"I know who you are" posters

[Anonymous]

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If you can never recognize a poster, you might consider that you are not a thoughtful reader.

I'm glad someone else finally said what I've always thought. It's not a flex to say you don't recognize repeat posters. To me, it means you are not very observant or intelligent really.

I didn't realize we were supposed to be reading a parenting forum like it was Dostoevsky lol.

You see, that's the difference between you and me. I don't think noticing repeat patterns in posters requires the skill needed to read "like it was a Dostoevsky" at all, I think it requires ordinary observational skills and basic recall.

Yes, the difference between you and me is that you must be here all the time in order to notice patterns in posters.

or they have good memory

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If you can never recognize a poster, you might consider that you are not a thoughtful reader.

I'm glad someone else finally said what I've always thought. It's not a flex to say you don't recognize repeat posters. To me, it means you are not very observant or intelligent really.

There's a difference between being able to make observations in a novel as opposed to saying things like, "Hey, this post sounds suspiciously similar to something someone posted 14 months ago in another forum. That person mentioned having a brown dog and so did you. Is it possible you're the author of (insert completely unrelated post)?" That's just odd.

Okay, but what about the health anxiety/ovarian cancer fearing troll? Surely even you can admit that she is easily recognized?

You think that in this whole wide world, or at least the DC metro area, which is about 6M people, there is only one person with health anxiety?

THAT is what I find implausible. I can recognize commonalities between posts, sure, but I just don't assume there's only one woman in the entire DMV with anxiety about one of the most leading causes of cancer death in women.

Seriously poster, I'm not the one who pointed out the ovarian cancer/anxiety poster but come on already, if you can't recognize that obvious person who posts thread after thread about the same thing it the same way, something is really off with your powers of discernment. We're not all talking about noticing that someone posted about a brown dog twice within five years, we're talking about posters like the health anxiety poster. Of course there are lots of people with health anxiety in the area, but this particular poster is distinguishable. The anxiety poster herself has admitted it many times. If you both don't notice it and don't even think it's plausible, to me that indicates a person who goes through the world just la la la not picking up on anything around them.

Don't hang out on the health forum frequently enough to notice. Shrug.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
If you can never recognize a poster, you might consider that you are not a thoughtful reader.

I'm glad someone else finally said what I've always thought. It's not a flex to say you don't recognize repeat posters. To me, it means you are not very observant or intelligent really.

There's a difference between being able to make observations in a novel as opposed to saying things like, "Hey, this post sounds suspiciously similar to something someone posted 14 months ago in another forum. That person mentioned having a brown dog and so did you. Is it possible you're the author of (insert completely unrelated post)?" That's just odd.

Okay, but what about the health anxiety/ovarian cancer fearing troll? Surely even you can admit that she is easily recognized?

You think that in this whole wide world, or at least the DC metro area, which is about 6M people, there is only one person with health anxiety?

THAT is what I find implausible. I can recognize commonalities between posts, sure, but I just don't assume there's only one woman in the entire DMV with anxiety about one of the most leading causes of cancer death in women.

Did you get your ultrasound yet?

Exactly. I've never posted about ovarian cancer in my life, but you can suddenly see a pattern that doesn't exist.

It's the protestations, actually, and I was joking. One time, the ovarian cancer lady posted, was called out and swore she'd never posted about this before. She wasn't even aware that someone had posted similar questions. Ovarian cancer is rare, yet a few of us here have lost loved ones to it. I don't fear it, even though my mom died from it shortly after diagnosis. I do go into ovarian cancer threads (there aren't a lot of them) because of my personal history.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:Unless someone truly has a distinctive "turn of phrase" or WaY of TyPinG or posts the same story repeatedly, I always thought it was weird when someone posted like they knew who was posting. It's anonymous and many different people are posting on various threads.

I didn't think my way of writing was particularly distinctive, but I am from the UK originally and we do express ourselves slightly differently in writing than in the US, so maybe that was it.

Using whilst, amongst, etc. is common in UK English.

I tend to drop "to be" in some of my passive participles. That's Appalachian grammar and a tell.

No it is not. Those WERE common in UK English usage, but not really since the 1950s

I work with a lot of Brits and Europeans who learned British English. I can confirm that whilst, et al are commonly used.

HA. They must be in their 80s because here I am IN THE UK and FROM THE UK and I am telling you, you're wrong. You cannot say an entire nation of people are using language simply becuase you heard a couple of old people using it. That is a very small data point. Good luck with that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Unless someone truly has a distinctive "turn of phrase" or WaY of TyPinG or posts the same story repeatedly, I always thought it was weird when someone posted like they knew who was posting. It's anonymous and many different people are posting on various threads.

I didn't think my way of writing was particularly distinctive, but I am from the UK originally and we do express ourselves slightly differently in writing than in the US, so maybe that was it.

Using whilst, amongst, etc. is common in UK English.

I tend to drop "to be" in some of my passive participles. That's Appalachian grammar and a tell.

No it is not. Those WERE common in UK English usage, but not really since the 1950s

I work with a lot of Brits and Europeans who learned British English. I can confirm that whilst, et al are commonly used.

HA. They must be in their 80s because here I am IN THE UK and FROM THE UK and I am telling you, you're wrong. You cannot say an entire nation of people are using language simply becuase you heard a couple of old people using it. That is a very small data point. Good luck with that.

And your data point is somehow better because you are in a tiny part of the UK?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had someone follow me around on here a few years ago, commenting endlessly on my "turn of phrase"

it was really creepy

I have a DCUM stalker, too. It really is a messed-up feeling, knowing someone's got nothing better to do with their day than try to figure out what I post on the anon board. I just say the sick man's prayer for them and hope they have a happier life someday. Creeps.

Omg how does someone stalk you on DCUM?? Like off line?

You would be surprised at what mentally-ill obsessives get up to, especially when they think they won't/can't get caught. There are a lot of people who know what's right and what's not, and will look for any available loophole (like an allegedly-anonymous message board) to continue their antagonizing behavior(s). That's what makes it creepy: knowing someone that unstable is that addicted to maintaining a connection, however thin.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had someone follow me around on here a few years ago, commenting endlessly on my "turn of phrase"

it was really creepy

I have a DCUM stalker, too. It really is a messed-up feeling, knowing someone's got nothing better to do with their day than try to figure out what I post on the anon board. I just say the sick man's prayer for them and hope they have a happier life someday. Creeps.

Omg how does someone stalk you on DCUM?? Like off line?

You would be surprised at what mentally-ill obsessives get up to, especially when they think they won't/can't get caught. There are a lot of people who know what's right and what's not, and will look for any available loophole (like an allegedly-anonymous message board) to continue their antagonizing behavior(s). That's what makes it creepy: knowing someone that unstable is that addicted to maintaining a connection, however thin.

I can’t compute. Like what? Do they try to find out your name? Where you live?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had someone follow me around on here a few years ago, commenting endlessly on my "turn of phrase"

it was really creepy

I have a DCUM stalker, too. It really is a messed-up feeling, knowing someone's got nothing better to do with their day than try to figure out what I post on the anon board. I just say the sick man's prayer for them and hope they have a happier life someday. Creeps.

Omg how does someone stalk you on DCUM?? Like off line?

You would be surprised at what mentally-ill obsessives get up to, especially when they think they won't/can't get caught. There are a lot of people who know what's right and what's not, and will look for any available loophole (like an allegedly-anonymous message board) to continue their antagonizing behavior(s). That's what makes it creepy: knowing someone that unstable is that addicted to maintaining a connection, however thin.

I can’t compute. Like what? Do they try to find out your name? Where you live?

I have a neighbor I had to threaten with a restraining order because she apparently wasn't raised well enough to understand basic boundaries for herself, and lashed out at me when I had to stop my day to explain things like property lines. She knows a bit about my life (number of kids and their approx. ages, car I drive, color of our dog, etc.). Since she can't talk to me in person, she tries to lurk here and accuses several posters with similar details of being me. It's telling because of the way she talks, how often she posts, etc. I don't post "I know who you are" on her comments, but since she has written to me somewhat extensively, it's not hard to match tone and language. She fits the "shut in" stereotype; we rarely see her leaving her home, and she doesn't seem to have friends or family who ever visit. I think her best friend is the bottle... I doubt she's ever going to actually do anything in real life, and she seems to understand she'd be extremely foolish to try, but it's unnerving to have someone be so obsessed with my life that trolling me on an anon board seems like a fun use of time to them. I think I'll take PP upthread's advice and just try to wish her well (and well away from me and my family!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I had someone follow me around on here a few years ago, commenting endlessly on my "turn of phrase"

it was really creepy

I have a DCUM stalker, too. It really is a messed-up feeling, knowing someone's got nothing better to do with their day than try to figure out what I post on the anon board. I just say the sick man's prayer for them and hope they have a happier life someday. Creeps.

Omg how does someone stalk you on DCUM?? Like off line?

You would be surprised at what mentally-ill obsessives get up to, especially when they think they won't/can't get caught. There are a lot of people who know what's right and what's not, and will look for any available loophole (like an allegedly-anonymous message board) to continue their antagonizing behavior(s). That's what makes it creepy: knowing someone that unstable is that addicted to maintaining a connection, however thin.

I can’t compute. Like what? Do they try to find out your name? Where you live?

I had a doctor comment on something I overshared in the health forum. There were way too many details in the response, and nobody else in my life knew (yet) what was going on. I felt really violated, even though technically nothing illegal or actionable had happened. I think that's the whole point of trolling: bullying people in a way you think isn't going to lead to consequences.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I often do know who people are because I have a photographic memory and can recall patterns in diction and syntax. I never comment on it, though. Occasionally other posters will say this and they are often correct. There are some smart people here.

Recently I’ve noticed an influx of less intelligent posters. There are 2 kinds: very confrontational (often they post nonsensical “Triggered” or “too close to home” comments responding to posts where they don’t belong. They are low IQ and I won’t interact with them. There are also some older ladies who are clearly in their 70s who prattle mundanely and often tangentially, and I don’t mind them. They are kind at least.

Interesting. What do recognize? Like syntax? Or style?

It depends. Usually a combination of facts and diction/syntax. Some people are too easy to count (Indian cook who says “veggi”, for example) and sometimes it’s a situation (the woman whose in laws had a cabin but lived with the SIL, she was easy to spot but would try to leave out identifying facts, but still it would come out).

Honestly, it’s a PITA. I can remember where on a page I read a quote in a book from 15 years ago. I can often put my hands on a specific contradictory email from a decade ago. My brain is so full of clutter, I hate it! But it’s occasionally useful.