Blogger meets his Troll

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 6:19pm

I'm going to go you all one further and say I don't think there is a Leo Traynor.

It's all an elaborate hoax.

Or a tall tale.

On his blog the guy says he's a DPhil in politics and international relations and yet he has a fake Plato quote a few posts down: "Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

If Plato said that, I'll eat my tinfoil hat.

Also, here's the letter to the Irish Times, which suggests naming a bridge after a man known for forgiveness:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/letters/2012/0822/1224322660872.html

Hmm.

Curious too that unlike other academics, Leo Traynor is not mentioned on any academic sites.

Even more curious considering that in his Google+ profile https://plus.google.com/u/0/108745413579513709888/about he claims to have lived in

Dublin, Ireland
London
Edinburgh, Scotland
New York
Washington D.C.
New Delhi, India
Kigali, Rwanda
Meloneras, Gran Canaria
Los Angeles, California
Dallas, Texas
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Elgin, Moray, Scotland

And yet, even though he's supposedly a former journalist not a byline in site.

Or how about the fact his blog his white typeface on black and he writes in his Digital Detox post, "Life seems to get busier and the world seems to get smaller and my eyestrain gets worse by the day..."

And then there's the strange YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/user/leotraynor/videos?flow=grid&view=1

As the teenage "troll" said, it's all a game.

Zab · 27-09-2012 6:24pm

TrulyCrazyLady wrote: »

On his blog the guy says he's a DPhil in politics and international relations and yet he has a fake Plato quote a few posts down: "Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."

If Plato said that, I'll eat my tinfoil hat.

A DPhil doesn't mean he studied philosophy.

splendid101 · 27-09-2012 6:34pm

A DPhil means that Dr. Phil made him his bitch.

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 6:40pm

Zab wrote: »

A DPhil doesn't mean he studied philosophy.

A doctorate in Politics should enable one to recognize new age style fake Plato quote.

Or maybe I'm just old fashioned that way...

Zab · 27-09-2012 6:43pm

TrulyCrazyLady wrote: »

A doctorate in Politics should enable one to recognize new age style fake Plato quote.

Or maybe I'm just old fashioned that way...

I think it's a little weak. You could argue that anybody educated should be able to spot it, yet it's clear that many (or even most) wouldn't be able to. Anyway, if you really believe he doesn't exist then ring his listed collages and get them to confirm his degrees.

humbert · 27-09-2012 6:44pm

Actually, the whole thing being made up would be simpler than interweaving fact and fiction, real friends and made up acquaintances.

pickarooney · 27-09-2012 6:48pm

splendid101 wrote: »

One of those links above got to about five metres from where I'm sitting.

It reckons I'm 83km from where I actually am.

Also, here's the letter to the Irish Times, which suggests naming a bridge after a man known for forgiveness:

He published this on Yom Kippur as well, didn't he?

splendid101 · 27-09-2012 6:51pm

TrulyCrazyLady wrote: »

Dublin, Ireland
London
Edinburgh, Scotland
New York
Washington D.C.
New Delhi, India
Kigali, Rwanda
Meloneras, Gran Canaria
Los Angeles, California
Dallas, Texas
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Belfast, Northern Ireland
Sheffield, United Kingdom
Elgin, Moray, Scotland

I've lived in all those places. Are you saying I'm fictional?

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 6:57pm

splendid101 wrote: »

I've lived in all those places. Are you saying I'm fictional?

Quick what's the best cafe in Kigali?

splendid101 · 27-09-2012 7:06pm

TrulyCrazyLady wrote: »

splendid101 wrote: »

I've lived in all those places. Are you saying I'm fictional?

Quick what's the best cafe in Kigali?

Café Express off Kigali St. in little Ethiopia.

Zab · 27-09-2012 7:10pm

pickarooney wrote: »

It reckons I'm 83km from where I actually am.

Okay, let's say a site like http://html5demos.com/geo

If you aren't using wifi and don't have GPS on whatever device that you're using then it's just going to try and locate you by IP, which as discussed isn't in the slightest bit accurate.

If you do use wifi and you do manage to get a result from the wifi geolocator then you're going to be very surprised at how accurate it is considering it doesn't use GPS.

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 7:19pm

More on the amazing Mr. Traynor:

https://www.google.ca/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=%40daragall+I+worked+for+all+3+major+UK+parties+%26+both+in+US.+I%27ve+a+DPhil+in&oq=%40daragall+I+worked+for+all+3+major+UK+parties+%26+both+in+US.+I%27ve+a+DPhil+in&gs_l=hp.12...4099483.4099483.1.4102183.1.1.0.0.0.0.607.607.5-1.1.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.2.VTEyBCmIzIc&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=7cc2b3b047f5614&biw=1243&bih=572

Says he's worked for all 3 major UK parties & both in US.

Fellow sure is busy.

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 7:33pm

splendid101 wrote: »

Café Express off Kigali St. in little Ethiopia.

What's the wifi like there?

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 7:35pm

Zab wrote: »

I think it's a little weak. You could argue that anybody educated should be able to spot it, yet it's clear that many (or even most) wouldn't be able to. Anyway, if you really believe he doesn't exist then ring his listed collages and get them to confirm his degrees.

Can one actually do this? I live in North America. Usually you have to provide a written request.

My name is URL · 27-09-2012 7:35pm

TrulyCrazyLady wrote: »

More on the amazing Mr. Traynor:

https://www.google.ca/#hl=en&output=search&sclient=psy-ab&q=%40daragall+I+worked+for+all+3+major+UK+parties+%26+both+in+US.+I%27ve+a+DPhil+in&oq=%40daragall+I+worked+for+all+3+major+UK+parties+%26+both+in+US.+I%27ve+a+DPhil+in&gs_l=hp.12...4099483.4099483.1.4102183.1.1.0.0.0.0.607.607.5-1.1.0.les%3B..0.0...1c.2.VTEyBCmIzIc&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&fp=7cc2b3b047f5614&biw=1243&bih=572

Says he's worked for all 3 major UK parties & both in US.

Fellow sure is busy.

For such a sought after and busy freelancer it's a wonder he has no Linkedin account

PC CDROM · 27-09-2012 7:44pm

This reminded me of something.. anyone seen 6th about these days?

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 7:51pm

My name is URL wrote: »

For such a sought after and busy freelancer it's a wonder he has no Linkedin account

Yes, I only gave a few examples. NOTHING about Leo Traynor makes sense.

Linoge · 27-09-2012 8:17pm

My name is URL wrote: »

For such a sought after and busy freelancer it's a wonder he has no Linkedin account

Absolutely. And such an avid internet user -Twitter, FB, blog, entire web page and leaves out probably one of the most important networking tools available to him. As a "journalist", I would have thought that keeping in contact with other professionals is 50% of the job?!

Its also cringe worthy how he signs his name -Dr Leo Traynor, PHD, MSC, DPHIL, VHI, KNOB . I mean he didn't just publish a research paper in Nature, he was suggesting the name for a bridge!

nlgbbbblth · 27-09-2012 11:08pm

My name is URL wrote: »

For such a sought after and busy freelancer it's a wonder he has no Linkedin account

Linoge wrote: »

Absolutely. And such an avid internet user -Twitter, FB, blog, entire web page and leaves out probably one of the most important networking tools available to him.

He's a hipster. Hipsters generally avoid Linkedin. "Too corporate and full of boring office drones. Man."

TrulyCrazyLady · 27-09-2012 11:25pm

nlgbbbblth wrote: »

He's a hipster. Hipsters generally avoid Linkedin. "Too corporate and full of boring office drones. Man."

In his fable he describes himself as a middle aged man with a limp and a wheeze. hardly a hipster.

Those glasses though are indeed hipsteresque.

Thargor · 28-09-2012 8:49pm

I see this rising in the Technology Reddit aswell, I assume since theres no comments on the article on his blog that he's deleting anyone who calls bullsh1t on it?

Zab · 28-09-2012 8:55pm

There's a blog he's pointing at: http://evertb.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/tracking-a-troll/

The guy was originally saying that you could just trace purely by IP most of the time, but he's changed his tune and edited his post without mentioning it. The general gist of what he's currently saying is you get a general location by the IP and then separately you search for pages mentioning the IP which may give you direct clues as to the identity of the person.

My name is URL · 28-09-2012 9:20pm

Linoge wrote: »

Its also cringe worthy how he signs his name -Dr Leo Traynor, PHD, MSC, DPHIL, VHI, KNOB . I mean he didn't just publish a research paper in Nature, he was suggesting the name for a bridge!

lol, yeah. He could have at least noted the reasons why he felt it was a good idea. Why did he want that specific bridge to be named after Wilson? He was basically just giving his opinion on what would be a good name for a bridge some day.

At least he's putting his credentials to use I suppose.

say_who_now? · 28-09-2012 10:34pm

My name is URL wrote: »

lol, yeah. He could have at least noted the reasons why he felt it was a good idea. Why did he want that specific bridge to be named after Wilson? He was basically just giving his opinion on what would be a good name for a bridge some day.

At least he's putting his credentials to use I suppose.

I wasn't actually sure did the VHI, KNOB stand for some sort of academic qualification I wasn't aware of, lol, but then I googled and found the same letter to the Irish Times with his name and address given underneath! :eek:

Honestly, for such a "savvy" user of social media, a journalist, such an intellectual and all- that is one almighty missive!

Maybe that's how he got the trolls adress- had him write a letter to the Irish Times and had the postman keep an eye out for it! :pac:

ViveLaVie · 29-09-2012 1:30am

Linoge wrote: »

Its also cringe worthy how he signs his name -Dr Leo Traynor, PHD, MSC, DPHIL, VHI, KNOB . I mean he didn't just publish a research paper in Nature, he was suggesting the name for a bridge!

A DPhil and a Phd?? So he has two doctorates now??

Robbo · 29-09-2012 1:38am

Zab wrote: »

There's a blog he's pointing at: http://evertb.wordpress.com/2012/09/26/tracking-a-troll/

The guy was originally saying that you could just trace purely by IP most of the time, but he's changed his tune and edited his post without mentioning it. The general gist of what he's currently saying is you get a general location by the IP and then separately you search for pages mentioning the IP which may give you direct clues as to the identity of the person.

Well the thing is by being associated with a quality brand like Evert Bopp, he has nothing to worry about. Evert is the kind of chap with a rock solid background in....oh **** (google search results expurgated).

fasttalkerchat · 29-09-2012 1:38am

say_who_now? wrote: »

I wasn't actually sure did the VHI, KNOB stand for some sort of academic qualification I wasn't aware of, lol, but then I googled and found the same letter to the Irish Times with his name and address given underneath! :eek:

Oh... I thought he was a VHI member and a knob...

say_who_now? · 29-09-2012 1:45am

fasttalkerchat wrote: »

Oh... I thought he was a VHI member and a knob...

Well I don't know about VHI, but he certainly is a

Knowingly Nonsensical Obstreperous B*llix! :pac:

say_who_now? · 29-09-2012 1:47am

ViveLaVie wrote: »

A DPhil and a Phd?? So he has two doctorates now??

And that surprises you ViveLaVie?

Nothing he could come out with would surprise me at this point! :rolleyes:

say_who_now? · 29-09-2012 2:06am

Robbo wrote: »

Well the thing is by being associated with a quality brand like Evert Bopp, he has nothing to worry about. Evert is the kind of chap with a rock solid background in....oh **** (google search results expurgated).

Let me help you with that Robbo-

Everett Bopp Self Promotion.

What Everett REALLY got up to in Haiti. (Link to article on the bottom of the page!

What the Press Ombudsman had to say about what Everett really got up to in Haiti.

At least he's not the IT genius Leo refers to in his blog, because this guy clearly couldn't find his way out the front door, let alone "track a troll"! :pac:

Blogger meets his Troll

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