Fabricated posts…..why?

Georgesgran

MayBeMaw didn’t want to reveal too much but the majority of new starters who left us gave TMs as their main reason.

I can believe that - not because anybody is shocked, although some of the fantasies were plain mucky, but because you set out to listen in good faith, you are there because you want to help and you are then taken advantage of.

MayBeMaw

Georgesgran

Telephone masturbators - sorry, but you did ask!

As a Sam we were expected to head them off as it were without acknowledging that we had sussed them if possible and I remember one night hearing my fellow Sam, an exceedingly spry lady well into her 70’s even 80’s , say in a cut glass accent “Young man, are you wanking?”
We were convulsed!

Maybe we should have a competition about who can think of the most outrageous things they would like to post ?
I must admit I was taken in by one post before Christmas and it wasn't until I read some of the replies form other Gransnetters that I realised!
Whatever you belong to, there always seems to be a few people that have too much time on their hands and just want to stir.
If you call them out,they usually get very offended and offensive and the only thing that you can do is report them and hope that the post and the author are removed.

How did they tell you it was TMs, did they PM you?

It could be a number of reasons. mental health, loneliness, or let's just have a laugh at the Grans which is deeply unpleasant.

Oops sorry didn’t see your answer my I pad is playing silly buggers.

Lucca

What are TMs ??

Now you know!

What are TMs ??

Georgesgran

Telephone masturbators - sorry, but you did ask!

blimey O’Riley!

Telephone masturbators - sorry, but you did ask!

If that message was sent supposedly from a friend, say on Facebook, it usually means that the friend's account has been hacked and they may be unaware.

TMs?

it is better to report then leave it alone because just by starting this thread about another feeds into the probem in my opinion.......

MayBeMaw didn’t want to reveal too much but the majority of new starters who left us gave TMs as their main reason.

Another one here who doesn’t believe it’s youngsters. They have better things to do! I guess it’s bored frustrated older people!

You've got to feel a bit sad for them though haven't you? Afterall, how sad and pathetic is it that the only thing left for you to do, to get even just scorn and ridicule from a stranger, is to make a fool of yourself in front of a bunch of grannies? It doesn't reflect a full and productive life does it? They must be in a very dark and lonely place.

I have had massages on my private messages a number of times to posts I know I have not replied to. I apologise if they were genuine but I knew nothing about them. I think some people are so lonely they just contact anyone.

As a joke when there is already a real present that is fine, but if iy is the only present then including an IOU to get something else later is essential.

I've just remembered that I bought my husband some cans of beer for christmas

I reported it too BlueBelle and Chewbacca and it’s been deleted. I’m unsure about the soup one. Wrapping up soup as a present from a dog seems such an odd thing to do.

Lucca

Ah yes the good old days of the sac volant….

And the onesies and plimsolls or Vans!

I once got a post deleted because I mentioned I had tried to buy onesies for my DGC one Christmas but they hadn't got the right size
Oh, the ignominy! It was quite true as well.

Funny how the spoof threads seem to come in very late at night/early hours of the morning and usually in a series, one after the other, over a short space of time. The bondage one last night was disturbing because of its reference to children and I immediately reported it, hoping it would be zapped quickly. Whoever it was that wrote it has some serious mental health problems.

I agree about all the spoof posts recently, but they've been going on for years.
I think the soup one is genuine - my daughter - (heavily pregnant and with Covid so family were isolating) texted me on Christmas night about how upset she was that all she got from her husband was a cheap jigsaw from Aldi. She knows him by now and actually asked if I could help him get something for her next time! He's not deliberately mean, and told me he had been a "bad Santa". He probably intended to get something in the few days before Christmas but then Covid hit the family and he had to isolate.

Notgran Don't go. Almost all posts are genuine, it is only a few which are flying a kite to see what reactions they get.

You can always tell if it is someone who has only joined this minute to post rubbish. If you put their name into the search box at the top of the page, it will list posts made by that username, or ones mentioning them, up to the previous day. If there are none, then it is possible that poster is new. Of course, they could have joined long ago and until now have been reading without posting, but it does give you a clue.

The best thing to do if you are not sure is to report the post. Gransnet (or Mumsnet) will take a look and decide. They don't mind doing this - it is better than ranting at an innocent poster in reply to an ambiguous post.