Sock Puppets

[izabsmiling]

I see the term used a bit .I thought the term meant different people who shared the same opinion.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/oct/19/munchausen-by-internet-health-support-sites

Munchausen by internet can be bad for your health forum

As paraplegic blogger 'David Rose' is exposed as a hoax, here are some tips to recognise fake illness claims on support sites

Based on more than 100 cases of Munchausen by internet shared with me via my Munchausen website, I have arrived at a list of clues to the detection of false internet illness ...

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. The 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 hav...

6. There is feigned blitheness about crises that will predictably attract immediate attention.

7. Others apparently posting on behalf of the patient (eg family members, friends) have identical pa...

The most important lesson is that, while most people visiting virtual support groups are honest, eve...

[izabsmiling]

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/08/faking-it-online-disturbing-trend-internet-cancer-hoaxes/

Faking it online: The disturbing trend of Internet cancer hoaxes

By Jessica Mulvihill

Published October 08, 2012

FoxNews.com

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/10/08/faking-it-online-disturbing-trend-internet-cancer-hoaxes/#i...

[izabsmiling]

It's really sad for all concerned.It would also make people doubt those who are genuine .

[azureline**]

Sad that people resort to that but it raises the question of why......although my sis in law told me that "some people are just like that, even they don't know why they behave that way." She was talking about a person who is trying to control others in the family though.

I have never heard of a sock puppet prior to this week.

[carls*world]

[izabsmiling]

I think there are different kinds Az, some  seek the attention ,support,some may be motivated by money or gifts or sales ,or to support political or religious views ..maybe even to create conflict on forums (using their own sock puppets)  ?

[izabsmiling]

He is the right colour sock Carl 🙂

[the_great_she_elephant]

I always thought that (on CS anyway) sock puppets were clones - extra IDs created by a single  poster to form  a mutual admiration society or a league of button-pushers

[azureline**]

[izabsmiling]

I always thought that (on CS anyway) sock puppets were clones - extra IDs created by a single  poster to form  a mutual admiration society or a league of button-pushers

I always thought it was a term used by some Liberal posters