Is the Real Jock member "Real"?

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:16 PM GMT

  Recently, an RJ'r was found to be a fraud using fake pics. My message below was a response to that thread, and I am posting this as a suggestion to Chris and the community for comment. This is a possible solution to the "Is the RJ'r real?" question.
  
  

  
  This is why it is good to meet RJ'rs in real life. Verified members can meet other verified members and then post real pics on RJ. At that point, there is evidence to prove that the verified member really is who they say they are. They are now a verified AND validated member. Their identity has been vetted.
  
  You all know what i look like from my pics with Art_Deco, Ariodante, and PaulFlexes. We all know what TropicalMark looks like from his pics with PaulFlexes. There are other pics of other RJ'rs together in real life.
  
  When Verified RJ'rs get together in real life, and take pictures together, this creates a "web of trust" that the person who you are seeing online really is who they say they are.
  
  Anybody else is ALWAYS suspect in my eyes (verified or not).
  
  THIS would be some kind of great feature to add to RJ. Some sort of feature that displays the "web of trust" which comes from people actually meeting people. It first would need to start with Chris, The Real Jock. He would have to personally meet with any nearby verified members in order to validate that they are real. Then, those verfied/validated members could now meet in real life with other verified members to validate that they are real.
  
  "Pics or it didn't happen" would be part of the system.
  
  This is kind of the way that the "Thawte" public key digital certificate "notary" system worked.
  
  Something like this would make for a much stronger social network, which RJ is.
  
  Edit: I'm going to post this in a separate thread for comment, and as a suggestion to Chris.

  
  
  What are your thoughts?

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:17 PM GMT

  A lot of good ideas, there.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:22 PM GMT

  Good idea in theory, but it would alienate those who live in isolated areas.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:34 PM GMT

  paulflexes saidGood idea in theory, but it would alienate those who live in isolated areas.

  
  
  Yes, and the "Thawte" system had a process for handling those situations. Granted, it was in the context of verifying and validating identity from an "Internet Security / Public Key Infrastructure" context.
  
  Even if we are able to provide a means of verification AND validation for 80% of the community, there will still be that 20% out there who chooses not to be verified and validated for one reason or another. Those persons may either live in a country or place where human rights are oppressive. Those persons may just choose not to be verified and validated for their own privacy reasons. Or, those persons may simply be fake.
  
  RJ'rs can then engage with the "profile" accordingly. If verified and validated, more able to be trusted. If not verified and validated...beware.
  
  In any case, those persons who take the extra step of being verified AND validated have made the effort and proven to the community that they desire to be more trusted than those who are only not validated or not verified.
  
  When I see an account which is not verified, I assume they are an artificial persona. It doesn't matter how engaging and how many posts they have. This is the internet. People hide behind the anonymity of the electronic divide between what is virtual and what is real.
  
  I know you're real, Paul. Both you AND your bitch!
  
  

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:40 PM GMT

  GAMRican saidWhat are your thoughts?

  
  I endorse the concept of meeting other members, to allay suspicions of fraud, but it's something I choose to do on my own. I was even doing that with other gays I met in the chat rooms back in the AOL days.
  
  And I can validate that you, and paulflexes, and all the other RJers I've met in person look exactly like your pics, you match your profile specs, and seem legitimate in every regard. Not to mention being nice guys to meet.
  
  But as a requirement? Or to reward those that do, and effectively punish those that do not? Some people have a legitimate concern about their online privacy, for general and even political reasons. Others may not have the time, the opportunity, or the money to meet other RJ members. Even if this wasn't an international site, which presents further challenges to meeting, the US & Canada are pretty vast.
  
  Yet I do encourage meeting in person when practical. For one thing it's fun, and I've found all RJers to be delightful in person. Plus there is the legitimacy factor you cite, that one establishes when seen in the flesh (and even with some clothes on, too). But I'm not sure about formalizing the process.
  
  EDIT: I saw after posting my last above that the OP had posted again while I was composing, and addressed some of my issues. But I remain dubious about a formally institutionalized procedure.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:41 PM GMT

  paulflexes saidGood idea in theory, but it would alienate those who live in isolated areas.

  
  
  Or people that no one wants to meet

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:43 PM GMT

  I think it's a great idea.
  
  The problem for me is that I don't really care. Everyone is real, there is always a person behind they keyboard. We forget that alot around here.
  
  Waimea was not a fake person, he used fake pictures. Let's keep things in perspective.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:45 PM GMT

  Why can't we all just meet people in our area and send those pictures in why does the person have to be in "the web of trust" for it to count are we turning into a cult now?

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:45 PM GMT

  Trust me... my pics are real. You think if I were going to use fake pics I'd use 'this' guy? lol

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:45 PM GMT

  Guess I'm screwed because no one is coming up here to where I am. LOL.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:45 PM GMT

  I understand the rationale behind it. But I live in one of those isolated areas. I'm not sure I am ready to meet people in real life.
  
  Have you thought about video chatting? I mean if you were in the chat room and saw my face on the chat, there's no mistaking that it is me. If you don't want to show face in the chat room, you can also show your face in an IM chat.
  
  It sounds like you have obviously been hurt by one of these fake profiles. I am very sorry to hear that. I don't want to start a "Flame War," but
  
  1) This is an online forum not the CIA.
  2) If I have done something to prove myself un-trustworthy then I apologize, you may feel free to block me. However, I don't feel that I have done anything harmful to anyone.
  3) Who determines who is "elite" enough to be qualified to Validate people. Is this a police state all of a sudden?
  
  I am verified. I do not have fake pics - if so I would have chosen someone not fat. But I am a bit offended by this mindset.
  
  Sorry.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:45 PM GMT

  dekiruman saidI think it's a great idea.
  
  The problem for me is that I don't really care. Everyone is real, there is always a person behind they keyboard. We forget that alot around here.
  
  Waimea was not a fake person, he used fake pictures. Let's keep things in perspective.

  
  
  Says the fake member

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:46 PM GMT

  Simon78928 said

  dekiruman saidI think it's a great idea.
  
  The problem for me is that I don't really care. Everyone is real, there is always a person behind they keyboard. We forget that alot around here.
  
  Waimea was not a fake person, he used fake pictures. Let's keep things in perspective.

  
  
  Says the fake member

  
  
  Ummm are you new?
  
  Someone please enlighten this man. Save him from his ignorance.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:48 PM GMT

  I live in South Carolina... who can I meet? There are very few of us on here... and one of them that I have chatted with is so obviously fake that we will never meet.
  
  But what about this?? On bigmuscle you can post videos... You can always prove who you are with a webcam... so what if someone who was trustworthy, (like you) and I spoke on webcam and then YOU could verfiy that I am who I say...
  
  Wait... there is a cam room on Realjock and I have been there many times... what if there was a video verification process? Its just that my entire social life involves traveling somewhere else... I cant afford the time and money to go to Florida or NYC or Atlanta but every so often.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:49 PM GMT

  dekiruman said

  Simon78928 said

  dekiruman saidI think it's a great idea.
  
  The problem for me is that I don't really care. Everyone is real, there is always a person behind they keyboard. We forget that alot around here.
  
  Waimea was not a fake person, he used fake pictures. Let's keep things in perspective.

  
  
  Says the fake member

  
  
  Ummm are you new?
  
  Someone please enlighten this man. Save him from his ignorance.

  
  
  gawrsh, dekiruman is real, there is a picture in my profile of the guys who came to RJ meet up in NYC and he's in it.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:50 PM GMT

  onaquest saidI understand the rationale behind it. But I live in one of those isolated areas. I'm not sure I am ready to meet people in real life.
  
  Have you thought about video chatting? I mean if you were in the chat room and saw my face on the chat, there's no mistaking that it is me. If you don't want to show face in the chat room, you can also show your face in an IM chat.
  
  

  
  
  Wow! We just said the same thing at the same time!!!
  
  Are we the same person? And if so, which of us is the fake????

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:52 PM GMT

  Also, I have apparently missed something regarding Waimea - would someone please message me and fill me in?

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:53 PM GMT

  Alpha_Muscle said

  onaquest saidI understand the rationale behind it. But I live in one of those isolated areas. I'm not sure I am ready to meet people in real life.
  
  Have you thought about video chatting? I mean if you were in the chat room and saw my face on the chat, there's no mistaking that it is me. If you don't want to show face in the chat room, you can also show your face in an IM chat.
  
  

  
  
  Wow! We just said the same thing at the same time!!!
  
  Are we the same person? And if so, which of us is the fake????

  
  
  We're just very smart people.
  

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:55 PM GMT

  Isn't this why you buy a web cam?...automatic proof...Personally I chose who I want to see me...Second...Look at my pics...My ugly mug...I'd be insane to fake usin those photos.....

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:56 PM GMT

  I'm real. I just poked myself and it hurt.
  
  This is an internet list forum. How real can it really get? You guys out ther are who you are. Sometimes, due to my ability to enjoy fantasy, you are also who I think you are.
  
  Unless there are meetups involved, I'm not sure this is a problem. And even then the situation is far from mysterious.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:57 PM GMT

  onaquest saidAlso, I have apparently missed something regarding Waimea - would someone please message me and fill me in?

  
  
  He stole his pictures from body building.com and when trevormark told on him he ran out like drew barrymore in never been kissed.
  
  I want him to come back though. I don't care if he's ugly or anything.

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:58 PM GMT

  Brazen68 saidTrust me... my pics are real. You think if I were going to use fake pics I'd use 'this' guy? lol

  
  
  ROFL you beat me to it. That was exactly what went through my mind as I read the OP. Who would accuse me of faking?

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:59 PM GMT

  dekiruman saidI think it's a great idea.
  
  The problem for me is that I don't really care. Everyone is real, there is always a person behind they keyboard. We forget that alot around here.
  
  Waimea was not a fake person, he used fake pictures. Let's keep things in perspective.

  
  So this is prompted by Waimea? I read something about him in another thread. Actually I wasn't following that closely, I guess partly because that member posted a lot of things of interest to me. Believe it or not, I don't read every thread on this site.
  
  So what happened? He got exposed as a fraud? Well, perhaps he'll return chastised with a new account, and not misrepresent himself this time. One can always start over with a clean slate on the Internet (provided the new slate doesn't contain the same eccentric errors of grammar & spelling, and expressing oneself in the same outré manner as the departed account, as we've seen done on RJ in the past).

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  Jan 02, 2012 5:59 PM GMT

  Dallasfan824 said

  paulflexes saidGood idea in theory, but it would alienate those who live in isolated areas.

  
  
  Or people that no one wants to meet

  
  
  Well don't worry, Dallasfan - if I were wanting to meet up with someone - you would be at the top of my list...
  
  Still dreamy...
  
  
  

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  Jan 02, 2012 6:00 PM GMT

  LJay saidI'm real. I just poked myself and it hurt.
  
  This is an internet list forum. How real can it really get? You guys out ther are who you are. Sometimes, due to my ability to enjoy fantasy, you are also who I think you are.
  
  Unless there are meetups involved, I'm not sure this is a problem. And even then the situation is far from mysterious.

  
  
  I disagree.... I have had pictures stolen many times and used as a fake profile. In fact, I joined Realjock because someone set a fake profile with my pictures. I joined it and became verified so that I could get the guy kicked off.
  
  It is a violation to the man whose pics were taken. I have no idea what creepy shit that guy was doing? What if I walk into a bar or restaurant in Atlanta or NYC or Miami and a guy there had chatted with my imposter who got a mindfuck? Then I have a bad rep with someone I have never met. I am not saying that is likely, but to the guy whose image was stolen it is NOT a small thing.
  
  One time a guy stolen my pics and opened a fake facebook account. My teenaged nephew found it and thought that I was posting a bunch of pornographic shit. (facebook removed it about 20 seconds after I reported it, but the damage was done.)

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