I have a big confession to make!

[jrussel]

Hello people of the East Dulwich Forum.

I have got to know some of you a little bit over the past while.

Now, some of you have spotted that some of my contributions and opinions have been a little, well, unusual.

Well, I am going to come clean now, and confess that I have been being what many online call a "troll". My name is not, as you have come to believe, J. Russel.

I haven't been doing this simply for my own amusement, however. I am an investigative journalist and have been working on a long-term project which will culminate with a feature in a national newspaper focussing on certain aspects of the nature of online communities. It is likely to be published in either September or October of this year - I can give you further details nearer the big day.

I have been posting in various different forums, which have been selected to represent a wide cross-section of the different common-interest, geographical and socio-economic groups that exist in the form of online communities across the internet.

The contrasting responses I have encountered will be used in my analysis of what unites and separates these disparate groups, and what comparisons can be drawn with the nature of "real-life" communities.

The feature will make specific reference to the forums I have examined, and in some cases, specific posters. I will be making direct quotations from posts that people have made in response to my interventions.

If any of you are uncomfortable with this, please register your feelings on this thread. I can not guarantee that requests will be met but I will do my best to accommodate them so long as the integrity and scope of my feature is not compromised.

Naturally, the response to my unveiling of my disguise will also be covered in my article so I will be reading this thread with interest. Please do not be disappointed if my replies are a little delayed: the EDF is just one of 23 different forums I have been monitoring. I will however respond to all questions eventually.

By the way, don't bother trying to google portions of this post to find out which other forums I have been working on - I have written a differently worded "reveal" for each. Not an easy task I can assure you!

Thank you all for your time and I hope you will be pleased to learn that you have been involved in what I hope will be a unique and revealing piece of research!

Yours,

"jrussel"

[Mick Mac]

I'm sure I speak for everyone in saying the community of ED is rocked by this news.

[*Bob*]

I just can't take it all in. A troll? !

That just takes the biscuit. Boy, do I feel silly now.

[HAL9000]

On the other hand, this could be another wind up to see how everyone reacts to the prospect of national publicity?

[Michael Palaeologus]

I feel betrayed.

Do you think I could sell the story of my betrayal to a newspaper?

[Saila]

how did EDF fair?

can we have a heads up?

erm..."Mixed political views due to ED being sandwiched btw Conservative Dulwich Village and working class Peckham?"

Was EDF the most fun to post on?

(?)

[ArtVandelay]

.

[Ladymuck]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

LOL!

MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

PMSL!

*can't stop laughing*

[HAL9000]

Do you have any contacts at the New York Post: I always order a small portion of chips without salt and vinegar.

I'd be willing to order a plain multigrain bagel from Starbucks without specifying butter or cheese, too - if that helps?

[Ladymuck]

Actually, I also always order my chips without salt and vinegar (though none of this small portion lark).

I hope you are taking every detail down.

[RosieH]

I've got a confession to make...

...I am Spartacus.

Jrussell, can the next reveal be carried out via the medium of fan dance please.

[jollybaby]

You were a troll - never would have guessed!

I think quite a lot of people had worked out that you were trolling 'Mr Russell'- although as you are aware this didn't stop the many spirited responses to your posts. Will be interested to see your article and what you made of your time on the forum - though please don't present it like you had completely fooled the idiots of the EDF as your unveiling isn't really that much of a surprise

[karter]

a journalist once said to me 'never trust a journalist'.

This could actually be true? :-S

[Ladymuck]

oooh, I can see this thread reaching 100 very soon...

Oh, and incidentally, I am the beheaded St. Paul The Apostle. I am writing you one of my letters (from heaven, of course) as I type...

*loving this*

[ArtVandelay]

.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Oh shucks. I feel so crushed and devalued.

[Narnia]

.........and I thought you were a dog! Another one.

[Jah Lush]

karter Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> a journalist once said to me 'never trust a

> journalist'.

>

> This could actually be true? :-S

It is true.

By the way, who's that Millwall supporting Guardian columnist who was up for the Editorship of The Independent who lives in East Dulwich. I can't remember his name. Could it be jrussell's alias?

[Ladymuck]

Narnia Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> .........and I thought you were a dog! Another

> one.

Looks as though the forum is going to the dogs.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Steady Jah, just because one supports Millwall .....*

* I'll edit when I'm sober.

[Ridgley]

Very clever busted:))

[Jah Lush]

I wish I could remember his name right now. It's doing my head in.

[mockney piers]

Will you rate this forum out of ten?

[The Minkey]

My name is not, as you've come to believe, The Minkey.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Eric Liddell is going through my head, but I'm not sure that's right.