(This was the best board I could think of to put this in, orz.)
For most of my life, I have had an obsession with social engineering. If you're not familiar with this, it is the act of attempting to manipulate individuals to gain sensitive information, such as passwords. While I have never used it for illegal means such as this, I have used it for several more petty reasons (call me a perv, but I've gotten some nice pictures out of girls I go to university with that I wouldn't have gotten otherwise.)
Over the years, I have developed an interest in the simple act of it - real-life roleplaying, almost. Developing "pretend" personas to attempt to befriend various people, usually over MySpace or other similar websites.
I have played many different roles, across many races, many cultures, many subcultures, and both genders. (For reference, I am caucasian, male, American, and otaku.)
My own personal life is not lacking, I am not a hikikomori, I simply find this passtime amusing. Every once in a while, I take a step back and think about what a weird guy I am. No one's being harmed by it, however (well, any more, and that's only if you considered the pictures thing harmful.. they didn't seem harmed :p )
I have tried to come up with reasons why I do this. Here is what I have:
1) It stems from a desire to study modern society from as many different angles as possible. By pretending to be a different person, I can fit in with a different part of society, and see its viewpoint.
2) Subconcious feelings of a lacking social life. I have plenty of good friends, but maybe my subconcious thinks I need more. I HAVE made several good friends this way. Well, "I" have. :p
Any input? Am I an awful, manipulative person, or just some asshole with too much free time?
going with "jackass", lol
not so much for the myspace or whatever stuff, but for blackmailing. that isn't cool :(
Asshole with too much free time. But at least you didn't post said pictures on some website, or did you?
Nope. In reality, I never actually saved the pictures, and most of them weren't naked anyway. :(
So what do you want from us? You're not awful if that's what you wanted to hear.
>>1
Why do you try to impersinate people you're not? Do you think it will make you more interesting? I suggest you post this in Love and Romance since you'll get more in-depth and intelligent replies there.
if you're happy doing that, then do it.
Amusement, really. Just something to pass the time. And I'll consider reposting in /love/, although I'm not certain that'd be the most appropriate board, being as I'm doing this for neither love nor romance.
/love/ is where all the busybodies hang out.
>>1
can you post some of your best results with social engineering? I would like to hear them.
>>10
Seconded!
I think I understand then. Its sort of the equivilent of me trolling furry IRC channels, only less negative way, but still for attention and fun. And actually forget about posting it in /love/, its best here.
bump for results!
I suggest you are not happy with this, hence this topic
are we being socially engineered?
>>15
yes.
pics pics pics pics pics pics plzzzzzz
>>18
Thank you for your necromancer input, harambot-kun.
>>1
Let's have an executive summary 10 years later. The hobby described in >>1 is far more prevalent now than it used to be.
Frequently done in automated fashion, often even involving primitive chatbots with mined data about the target. SNS botspam , spread malware, phishing, nigerian cons.
But of course there's ton of human on human soceng too - for more innocent things, like getting to know people on social networks. Shallow as online relationships have grown, strangers would never talk to the real you as opposed to the more welcoming internet 10 years ago, so you have to pretend all that more. Pretty people are more honest and nicer after all, lizard brain tells me.
For more detail, google "catfishing". Neurotypicals treat it with scorn for some reason, but hey, this is the internet, everything in here must be true, right?