What’s your system for knowing what is real and what is just fantasy on here?

@ravenwind43 do you think the lying and cheating and scamming is more prevalent online, just because there is less accountability? So much easier to disappear among a group of anonymous strangers than a group of friends or coworkers

@Ghostinthemachine Maybe but it's a slight maybe. People do the same thing offline everyday. When the idea started that a person being trustworthy was rock solid offline and never to be trusted online makes zero sense.
There is an 80's song where they talk about this. "People are people."

Very well said. @ravenwind43

@Ghostinthemachine That can be said of offline too. It's like going on a blind date and realizing after the fact that you don't jell with the person. I mean you can always speak verbally or do a video call too.

@ravenwind43 I’m not going on many blind dates these days lol
I like to take people at face value, but that is difficult if you can’t see faces, expressions, if they are older or younger than they claim to be, or what their gender is. All of which is determined in an instant offline.

@Ghostinthemachine That is a good point. The best answer would be to NOT get more involved until some basic assurances have been answered. Keep friendly caution.
With expressions though...if they were 100% effective we wouldnt have serial killers lol.

@ravenwind43 I agree, it’s a bit of a cautious dance getting to know someone online, and there haven’t been many where I felt assured enough to trust them away from here.

Serial killers aren’t good, so deceptive.

@Ghostinthemachine That they are lol. (I know it was an extreme example )