They rode the border of intrusive and judgmental, especially for someone who appeared to be very careful of their own privacy. I would like to give someone in this situation the benefit of the doubt, but I could swear we have been here before. If it was onlyme sending the poetic pm's then we have definitely been here before. Those are usually meant to unnerve the people they are sent to and they do a pretty good job of it.

Thank you for posting this Lisa, you've explained the issues really well, which I think will help people understand that this wasn't just a case of a few members being annoyed at someone for posting in certain threads or using odd phrases.

 

I wasn't really bothered, by her posts, because I was factoring for the possibility that English was not her 1st language.

Simka, I think if you read the list of her posts, you'll see exactly what Swimmermom is talking about:

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/search.php?searchid=4747488

 

Add to that the weird PMs, and the eery resemblance to a previously banned poster who was asking for pictures of preteen boys, and you'll understand why this person was outed.

 

Jackie

[MelanieM]

I don't think this is "mean" at all:

 

 

I don't think the wording in Nakia's original post was mean. But her intention was apparently to call this poster out as a troll, and some of the posts on this thread would certainly fall under the category of what I would consider mean if this had turned out to be a real homeschooling parent and not a troll after all. I was simply attempting to point that out in my post, and to suggest that if there was any question at all that this was a genuine member of the community, then this thread was inappropriate. (And if there wasn't a chance that the member was real, then the posts were mostly unnecessary.)

[swimmermom3]

I agree with this.

I think the question is whether or not trying to 'out' someone believed to be a troll is the best way to deal with the situation.

My personal feeling is that contacting an admin, spelling out your concern and letting him deal with it is probably better.

 

Because if she were not a troll, she would have been given the chance to explain herself to the admins without having her name publicly associated with trouble-making.

 

Points well-made and well-taken. Thanks, Crissy!:blush:

[Mrs Mungo]

Add to that the weird PMs, and the eery resemblance to a previously banned poster who was asking for pictures of preteen boys, and you'll understand why this person was outed.

 

 

There have been a few weird-PMing posters for whom English was clearly a second language and were banned as trolls. For those of you who are sort of new to internet boards, these are commonly Russian or Chinese hackers out to steal information. I know it seems really out there, but it's true.

[LauraGB]

 

 

Add to that the weird PMs, and the eery resemblance to a previously banned poster who was asking for pictures of preteen boys, and you'll understand why this person was outed.

 

Jackie

 

Was the crazy lady with the house and people urinating on her lawn (martha t or something) the same person who was posting about the haircuts??

[Corraleno]

Because if she were not a troll, she would have been given the chance to explain herself to the admins without having her name publicly associated with trouble-making.

But Nakia didn't start this thread saying "I think Onlyme is a troll." She asked Onlyme about her kids and what curriculum she was using, so if Onlyme actually did have kids and actually was homeschooling, they would have had a pleasant and welcoming conversation.

 

If I saw a guy acting strangely in my neighborhood, I'd introduce myself and ask some questions before I called the police.

 

Jackie

[Mrs Mungo]

Was the crazy lady with the house and people urinating on her lawn (martha t or something) the same person who was posting about the haircuts??

 

I don't think that has been confirmed by the mods. But, it is suspected by many people.

[newlifemom]

I did enjoy the games though. Seemed like a pleasant way to spend a Friday afternoon :D

[Orthodox6]

I'm responding to the bolded text below. . . You are right, and I fault myself for some of my previous sarcasm. I can see that I quickly was influenced by thoughts expressed by others, and that I mentally ran "Onlyme" through a kangaroo court.

 

I think what influenced me the most was that people were reporting weird PMs. I expect a PM to relate specifically to something I have written online, never to be an out-of-the-blue, random message. Hence reports of strange-content PMs raised strong alerts for me.

 

 

I don't think the wording in Nakia's original post was mean. But her intention was apparently to call this poster out as a troll, and some of the posts on this thread would certainly fall under the category of what I would consider mean if this had turned out to be a real homeschooling parent and not a troll after all. I was simply attempting to point that out in my post, and to suggest that if there was any question at all that this was a genuine member of the community, then this thread was inappropriate. (And if there wasn't a chance that the member was real, then the posts were mostly unnecessary.)

[Jean in Newcastle]

I'm responding to the bolded text below. . . You are right, and I fault myself for some of my previous sarcasm. I can see that I quickly was influenced by thoughts expressed by others, and that I mentally ran "Onlyme" through a kangaroo court.

 

I think what influenced me the most was that people were reporting weird PMs. I expect a PM to relate specifically to something I have written online, never to be an out-of-the-blue, random message. Hence reports of strange-content PMs raised strong alerts for me.

 

Yes, but the appropriate thing to do when you receive a strange PM is to click the red exclamation point in the corner and report it to the moderators.

[simka2]

I thought they were saying the weird PM were attributed to the former person who said weird things about boys with long hair.

 

The only pms I got from Onlyme was when she would tell me she had responded to something I had posted.

 

Granted, I felt this was unusual for this board, but because I have been involved in many different forums, I thought she was just doing a learned behaviour from another forum.

 

I sent her a PM asking her directly if she was a homeschooling mom, and she responded immediately. She was honest and upfront that she was not presently homeschooling, but was in support of it. For all I knew she could have recently moved to a country where homeschooling is illegal, and was just trying to keep her finger in the water.

 

My thought is this: when I become uncomfortable/disagree with something I just stopped responding to her posts. I am in control of what I chose to read or respond to. She wasn't a threat to me!!!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Now, it is scary....then it was just mom's chatting about their kids with long hair...specifically boys. i am glad my long haired son is now a short haired adult and very capable of kicking butt should the need arise! I didn't think it was weird then since we often share some pretty personal stuff around here...and if you want pics of long haired homeschooled boys...all you would have to do is a google image search....kwim?

 

It kinda stinks that the one place you can fellowship and let your hair down a bit...can turn into a troll heaven....and it makes you hesitate to share ANYTHING...right down to your current booklist....

 

That really STINKS!!!!

 

Faithe

 

Ya I understand then people probably didnt realize, but now, just to think about it. That is a scary thought! I certainly never would have thought that predators (or possible predators) would go to a homeschool message board, but I guess I can see that. <shivers>

Edited May 11, 2010 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

All this is a good reminder for all of us that the Internet is a public place. We do not know who is reading our posts. People lie about name, gender, age, location, and about everything else. I am floored by the intimate information people plop on message boards and blogs, information about themselves and about other people.

 

The most recent post to this thread from the individual in question is, as my children would say in current vernacular, sooooo random.

 

 

Very good reminder, guess after a while people (myself for sure) does forget that ANYBODY can see this. Registered or not, but then again, anybody can register!

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Sorry didnt know only me was gone... erased origional:001_smile:

Edited May 11, 2010 by wy_kid_wrangler04

[Mrs Mungo]

Can you tell us what you liked about it? Even some years ago, you will remember, or what you didnt like about it? I guess we all remember our dislikes more.

 

The person in question is gone.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Can you tell us what you liked about it? Even some years ago, you will remember, or what you didnt like about it? I guess we all remember our dislikes more.

 

She's been banned now, so can't answer you.

[Scarlett]

Jackie, I did know that she was imitating onlyme. However, for a minute I thought Mama was serious.:lol::lol: For some reason, that "Take care" was making me gulp each time I read it. The way you quoted it makes me think of that movie, Someone to Watch Over Me. There's a scene where the husband is looking at three towels that are hanging up in the bathroom and he says to his wife, "Is everything as it should be?" She quickly rearranged the towels so that the bottoms of them were all level. Gulp.

 

I remember that! It was Sleeping with the Enemy. I loved that movie.

[Orthodox6]

Ya I understand then people probably didnt realise, but now, just to think about it. That is a scary thought! I certainly never would have thought that predators (or possible predators) would go to a homeschool message board, but I guess I can see that. <shivers>

 

Sad and creepy, but they do. Some years ago, I was one of several moderators for a Catholic homeschool message board. Every so often, we would be infiltrated and bombarded by some crazed individual determined to litter porn links and filthy messages all over the place. As soon as I would delete something, more would pop up. The board owner went nuts trying to isolate and ban such people, but she always succeeded.

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Probably this:

 

I don't think this:

 

 

Not this:

 

(I think of Tina on the curric board when I see this -- she is a WONDER!)

 

And, I guess at some point, there is someone who is hoping THIS will happen.

 

 

LOL I love it!!! Where did you get those smilies???

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

The person in question is gone.

 

 

LOL Oh, i guess thats what I get when I come late and reply as I read instead of reading all the way through :blushing:

[simka2]

That's something to consider. As a newbie...here...I was still really on my guard. That's probly why she didn't...bug me. My radar was up...plus I'm on other boards that the only way you get banned is if you have been warned to stop whatever it is your doing and still refuse.

 

I completely realize that a previous bad experience can trigger us to feel certain ways about someone. Part of my problem is I was raised by lawyer...I know bring on the lawyer jokes:001_smile:..."innocent until proven guilty" was right up there with the 10 commandments. I'm sure that everyone meant well in their own way :)

[Purpledaizy]

 

Its been a long time since I've been on a message board. Nice to see things haven't changed :001_smile:

[BeckyFL]

I just had a really weird and creepy thought that I know came from some show or movie I was only half watching (Dh has things on that I don't always pay attention to). Please don't jump all over me, I'm not saying that Onlyme is in this category. I did some googling and found this article. The "take care" made me think of this section:

There are lots of ways to communicate a signal: timestamp on the message, an uncommon word in the subject line, etc. Use your imagination here--the possibilities are limitless.

 

Here's the article:

http://www.zdnet.com/news/terrorists-and-steganography/116733

 

And what about all the interest in geography? Ok... I'm done letting my imagination go anywhere with this.

[Corraleno]

Very good reminder, guess after a while people (myself for sure) does forget that ANYBODY can see this. Registered or not, but then again, anybody can register!

Yes, and you'd be surprised how often this board comes up in google searches. There have been times when I've googled something that had nothing to do with homeschooling, and someone's WTM post showed up in the search list. This is NOT a private place. At. all.

 

Jackie