01 Are all the stories posted to alt.folklore.ghost-stories true? Should they be true?
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This article is from the Ghost Stories FAQ, by obiwan obiwan@best.com with numerous contributions by others.
01 Are all the stories posted to alt.folklore.ghost-stories true? Should they be true?
It is highly doubtful that everything posted to a.f.g-s is true,
or even meant to be true. However, unless you mark your story as
fiction, readers tend to assume you are telling a tale you believe to
be true. Hence, it is considered polite in these parts to MARK
FICTION AS FICTION. People may otherwise assume that you're trying to
pull the wool over their eyes, or else take the story at face value
and start giving you advice. It's also common to start out "true"
tales with "This really happened to me," or "This is a true story,"
although technically it's not really necessary, as any unmarked story
is considered to be true.
CASE IN POINT: In the fall of 1994, someone posted a rather fantastic
concoction about a spirit which he said had been attacking him for a
good part of his life. He pleaded with the readers of a.f.g-s for
help with his dilemma. Many kind readers responded with sympathy and
advice, while one or two others posted their doubts about the story.
The original poster acted hurt that someone didn't believe his story,
insisting that it was true. A flame war ensued. Eventually the pos-
ter admitted the story was made up, and the people who had believed
and defended him felt hurt, betrayed, and/or embarrassed. This all
could have been avoided if the poster had marked his story as fiction
in the first place.
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