It's Hard To Trust People Online.

[LightAngel]

Yes, it is hard to trust people online.

Not because I'm overly cautious, but because the internet is a mix of everything, real people, fake accounts, bots, personas, and people who aren't showing their true selves.

Some have a genuine presence you can feel.

Some feel empty, scripted, or not human at all.

And some are real people, but they hide behind masks so you can't sense who they actually are.

So I take my time. 

I pay attention to the energy, and the way someone shows up over time.

Trust online isn't impossible, it just requires discernment, because not everyone you meet is a real person in the way you expect.

[SteamyAmerican]

Sound advice.

I’d add that all this is requisite to some degree in RL too however.

[andy06shake]

Yes, it is hard to trust people online.

Not because I'm overly cautious, but because the internet is a mix of everything, real people, fake accounts, bots, personas, and people who aren't showing their true selves.

Some have a genuine presence you can feel.

Some feel empty, scripted, or not human at all.

And some are real people, but they hide behind masks so you can't sense who they actually are.

So I take my time. 

I pay attention to the energy, and the way someone shows up over time.

Trust online isn't impossible, it just requires discernment, because not everyone you meet is a real person in the way you expect.

Trust is a tool that needs constant adjustment...

[ReturnofBroccoli]

Yes, it is hard to trust people online.

Not because I'm overly cautious, but because the internet is a mix of everything, real people, fake accounts, bots, personas, and people who aren't showing their true selves.

Some have a genuine presence you can feel.

Some feel empty, scripted, or not human at all.

And some are real people, but they hide behind masks so you can't sense who they actually are.

So I take my time. 

I pay attention to the energy, and the way someone shows up over time.

Trust online isn't impossible, it just requires discernment, because not everyone you meet is a real person in the way you expect.

Define trust

[Knows]

It's stupid to trust anyone online. Or anywhere else. 

[MONAD Ops]

I prefer to trust in percentages, on or offline.

Stay safe

[LightAngel]

Sound advice.

I’d add that all this is requisite to some degree in RL too however.

Yes, but it is much easier to read people in real life.

A single expression or shift in tone can tell you everything you need to know.

Online, all those cues disappear, and suddenly you are trying to interpret feelings through emojis, etc. No wonder things get misunderstood. 

Even so, I have always had a pretty strong sense for people, even through a screen.

I can usually pick up on the little things others might overlook. It's just that nothing compares to the ease and clarity of being face‑to‑face.

[SteamyAmerican]

Yes, but it is much easier to read people in real life.

A single expression or shift in tone can tell you everything you need to know.

Online, all those cues disappear, and suddenly you are trying to interpret feelings through emojis, etc. No wonder things get misunderstood. 

Even so, I have always had a pretty strong sense for people, even through a screen.

I can usually pick up on the little things others might overlook. It's just that nothing compares to the ease and clarity of being face‑to‑face.

I tried this when I dated a woman with autism.

But as I couldn’t tell what she meant by her tone, and she couldn’t read my inflections or social cues, it was a non-starter really.

Wasnt really a trust thing. But it did make flirting difficult.

So yeah, I hear ya. Hell. Even texts lose tone and meaning easily.

It’s why I like DI as my only forum. Hard to pin me down. Unless you know my shtick.

[quintessentone]

Define trust

Yes, the definition is important as to the why is there a need to trust strangers on online forums or other situations - for what personal reason/purpose? The best I could hope for is an intelligent discussion on a discussion forum, but then I'm not looking for anything else.

Although having said that, if another member wants to know me more personally via PM then I will certainly give them my trust (or rather an open door) and share my personal life's details with them and vice versa, but whether to trust them or not really never came to my mind as the step into a more personal curiosity about each other felt organic in nature.

I mean really, is AI capable of long-term online social interaction and manipulation leading to infiltrating one's personal life? If so, for what reason? Data mining? Is this a new conspiracy theory?

[SteamyAmerican]

Yes, the definition is important as to the why is there a need to trust strangers on online forums or other situations - for what personal reason/purpose? The best I could hope for is an intelligent discussion on a discussion forum, but then I'm not looking for anything else.

Although having said that, if another member wants to know me more personally via PM then I will certainly give them my trust and share my personal life's details with them and vice versa, but whether to trust them or not really never came to my mind as the step into a more personal curiosity about each other felt organic in nature.

I mean really, is AI capable of long-term online social interaction leading to infiltrating one's personal life? If so, for what reason? Data mining? Is this a new conspiracy theory?

Hardly.

There is already rumblings and rumors of what you e said to or asked of AI being used against you in court. Now is this true in and of itself? I dunno. Is it concerning? Hell yeah. Surprising? Not really.

As far as trusting anyone online, I think the digital mask allows people to access deviant manners of being or communicating they wouldn’t do under normal circumstances. Just visit any lobby for an online FPS game and hang on tight. Lol.

But not anything is really normal about the hellscape that is online, certainly with a nod to how things are being supercharged with AI. Certainly with regards to how it influences behavior in communicating from business to romance between people. 

Pwrsonally I’m anti. But if you know me from ATS/DI I’m an asshole. RL? Yeah still an asshole but with a charming visage and imposed self-denigrating good humor.