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Is there a difference between having an alternate profile and catfishing?

Thoughts?

Intentionally lying about who you are verses just having another profile?

Catfishing is the act of willfully deceiving someone for some kind of gain, be it romantic or financial. So, yes, I would say there's quite a difference between the act of catfishing someone and someone just having multiple accounts.

This account is an alternate, my third. Having it doesn't mean I am seeking to lure someone into something via false pretense. I simply have it because I want it, because it gives me something to do. And I state on all my profiles just who I am.

Now, I'm sure there are those out there who do use alternate profiles as a tool to catfish, I've fallen victim to it, as have others I know. It's not unheard of. But it doesn't mean everyone who has an alt account does it to catfish.

i agree with gossamer.

and i do get the “fun” or “novelty” of creating a new profile. most of the members with multiple profiles are very quick to identify themselves. the “catfish” profiles are the ones where the owner basically lies about who they are.

so, intent is the difference.

I have multiple accounts on here and every one of them say that it is me. I even link my profiles on each one. So I believe that is a HUGE difference between Catfishing and just having alternate profiles.

The only reason I have 4 other accounts is for fun and to level as well.
A few were given to me too.. I'd never make five profiles lol
I can see that there might be people doing what you stated and it's not a good thing.
But catfiahing and just having alternative accounts are way different.

Have never eaten catfish, does it taste good?

A lot of people do'

But have noticed that between five people they have close to a hundred profiles, added to those that have not been active for years, I am sure all the good names are almost all gone. How about activating all the names that have not been used for five years?

I think this goes towards intent. Many here have a few profiles because they want to have a certain theme. To be creative, express themselves. Nothing wrong with that in my view. A catfish profile is to deceive. The person with the fake identity can catfish another user on the internet to believe they are the person they portray themselves as. ... Their primary reason to appear as a fake person is to befriend the other person for a relationship or other sexual reasons. It can also be used as a way to cyberbully someone online.

Catfishing is not good. Multiple profiles can be good yet complex. I look for simplicity so will only have one profile.)0(

If the profiles are of the same person. Everyone is aware of it, then I think it's not bad has catfishing.

I could be wrong on this but I was under the impression that "Catfishing" describes a tactic used by a person with false profile information and graphics to "lure" or "reel" in a victim like "bait". Puns intended. This is typically for romantic or financial gain. This is an extension on "Phishing" which is a hacking technique where you make phone calls and send emails to collect personal information such as bank logins, network passwords ect. I do not believe just remaining anonymous on an additional profile would qualify as "catfishing" but is rather something else entirely.

"Intent" is key phrase here. Are the multiple profiles to display different personas of creativity? Then no, nothing wrong with having those to show artistic sides of you or what not. But like mentioned before, if the intent or motive is to lure, harm or gain information against another, then that's where the difference is. To fall victim to such is morbid.

I don’t feel like it’s wrong to be creative in my opinion. but it’s becomes a very big problem when people do deceive. I mean what could anyone possibly gain from catfish?

I see nothing wrong with having multiple profiles, as long as it is with in the laws of TOS. I do have several profiles, but I have also been away from here for some time now and decided to come back to interact with some old friends.

Have there been people that have cat-fished some people on here, absolutely. And it seems to happen across all social media sites. People that are making the profiles to make an individual think and believe that they are one person, when in reality they are someone else completely are a problem.
I mean who hasn't seen the show Catfish... Person A claims to be female model Person B the target believes that this is who the person really is, but Person A isn't even female and they put a halt to meeting up or talking on the phone or even web cam because it would blow their gig. When in reality Person A is really some guy who lives in his moms basement lol Some of the episodes to that show were scary, but you wonder, how did they need see the huge red flags ?

Now to have multiple profiles with different themes is artistic, maybe each one has it's own persona, to each their own. Let that creativity flow. But that is my opinion. Carry on.

Having multiple profiles is like having multiple personalities very confusing. Catfishing, ya"ll right about intent.

There really is a difference. There can be those who either use one profile on the site who could be as real as a 3 dollar bill, yet you can find those who have multiples who show exactly who they really are with everything they have. I have multiple accounts myself, not one of them does not represent who I truly am.

It's not the amount of accounts, it's the intent of the user.

For me it's intent vs transparency vs use. I don't lie about my alts or who I am, so I'm not catfishing. Having alts doesn't immediatly mean one is a catfish. However, some use them for that purpose, as we have seen time and time again on VR.

Yeah- a person who is "catfishing" can do that with only one profile and no others. Having a second (or more) anonymous ones has nothing to do with catfishing unless that's how they decide to use them- same as a singular profile member.

agree that there is nothing wrong with having multiple profiles as long as you are not using them pretending you are someone else to gain something from someone or seeking information from them that someone can use against them

in the 9 years I have been here I have had over 12 profiles never at the same time though the most was 6
today I only have two

I agree with Images. What I see here on Vr that happens is a person who was suspended, or fell out with the community coming back on one profile pretending to be a new personality they have created. Only problem is sooner or later the real person comes out , they are found out, leave again and with some they just keep up this pattern. All done on one profile.

To follow what Dakotah has said, when people are suspended, they'll come back with a different username, but not change their avatar OR their behavior, thinking that their new username will throw people off.

There's a certain individual who comes around and always starts his greetings with "hey there sexy", and when you tell him to not call you that or that you are not looking for a relationship, he calls you a cold-hearted b***h, then comes back a week or two later with another username. I'm not sure what this person is trying to gain, other than attention.

By no means do I think this is the same. Cat fishing is making the target believe that you are one thing, when in reality it is never what it seems.

I only have one account so I do know the show of Catfish on tv, Is horrific to see the people do this to one another on this website why dont people just get along and enjoy it for what Cancer made it for why must we assume were better than one another that pisses me off sorry for the volgar language may god help me if i get caught up to my self I was catfished by my own mom when I was young I had to leave her to wake her up to show what she truly missed out on and now wer closer than ever.

I agree with some of these peoples opinions life really matters is move on be happy and enjoy your corner of vr I been around long enough to know the difference whos being true to me and who isnt.

Go to your corners.
Ignore drama
Don't fuel it with gas there wont be and explosion
says so on my profile :)


Hope this helps everyone and may god bless all of you.

lol catfishing is intentionally luring people and pretending to be someone your not the malice intent is bulit into the deff.... but alt profile has no malice, if u just casually want an alt account, no harm done. your not speciffically decieving ppl, your just not specifically telling them

If one uses a profile to hide behind or uses it to say one thing that is not true about themselves, then that is being malicious.

Catfishing definition is "to lure (someone) into a relationship by means of a fictional online persona." This person completely assumes a fake identity and goes the extra mile to make their victim believe that they are exactly who they say they are. It tends to happen a lot in online dating. Sometimes the sole purpose is to engage in a fantasy, however, the catfish's intent is to defraud a victim, seek revenge or commit identity theft.

I would agree that intent is definitely a key in the difference.

Catfishing imho is the act of deceiving someone by portraying yourself as someone that you are not. Whether it be by using someone else's pictures or claiming to be someone that you aren't. As long as your alternate profile is true to yourself and not falsely portraying yourself as someone that you aren't than I see no harm in it.

multiple profiles probably satisfy the need to collect or curate. otherwise, each time someone put in the effort to redo their profile, the previous work would get wiped out.

Closing since thread is a few years old.