Flexing Selfie

[Corwin]

Originally Posted by rixxflix

Did not realize you were his boy friend.

Hey TheUnknown...going to take on this homophobic jab? I mean, consistency at least....

[Jaypat]

I’m sorry tempers are getting a little heated here, because I think this is a really interesting topic. On a site like this, when does fantasy become a lie? They are not the same. One is usually transparent and the other is a deliberate deception.

For instance, I use a pen name here. I’m sure most posters do. Prior to this, I never openly declared that Jaypat wasn’t my real name. So, was that a deception? I’m sure most people just assumed that it wasn’t my real name. Does that make it any less of a deception?

What if I created a pen body to go with my pen name? I know one or two very impressive guys who might just let me use their photos as my pen body. So, if I post a photo of a muscular Adonis, and say, “This is Jaypat,” what am I doing? Am I deceiving people now? I don’t know how I could be since it’s pretty much understood that “Jaypat” isn’t a real person to begin with.

Or am I just augmenting the fantasy? This is a pretty grey area. I’d love to hear people’s opinions.

[rixxflix]

Frankbody has posted those pics on numerous sites stating it was him. so Corwin take a chill pill

[Sedoriku]

Originally Posted by Jaypat

I?m sorry tempers are getting a little heated here, because I think this is a really interesting topic. On a site like this, when does fantasy become a lie? They are not the same. One is usually transparent and the other is a deliberate deception.

For instance, I use a pen name here. I?m sure most posters do. Prior to this, I never openly declared that Jaypat wasn?t my real name. So, was that a deception? I?m sure most people just assumed that it wasn?t my real name. Does that make it any less of a deception?

What if I created a pen body to go with my pen name? I know one or two very impressive guys who might just let me use their photos as my pen body. So, if I post a photo of a muscular Adonis, and say, ?This is Jaypat,? what am I doing? Am I deceiving people now? I don?t know how I could be since it?s pretty much understood that ?Jaypat? isn?t a real person to begin with.

Or am I just augmenting the fantasy? This is a pretty grey area. I?d love to hear people?s opinions.

Personally there is a bit of a difference between a pen name and a "pen body." (which is a great term btw) Often times a pen name is something made up and rarely is somebody's actual name. However, a pen body needs to use someone's actual picture (unless we develop the technology to create a photorealistic-digital image) and then you're starting to use and claim soneones hard work as your own.

Long story short, pen names are victimless, pen bodies need someone else.

[Mdlftr]

Originally Posted by Jaypat

I?m sorry tempers are getting a little heated here, because I think this is a really interesting topic. On a site like this, when does fantasy become a lie? They are not the same. One is usually transparent and the other is a deliberate deception.

For instance, I use a pen name here. I?m sure most posters do. Prior to this, I never openly declared that Jaypat wasn?t my real name. So, was that a deception? I?m sure most people just assumed that it wasn?t my real name. Does that make it any less of a deception?

What if I created a pen body to go with my pen name? I know one or two very impressive guys who might just let me use their photos as my pen body. So, if I post a photo of a muscular Adonis, and say, ?This is Jaypat,? what am I doing? Am I deceiving people now? I don?t know how I could be since it?s pretty much understood that ?Jaypat? isn?t a real person to begin with.

Or am I just augmenting the fantasy? This is a pretty grey area. I?d love to hear people?s opinions.

Why not?
If you create an online persona and call it "JayPat" why NOT have an imaginary physique to go with it?

I think the reason there is an implicit assumption of "honesty" with online self identifications is that the internet is private, except for those things we want to share about ourselves. So, I won't tell you my name or where I live, but I will tell the "internet truth" about my life experiences, insofar as they are relevant to the topic under discussion.

Now, selling your fantasy as your "reality" online isn't really playing the game, but, hey, sometimes if you are charming and friendly enough, even that "rule" gets waived.

Mdlftr

[Jaypat]

Originally Posted by Sedoriku

Personally there is a bit of a difference between a pen name and a "pen body." (which is a great term btw) Often times a pen name is something made up and rarely is somebody's actual name. However, a pen body needs to use someone's actual picture (unless we develop the technology to create a photorealistic-digital image) and then you're starting to use and claim soneones hard work as your own.

Long story short, pen names are victimless, pen bodies need someone else.

So if I get the permission of the pen body donor, then Jaypat becomes the creation of two individuals, myself as the brain and the other guy as the brawn-- so to speak. This would seem to be victimless, right?

[Jaypat]

Originally Posted by Mdlftr

Why not?
If you create an online persona and call it "JayPat" why NOT have an imaginary physique to go with it?

I think the reason there is an implicit assumption of "honesty" with online self identifications is that the internet is private, except for those things we want to share about ourselves. So, I won't tell you my name or where I live, but I will tell the "internet truth" about my life experiences, insofar as they are relevant to the topic under discussion.

Now, selling your fantasy as your "reality" online isn't really playing the game, but, hey, sometimes if you are charming and friendly enough, even that "rule" gets waived.

Mdlftr

The "internet truth" could mean anything, spanning from a heartfelt truth encouraged by the anonymity of an alias to complete and total fabrication. I don't think anyone whose been on on-line discussion boards for any length of time is na?ve enough to take anything they read at face value. And unfortunately most of us do not have the skills to verify the accuracy of any claims made.

There is no truth on the internet. There are just things we accept and things we don't, either by instinct or choice.

[Curiosity]

Originally Posted by Jaypat

There is no truth on the internet. There are just things we accept and things we don't, either by instinct or choice.

Ain't that the truth. Um, so to speak.

[Mdlftr]

Originally Posted by Jaypat

The "internet truth" could mean anything, spanning from a heartfelt truth encouraged by the anonymity of an alias to complete and total fabrication. I don't think anyone whose been on on-line discussion boards for any length of time is na?ve enough to take anything they read at face value. And unfortunately most of us do not have the skills to verify the accuracy of any claims made.

There is no truth on the internet. There are just things we accept and things we don't, either by instinct or choice.

Yes. Internet truth is what we have.

[Sedoriku]

Originally Posted by Jaypat

So if I get the permission of the pen body donor, then Jaypat becomes the creation of two individuals, myself as the brain and the other guy as the brawn-- so to speak. This would seem to be victimless, right?

Maybe victimless was not the right term... A pen name you can create out of thin air, but a pen body you have to use your own or a nother person's body. Thus, a pen name has little to no moral ambiguity but a pen body does have a good deal of such ambiguity. If you had permission it would (probably) be victimless, but still a sort of plagerism (which I am forgetting how to spell right now.)

But, in retrospect, that really doesn't answer your question... Just validates what you had already stated. Whoops. Considering you were asking us about our opinions about the morality of this, I wouldn't do this myself but I won't object to others doing it.

Also, "internet truth" is probably the most oxymoronic thing I have heard all week.

[schwermarko]

That question only examines one of the two relationships.

Unimpressive person uses pictures of impressive people to create fake online persona in order to elicit some combination of lust and admiration in other people.

People who find out that they have been lead into lust or envy by unimpressive person are now hurt and angry to learn that they have been deceived.

We are debating whether or not the person is an artist, or a con-artist. I would think the erotic artist would defend his work, and the con artist would simply disappear.

[Jaypat]

Originally Posted by schwermarko

That question only examines one of the two relationships.

Unimpressive person uses pictures of impressive people to create fake online persona in order to elicit some combination of lust and admiration in other people.

People who find out that they have been lead into lust or envy by unimpressive person are now hurt and angry to learn that they have been deceived.

We are debating whether or not the person is an artist, or a con-artist. I would think the erotic artist would defend his work, and the con artist would simply disappear.

Here's a scenario:
Jaypat's theoretical Pen Body is walking down the street one day. A forum member sees him a recognizes him from his photo. He goes up to the Pen Body and says, "Hey, you're Jaypat, right? I love your stories." And the Pen Body says, "Thank you very much."

I wouldn't have a problem with that because as soon as the photos of the Pen Body are introduced, Jaypat becomes the property of two people, each equally sharing in the successes of the other.

Is this a problem?