Anyone else feel less enthused on YA!.....?

Question

I have recently discovered that a few people on YA! whom I used to hold their opinions in high regards are actually nothing but ficticious people - all the same person!!!

I now feel less enthused to come on here, and less trust worthy of the "regular" people here.

I am a little disappointed as I truly enjoy the "interaction" - be it may on the net and from different countries.

Has anyone else found this?

Answer 1

They might not be liars...........................

  It's possible that they are taking from other people's experiences,as well as their own.I do that,I say my mother,friend etc. I don't always get the time line right,but it doesn't mean that what i am saying isn't true.

Other times,I just get fed up with the what do I do I think I am pregnant,or i had unprotected s*x questions.So,I give cold,blunt answers,but they are in no way fictitious.

Answer 2

Rule one on the internet.

Always Question someone's identity.

My ID page says I'm a IT consultant from Australia. Realistically, i could be a skinny, Mexican construction worker from Laos. I think that the opinions offered on here are usually reasonably sound, but you should never ever take it any further than that.

Be Aware!

Axe

Answer 3

Ignorance is bliss in my case. I too have made quite a few contacts here, but I take it at face value.............unless you can actually meet them or exchange pics (which can still be fakes) then I don't read too much into it.....this is fun in my books and it takes me away from my house where I usually don't know what to do, don't know what to say and can be sick of the kids fighting. I have days where I am on here for most of the day (kids still come first, but spare time I answer Q's) and others I don't even bother and don't turn on the computer or Internet...............I also used to answer nearly everything, now it is just the ones from my contacts and a few "Other ones". Try not to take it to heart or invest too much of yourself in this, it is just supposed to be fun and sometimes informative.

Answer 4

Interesting question.....I'm still fairly new to all of this ...my husband and I both answer questions (he has his own account), We both find it quite fun to be honest.  

I just have a hard time trying to be tolerant of the teeny boppers asking stupid questions, lucky they're miles away ...some of them sound as if they need a good hard slap.  I am learning to ignore those ones though and move on to find more interesting things to fill in my time.

In the short time I have been here though, I have made a few friends, one just had a baby recently so it's been fun reminising about when mine were little and new!

I think the 'net' will always have the bad element, people who are out to deceive others, to play the game.  Don't let those ones spoil it for you though, just give them a very wide berth!  I agree photos are great, they prove that its a person ...but you have to ask yourself if its really the person you're speaking to, so again you're still in the same boat!

I would maybe say be a little more guarded and take a bit of time to get to know a person, it's sometimes easy to spot the 'fakes' once you have been taken in by one,

:o)

Answer 5

im with you 100% im real maybe ask people to show photos or something that can prove who they are if i knew how to put photos on i would i have to agree with axels as well but i must say when i answer i try to give honest opinions or want honest answers on questions i dont come on hear to give or recieve abuse or con people i think its sad and sick if thats what you have to do in life

Answer 6

No matter who is here, and what there answers may be you should never fully trust anyone.

The way I see YA is a resource, just like books, media, doctors, family, etc. Sometimes answers will rank high on my list, sometimes they won't. I am more concerned about combining my resources and using common sense.

I really do enjoy YA myself, and appreciate the collection of responses that may spark something in my head. Just take everything people say for what it's worth, no matter who they are (on YA, doctors, family, etc) and put it all together for options that work for you.

Answer 7

That would be very upsetting, I have contacts on here that I consider "friends", and to find out they have been dishonest would be terrible.

They all have 360 pages with photos, so I assume they are real people. I hope they are!

But that is the thing about the net I suppose, people can make up all sorts of things unbeknown to us. The amount of fake questions asked in these sections is ridiculous.

Answer 8

Like the rest of the internet, it's 98% c**p, but there are still some gems out there if you take the time to look.  I also get bored with it.

Answer 9

Honestly, I find it difficult to accept advice from or to take someones opinion seriously that's sitting in front of a PC, on the other side of the planet, using a nickname and whom I know nothing about. You have to take everything you read here with a pinch of salt because you never know who you are dealing with on the other side. There are some sickos out there. And some people here on YA! just ask "controversial" questions to get a reaction out of others by being offensive towards something another person believes in. (eg. God, Christianity) Thats how I feel towards YA! And who knows I may be on the other side of the planet or your neigbour??

Answer 10

I didn't realise people did that!!!  Well, I don't see the fun in that.  That is like playing a game on your own!  But personally I don't trust anyone 100% here.  The internet is the best place for liers.  I have two people I email after I have been on this site for over a year so that should tell you how long it takes to find 'real' people.  

I

Answer 11

I too, find myself spending less time on here lately. I am getting sick of the repetition to be honest. There are so many smacking, discipline, feeding questions - I want something new and exciting. Sick of the plan nastiness too. Some people need to use their brain, before they right.

I am sick and tired of the liars too. I like to think I have many friends on here, I talk to a few on messenger or we exchange emails. I like to think  I can trust them, I don't want to think I can't trust them.

I think you soon catch on to which ones are frauds. There is only so long they can go on, before someone catches on.

Don't let them get you down. ;D

It isn't worth it.

Have a good weekend.

Answer 12

I have one person who I e mail after she gave me vital advice and she is the only person I trust.

she could be a life councilor if she wanted and every answer I get from her it just blows me away!

I also enjoy finding out about other peoples lives but some people are very difficult to believe like one person who's question I saw said my wife is giving birth right now but I am about to leave for work what can I do?

and on "his" profile page "he" said loving mother of 3 :S

scary man! lol

I 100% agree with everything you have said. it's difficult to trust people anymore

Answer 13

It's a shame really. I like to think that I'm making a contribution and trying to help people - sharing information. I think the worst is when people deliberately answer your question with criticism. Yes, we should ignore it but still...

The funny thing is that sure, these people are working really hard to fool people and get points and things but what are they really going to achieve? If Yahoo gave you and I 1 million points each right now and put us on level 3,000 - what can we do with it? Unless you get a plasma TV for having x amount of points, it's not worth it! It's really laughable when you think about it!

edit: lol@surfysez!

Answer 14

Who cares?  Those people are the ones giving terrible stupid advice anyway, so just ignore them.

Answer 15

I didnt realise that people do that on here. I mean, whats the point and who has the time? I ve just been jumping on here while i breastfeed my daughter some nights to have a look what people are discussing. Sometimes questions are really relevant to me, sometimes they are bloody rediculous!

I havnt made any friends on here though :(

Answer 16

THis is the wrong place for interaction, and that's why.  You can never fully believe anyone.

On the cancer board where I spend most of my time is a womna who has a lot of different screen names.  I dont know when she first appeared, but I noticed her about 6 ago or so when she was claiming terminal uterine cancer.  Apparently before then she had 2 other types, and now she ovarian cancer.  She denies its the same person, but she does nothing to hide it.  Her screen names are all the same themes, she lives in the same place, gives out the same 'real name', and has the same patterns.

For a while I thought she was being real, and just haveing a very hard time dealing, but I was the last one holding out.

Its aggrivating, but it happens.  You just learn to ignore these people, the same as you do in real life.

Answer 17

WOAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  You've just burst my bubble! I didn't realise some people's lives were so small that they had to do that!

Now you've got me all paranoid! LOL  

In the end though, if they're giving good advice that's working for us, then maybe we can just pretend we don't know their cheating??  

If it's any consolation, I'm real!

I guess if someone is saying something ridiculous and has no picture up, then you can be pretty sure that their not the real deal, but if they have photos up and are giving what seems to be normal advice - I don't know how we would be able to tell the difference :s

Answer 18

Well, I have 2 YA accounts, because I have a friend or two on this account who always answers my questions and so I opened another account  in order to ask more private and embarrassing questions.  But my answers on either account are always honest.  Both my accounts are me, I don't lie on the otherone and create a different persona or anything.  And in general I try to stick to this account and only ask my embarrassing questions on the other account.

  I think you should make your judgements based on the answer.  I mean if the answer sounds like it is from the heart....it most likely is.

I don't like it when people use this site as a game and create fake personalities and ask ridiculous questions and are offensive and rude and are basically unhelpful too.  But don't worry, there are plenty of us helpful real people out there too!

Answer 19

it is sad isn't it that people don't have better things to do then make up questions. I tend to find these ficticious people are set to private (yeah I know i have set mine lol) but also have recent joining dates, few points etc. Not much we can do about these people. What is sad is there is one person on here who has made up a whole fantasy life about her 6 kids, has a myspace with photos (started out with just pictures of one child) that all the photos are just too professional to be real.

Answer 20

Nah I never really noticed. I'm a real person and this is the only profile I use.

Answer 21

I liked it when if first came out, I thought it had promise. But the point gaming, the kids, the spammers, trolls, people not rating answers to their questions, the overall organization is really disappointing.

I still use it to improve writing and communication skills though.