It takes all sorts

Well, well, Why do people do it ?

Why the name hiding? I don’t really get this one. Yes I do realise the obvious answer many will offer “People hide their reg ID, so as they can slag someone off anonymously” I get that, it’s not rocket science, but I’m sure there is more to it than that, a lot more to it.

There’s the obvious troll name hider that will use a one off name (old room) or number (new room) to attack someone, then there’s the much more sinister cowardly type of name hider that adopts a whole new identity, or recycles themselves. This is potentially quite sinister. It stands to reason that the individual plans to re-invent themselves, and luring the other regs in the process. Why ? Why not change name let everyone know you’re Alfie and be done? Why then live a lie? Pretending and denying you’re not Alfie you’re a new chatter, or simply no chat of who you may or may not have been previously. All the time effort and energy used as Alfie, goes to waste, all the friends forged out over time as Alfie will disappear yet are still in the room but you can’t chat to them like you normally do, for fear of being recognised and outed as a catfish, basically living a lie and living in denial. Of course its possible the catfish will inform one or two of their mates “it’s me, shhh, keep it a secret I don’t want anyone to know it’s “me” What’s that all about? What’s the point? I can’t see any positive reasons for doing so other than sinister reasons.

I propose some of the most likely reasons for name hiding / catfishing are endless and would differ from person to person. It could be the catfish has embarrassed themselves and wants to put it behind them, and start afresh without further embarrassment. Maybe you have to lure people into chatting with you because they’d avoid or iggy you if they knew it was “you”. It could be to hide and disapear from chatroom “enemies”. Maybe someone has hurt you, or taken you for a mug or fool. Maybe you can’t handle being criticised, rejected or insulted. Maybe you have already been outed as a catfish previously and it’s now the second or more time around at being a catfish. Maybe catfishes get better at luring people as they keep reinventing themselves, which becomes addictive and exciting. Maybe you have been stung badly in chat, once bitten twice shy. Maybe it’s a form of self-loathing and bitterness, and you don’t want to be yourself anymore, or maybe you can’t just “be yourself”. It could well be one’s sense of identity has been dented, or self confidence issues at stake.

But for me personaly, if I were a catfish, I couldn’t chat about the things I’m associated with ie. football, and the people I have got to know, for fear of being recognised and outed? Why lose your chatroom buddies just to be a catfish? It all sounds like too much hard work, living a lie, remembering who you said what to. Just be yourself. It’s a chatroom for f*** sake, Chat should be fun right ? So beware, there are chatters here amongst us, in the rooms and on the boards, sneakily and slimy, like a snake in the grass, hiding sinisterly behind a veil of secrecy, yet they seem to “know” us a lot better than they should do for a name that we’ve never chatted to.

Rather you than me catfish.

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misterq