I agree, Katie.   I haven't seen it here in that sense - but then I spend little time here after those early marathon days when my aim was learning. And learning. And bookmarking the best! 

Over the past day, I could have sworn I saw a couple of meat-puppets.   I can't be certain, of course, but, like it does for Judge Judy, it raised the hairs on the back of my neck. 

I would hope that mostly it's done in the way I've nearly always seem in other support groups - as a lighthearted way to have fun while entertaining others. 

With this board, Off Topic, I've enjoyed the playfulness displayed here - and I wouldn't mind a bit for someone to assume a silly irreverent user name & be a clown for us. 

Now, you can't see it now, but the surest way to reach goal & maintain is to be here as close to daily as possible.   You go from being a student, search for answers, to practicing what you've learned, to then (after several years of successful maintenance) being able to best help with the accumulated wisdom accrued over the years of walking the walk & watching those who also walk the walk - as well as learning to recognize (from the sheer number you see over tine) the really serious signs of the beginning of serious signs of impending failure.  

And how do they know the signs?   Because of the years of seeking to help others.   That's when tough love has a strong needed role... A loud snapping of the fingers - sometimes even the clash of cymbals,  

Where I see things get rough is when 12 people show up to point out the dangers of where they are headed.   Me?   Heck, I'm a wuss - I'd duck & run.    

But that's me. 

Teri 

Um, excuse me? You have lost an amazing amount in pretty short order!

Are you the person I talked with about Dr. Aranow and me going to one of his support groups? I'm in Farmington.

There is nothing cool about creating the accounts at all if all you're going to do is spend time  antagonizing people.

Life is too short as it is. I don't get it.

Unless it's a fire extinguisher, right?

Ah, thank you for the definition. I had no idea this was what you were talking about until you posted the definition. I was wondering why you were thinking about children's sock puppets. Hahaha. I'm the first to admit I am NOT forum savvy at all, in fact, I think this is my second, maybe third forum ever. Anyway...

I have been on OH for about a year now and I have noticed many people come and go who, in my opinion, have had multiple accounts. I am not sure what their purpose or rationale is/was, but I can usually pick them out pretty quick because they tend to have a similar writing style and other things. I've always thought they were called trolls, so I considered myself a great troll hunter...sock puppet hunter just doesn't have the same ring to it. 

There are few that stand out in my mind because they didn't like how they were responded to on a post so they came back with guns blazing to "defend" the OP (kinda like the debacle on a certain forum that was pulled last night - I believe at least two of the posters were the same person). Another handful that ended up ******g off so many people that they were blocked and could not get anyone to interact with them, so they created new identities to get back at and "show" every one and "teach them a lesson" (not sure what the lesson was, though). Who knows why some people do what they do and what their agenda is or might be. 

If you have something to say then stand by your words and say it and let the consequences happen. I have no respect for these people that go back and edit their posts, delete them, etc. If I have nothing to say or I'm not interested in a topic, I don't reply. If I post something and go back in and edit it, I make a note at the bottom why I edited it and it is usually for spelling, typos, or more often than not, damned autocorrect!!! I feel the same way for PMs that talk about specific people - I've been very vocal about this and will continue to be because I believe in transparency.