Well you may have been here for ten years but I haven't seen even one of your posts until today. So call me a newbie if it makes you feel better.SW6906 wrote: "...Several Freepers including me were so taken in that we created and sent him care packages. I was out over $40 that I spent on boxes of cigars that I sent to him. So yes, fakers can cause real harm."
"All I have done with my posts on this thread is warn people not to get taken in."
Here's the deal, you got taken in by a troll on the Internet and you said that many others also were taken in. Does that make your goodwill gesture of sending someone whom you believed to be a soldier in Bosnia $40 worth of cigars any less giving, any less thoughtful? No, it doesn't.
The burden of deception fell on the troll. It's his problem now, not yours. You didn't lose anything because you desired to do the right thing and you acted upon good faith that the person you were dealing with was who they said they were.
You decided to believe the troll and from your heart you gave your time, your considerate thoughts, and then you gave your money. The troll didn't win, though, you did.
It was the gesture, the good deed that you did that counts, not the lost money, not the lost time, not the prayers said in earnest for the impostor.
You didn't expect anything in return.
Sincere prayers are heard by God and your prayers for the soldier who was actually an impostor were also heard by God. The benefit was still there and I believe a soldier somewhere benefited from your prayers, but you just didn't get the reward of "knowing" who or where that soldier was who benefited.
Are you now going to hold a grudge for the rest of your life for doing the right thing for someone you believed was a solider and whom you believed was in need? Only if you hold a grudge will your good deed done from your heart be in vain.
It's always right to do the good deed first. You're not in a battlefield, you're on the Internet typing on a computer. Don't let suspicion overrule your heart.
I have not seen any Chinese asking anyone to give anything. They're here translating into English, telling us what happened, asking only for prayers. Is that too much for anyone anywhere to ask?
One warning is plenty of negativity. You've now mentioned it a few times. Just one little word cast against another newbie and you basically imply that the newbie is nothing better than the impostor soldier you prayed over and sent cigars to. And you didn't even need to give more than your little warning and the damage was done.
Warning SW6906 got burned by a troll one time and he'll never forget it. Look out, it's a newbie posting from another country. Don't send cigars folks. Be careful!
You were a newbie once too, but not from a foreign country nor were you attempting to translate your thoughts and feelings from one language into another. That would require a lot of courage, a lot of effort and a lot of faith that your message would be well received.
Thank you.
Prayers continue for the people of China and their beautiful country.
Words we both should heed. Thanks.
Thanks for your understanding for us neebies. We came across this forum after the quake, got impressed by your prayers and kindheartedness(I’m not sure whether there is such a word = =), and just registered to say thanks, and that’s all. But when realizing we have so many, well, how to say, “bias” about each other, I decided to stay a little bit longer and try to communicate with you guys more. If there are any offences, please forgive me, ‘cause I didn’t intend to.