Why is the internet full of liars?

[Holden]

Greetings my brothers!!


Simple question really: Why is the internet full of liars? Every internet board is chalk full of liars. What they lie about depends on what is "respected" at that internet board. In a sports board, or a gaming internet board with lots of more action oriented people (i.e. diablo 2), the standard things to lie about are:

1. Girlfriends (quantity and hotness of)
2. Athletic ability (generally every member of this type of board will claim to be a black belt in at least some martial art)


On boards such as this, where intellect is respected, the boards are full of amazing geniuses. It becomes a battle. Who can politely claim they are the smartest? It goes something like this:

Original post: Try this online IQ test, I got a 130, which is considered genius level.

Reply 1: 145 here, I have always been pretty smart (skipped a year of high school)

Reply 2: 160

Reply 3: 171

etc, etc....

Sidenote: An interesting experiment would be to create a post on these boards (obviously can't be done now that we know what it is). The post would be "what's your IQ". It would link to an IQ test made by the original poster. The test would be rigged. No matter what answers you would put on the test, it would say "your IQ is 101- slightly below average, but good nonetheless". The liars of the forum, unable to cope with posting this humiliating score, would LIE! You would doubtlessly see many claims of 150+, when you secretly know it is impossible! Then you could tell them and see the excuses!!!!


Ok back on topic: Why do people lie so much on internet boards?


fun fact: most "girls" on internet boards are really guys!

 

[Mapache]

test would be rigged. No matter what answers you would put on the test, it would say "your IQ is 101- slightly below average, but good nonetheless". The on topic:

101 is slightly above average by definition. And don't blame me for my 155 IQ!

 

[King Alexander]

The Internet just reflects our society, that's all.

P.S.: IQ tests are stupid; stereotypical questions can't reflect how one's mind functions.

 

[The Last Conformist]

There's next to no risk involved in lying on an Internet forum, so why on earth should one not exaggerate one's achievements?

 

[Silverflame]

Most people lie on the internet because, well, they can. Maybe for respect, maybe just for the heck of it, or maybe to see how gullible people are on the internet, who knows?

 

[Turner]

Exactly. Who knows anyone else in RL? I can't think of a single person I know in RL who's on a forum I'm on. And even if they were, chances are we don't know about each other.

 

[Mapache]

P.S.: IQ tests are stupid; stereotypical questions can't reflect how one's mind functions.

Exactly. I fact you deserved 130 and not 91.

 

[King Alexander]

Exactly. I fact you deserved 130 and not 91.

I wouldn't care if I tried and got a ZERO

 

[bobgote]

Holden: I know you were bitter when you found out i was actually a hairy, middle aged, balding fellow, rather than the hot, gay, mid-20s guy you thought i was, but starting a thread bemoaning that fact isn't going to solve anything.

 

[Ovulator]

I'm not saying people don't lie on the internet (people that do obviously do it in order to gain a feeling of belonging) but you really have no idea that people are lying. For instance its a small selection of a large group of people: there are thousands of people who post on a board, a topic is made about IQs, 20/1000 respond, each with a higher IQ than the last, all high IQs. Is it unbelievable that 20 of those people have high IQs? No. You have to remember that one topic isn't a representative of the entire board population.


PS I can bench 350.

 

[ManOfMiracles]

fun fact: most "girls" on internet boards are really guys!

And some guys are really girls.

 

[Bozo Erectus]

I wouldn't care if I tried and got a ZERO

Last time I tried to take one of these IQ tests here, I gave up by the sixth question and I said as much. Standard IQ tests are basically meaningless. Look at me, when it comes to math, Im ********. I do great in all other fields but then when the math questions enter the picture, they drag down my overall IQ by like 20 or 30 points. Somebody who didnt know me and just looked at my IQ score would have a mistaken impression of me.

About lying online: why bother lying when keeping silent is so much easier?

(Thank god my internet connection is back. Its 330 am, Im wide awake, and Im online. Yep, everythings back to 'normal' )

 

[Drakan]

I believe above 130 in an IQ test you're regarded as a very gifted person. If IIRC only less than 2% of the World's population have IQ's above 130. Anyway, have you checked out the thread of what people have studied or do for a living at CFC ? There are a lot ot very bright people in that thread, or at least that's what they clame.

To be regarded a genius you have to score above 170, and I think that's only one person out of every million or so. Anyway there are many different types of IQ tests and different scales to them.

 

[King Alexander]

IQ tests remind me of those stupid questions like "how good are you at bed", "see what men/women think of each other", "what would you do if x/best friend/girlfriend made that", ect... All nonsense.
Oh, and after you answer, the writer tells you what kind of ANIMAL are you, in his/her opinion. Now, people see these things and fit into a category, like a "tomato category", "hot-dog category", etc...

I'm constantly surprised by stupidities.

 

[stratego]

The internet is a double edged sword. You can be an idiot and claim to have a 170 IQ. But then when you really have a 170 IQ and try to claim that on the internet, people will think you're lying. Nobody know the identity of the other people online, so it's not wise to give up all your information. And sometimes it's just hard to know if someone is telling the truth or just lying and joking. Anyways, if you have problem with Bobgote not being that sexy mid 20's man you thought he was, you should take it up with him and not make it too big of a deal

 

[Akka]

Forums aren't more full of liars than real-life. It's just that you can lie safely on an internet forum, with few chances being caught. And that you don't see the face of the person, so that make a criterium less to judge her.

 

[Stapel]

Forums aren't more full of liars than real-life. It's just that you can lie safely on an internet forum, with few chances being caught. And that you don't see the face of the person, so that make a criterium less to judge her.

Exactly!

BTW, I have met over 20 CFC-ers in RL, and I don't think anyone was really different than I had expected.

 

[Akka]

BTW, I have met over 20 CFC-ers in RL, and I don't think anyone was really different than I had expected.

Wow 0_o
Was that some of huge CFC-party ?

 

[ainwood]

In terms of lying, I guess people have no problem in lying to people that they have never met, nor are ever likely to meet.

As for on-line IQ tests, I don't trust any that are 'advertising'. The only one I would try is one that is done under supervised test conditions, and even then you can get different results on different days, or even on the same day (mensa give you two tests, for example, and the IQs can be substantially different).

 

[Stapel]

Wow 0_o
Was that some of huge CFC-party ?

Well, there was a CFC/CDZ LAN party at my home last march. And I have visited some guys in London a few weeks ago.