People are people

I guess, but sometimes I wish more people tried to be better than the lower parts of their nature.

Some of you know I am a moderator (one of many) on a couple Ravelry boards. There was a heads-up post to the mods this morning, about someone, somewhere else, who had apparently been running a series of con jobs on people - running "raffles" that never gave out the offered prize, requesting donations, supposedly selling patterns for charity....I don't even know how far it goes because I'm not going to read the whole thread about the issue.

But, darn it guys, it's UGLY. I wasn't even indirectly involved (Well, until the "earburn" came through to let us know, "hey, this is going on, in case you hear anything") and it makes me feel sick to my stomach.

(Apparently, it turns out this person is a long-timer scammer, who was caught running scams in the pre-Ravelry days).

I guess it just goes to show you: don't trust anyone, and that goes double on the Internet. Which makes me sad, because I've cycled through trust issues since I was a pre-teen, and it stinks feeling like you can't trust people.

Apparently, in addition to the monetary scams, some people gave bank account information and stuff (wow) and apparently also, anyone who disagreed with this person got "doxxed" and had any private information they had shared with the person spread around.

I don't get people. I really don't. I SUPPOSE running a con MIGHT be easier (if you are good at it) than working at an honest job - but I wouldn't want to test it out (I wouldn't be able to live with myself, shoot, I feel like I 'scammed' a little bit when my complaining about my ruined pan got someone to voluntarily send me a new one as a gift).

Apparently this person has skated past any legal repercussions before. The person in charge of Ravelry is apparently consulting with lawyers but it's not clear if any charges can be filed this time.

I dunno. The whole thing makes me kind of sad: for the people who earnestly and honestly went in for the raffles, or who sent money when it was claimed some member of the person's family was ailing, or who donated "prizes" for things, where the "prizes" apparently were sold or kept.

And I admit, this is where I kind of wish 'what goes around comes around' was a thing. Oh, in some ways it is: I do think you get back out of life what you put into it, in the sense that if you treat other people well you often receive better treatment yourself, and also, I've had more than a few instances of where I did something kind for someone else (simply because I felt they needed it) and then, a few days later, I had something good happen to me. (No, I don't think I can CAUSE the good to happen by doing something kind, and a person should do good ANYWAY without hope of return. But sometimes it really almost is like Someone is going "Hey, that nice thing you did a couple days ago? I saw it, good job")

But anyway. I don't wish ill on the people. I just wish they'd see the error of their ways and regret what they did. I have seen things in stores, like letters written in childish hands, saying things like, "I am so sorry I stole this pack of gum from your store and here is the money to pay for it. I felt really bad for what I did" and yeah, I'm sure in some cases that "feeling bad" was the result of Mom or Dad finding the kid out and talking with them (or more), but sometimes those early lessons have an impact. (And the other way: I think I mentioned once before how my mother, in a hurry at the bank, didn't count the money in the envelope and when she got to the store, she found they gave her $100 or so too much, and she immediately took it back (I was with her, and I think my brother was too) and the bank clerk was almost in tears with gratitude that she came back to return the money....at an early age it brought home to me that our actions have consequences far beyond ourselves; the bank clerk said she would have probably lost her job had my mom not been honest.....)

And I don't know. I guess I wish more people realized the consequences their actions, good or bad, had for others. Everything has ripples, and I strive to make my ripples beneficial. I don't always succeed, but I try.