same

Ditto to all of the above.

I'm not good at this game.  I generally trust people to be honest.  Sometimes I'm surprised when I hear that someone is a sockpuppet - sometimes when I hear it is so obvious that I wonder how I missed it - other times I still question. 

I must admit that I'm sometimes tempted to create a sockpuppet.  I have some embarassing questions to ask on Health and Aging. 

I'm tempted at times too, seeler.  I feel like I've made myself too recognizable and I know that people from my church lurk here and read what I write.  (Hi, CS!)  There are days when I wish that I could reset as a more anonymous personality, but I don't want to end the relationships I already have.

(My embarassing questions are in Relationships.)

 I'd just like to say that I'm a sockpuppet.

*sad sigh* It's true... I've been hiding it from you since day one of the opening of the WonderCafe.

RichardBott is actually a clever mask for Richard Bott.

mea culpla, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. *grin*

Seriously... Serena, you realized along time ago that you don't need the sockpuppet mask. You've been open and upfront with the rest of the Cafe - and are definitely able to let people know when you disagree - sometimes vehemently. I'm glad you've found your voice here (when we disagree, and when we agree!)

Peace - r

I am not really a tree....hopefully you can see that in my new pic  (is it there?)

Shawna

Hi Serena,

A point of correction.

I suggested that both Serena and Agnieszka were acting like butt-heads in a post.  Not a thread.

That post was deleted after Serena complained to Admin.

If the thread that post belonged to is missing it is most likely because it was one of Agnieszka's threads which she deleted as she left WonderCafe.

I do not have the power to delete threads nor have I ever asked Admin to delete one.

It is also not true that Serena only had sockpuppets named Samantha, Singlemom and Butthead. 

Grace and peace to you.

John

Go for it, Seeler! We won't judge you.

As long as it doesn't frighten the horse and make it bolt. 

that's probably a good idea.  please, put us to a halt *lol*

Serena, I can feel your pain as I read your words in this thread. You really believe these people have hurt you and no one likes when something that like that takes place. My concern, however, is for you. I really think that you need to forgive these people for how you feel they've hurt you if you are to continue here. If you don't I think it will really be bad for you. You'll just be bitter here and that might damage you health wise. If you can't get beyond anything that has happened here in the past then maybe you should take a break for awhile. Wondercafe is an interesting place to be, but it really is all just words on a screen. Praying for you.

Match3frog, I don't agree with much of what you say, but amen to that! Very well said.

Possum, I couldn't disagree with you more.

Being from Oz, I must confess to having a sneaking admiration for your directness. But I can't help feeling that, despite that snarling avatar, you put a lot of thought into what you say. 

You can fool some of the people some of the time, you can fool all of the people some of the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time

(Or something like that -it's tough being a senior!)

I personally don't have any problem with sockpuppets. As alluded to above, they can serve a valuable purpose. These being public boards and all, assuming another identity can allow someone the freedom to discuss issues or ask questions without worrying about the public nature of the board as well as whether or not some of the content would get back to people in their community.

For example, perhaps one or more of our ministers here has a sockpuppet or two. That would be a sensitive way to discuss an issue of concern in general and unrevealing terms. Rather than always putting a good face on things, the honesty in anonymity could be very useful both for the poster (sockpuppet person) and for the rest of us who would be hearing the reality of life in congregations from a different perspective.

This could be true beyond ministers -- maybe someone is a nurse and is dealing with a difficult situation that, in their real identity, would be too revealing...perhaps a question of life and death, with all of the ethical questions that s/he might be wrestling with...

Not only do I not think it's a terrible thing, these other identities serve a valuable purpose, in my opinion, for their creator and for those of us participating and reading.

Hi Pilgrims Progress (never again will you be "PP", after reading one of the other threads),

I understand what you're saying. However, I don't see this as a matter of someone not being their authentic self, but rather, the anonymity can allow for them to be closer to their authentic self, in certain situations. Let's say a minister on this board has a conflicted relationship with a member of their church council and is looking for thoughts on how she could work through it -- it might not be wise to put that issue forward in one's usual identity, especially if one is using one's own name.

Using this as an example, this minister would have some choices here -- to not bring the issue here to seek input (potentially depriving herself of some ideas that could prove useful and depriving us of the knowledge of what a person in this position might be dealing with), to bring the issue here in her regular identity (potentially bringing unwanted attention to the person in question, whether a name is used or not), or using a sock puppet to protect the identities of all parties, while still gathering information to be used in consideration of the problem.

I have worked as a church secretary and am currently a minister's wife. Sometimes I have encountered situations that I would love to discuss, not for the sake of gossip, but to wrestle with what might be a Christian response, what might be ethical in a given situation, etc. However, never in a million years, would I wish to bring bring attention to an issue with which I'm struggling at the expense of someone else's privacy. To be clear, I'm not talking about what I would call confidential situations but rather specific situations that might be well known in our community but that might not be appreciated in black and white on the internet. A sock puppet might be a good way to explore the issue, in my humble opinion.

LOL!!

for crying in the sink, serena, get a grip here. 

So Serena, you are angry because people have accused you of creating sockpuppets, and you are admitting you have created sockpuppets? What is the problem then?

Interesting comment from someone who preys on lonely married desperate women.

AP --  You were clearly separated at birth with this fixation on John.

BTW -- here's a bit of what you crave.....

Attention!

i'm totally on topic here, and it is totally 'my business'!!

odd, how there are so many similarities, isn't it??