lkk@teddy.UUCP (01/09/86)
This came off of human-nets digest:
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Return-path: <@MC.LCS.MIT.EDU:Hoffman.es@Xerox.ARPA>
Date: 27 Dec 85 18:31:40 PST (Friday)
From: Hoffman.es@Xerox.ARPA
Subject: "Mind rape" by computer mail
In the October 1985 issue of 'Ms.' magazine, there's a lengthy article
entitled "The Strange Case of the Electronic Lover" by Lindsy Van
Gelder. It's tells how a prominent New York psychiatrist in his early
fifties maintained an on-line identity over CompuServe for more than
two years as a disabled, late-twenties, female neuropsychologist,
developing intimate friendships with scores of electronic
correspondents.
"She" had a detailed contrived life history, announced her marriage
during the course of the fraud, sent gifts to people, and was heavily
into (bisexual) compusex.
As you might imagine, many of "her" victims felt enormously betrayed,
likening the experience to "mind rape". The article has quite a bit
to say about the nature of electronic correspondence in general.
--Rodney Hoffman
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Sport Death, (USENET) ...{decvax | ihnp4!mit-eddie}!genrad!panda!lkk
Larry Kolodney (INTERNET) lkk@mit-mc.arpa
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Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.
- Helen Kellerhollombe@ttidcc.UUCP (The Polymath) (01/13/86)
In article <1909@teddy.UUCP> lkk@teddy.UUCP writes: > ... a prominent New York psychiatrist in his early >fifties maintained an on-line identity over CompuServe for more than >two years ... >developing intimate friendships with scores of electronic >correspondents. > >"She" had a detailed contrived life history, announced her marriage >during the course of the fraud, sent gifts to people, and was heavily >into (bisexual) compusex. > > ... many of "her" victims felt enormously betrayed, >likening the experience to "mind rape". Same thing happened in this end of the world about 3 years ago. A local high school teacher (male) adopted the persona of "Kathy", an 18 year old student, on several "Dial-Your-Match" bulletin boards. I personally was taken in by this one, along with a lot of other people. While I wouldn't describe my reaction to learning the truth in such extreme terms as "betrayal" and "mind rape", I didn't feel particularly good about the situation. Embarassment probably comes closest to my initial feelings, but I'm pretty cautious about relationships and hadn't written any sexually oriented messages beyond trying to arrange a simple meeting. I can see how someone who had been more explicit might feel more strongly about it. -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_ The Polymath (aka: Jerry Hollombe) Citicorp(+)TTI 3100 Ocean Park Blvd. Geniuses are people so lazy they Santa Monica, CA 90405 do everything right the first time. (213) 450-9111, ext. 2483 {philabs,randvax,trwrb,vortex}!ttidca!ttidcc!hollombe