A hypothetical.
I once saw Joe at a philosophy forum post a gazillion word quote from an essay he read online. Three days later I appeared unannounced behind him in line at a coffee shop, and tapped him on the shoulder.
“Hi, I’m Zoot from the forums. I read that quote you posted and wanted to ask you some questions about it. In the ninety-third paragraph [ insert philosopher ] said X, Y and Z. Can you tell me a little bit about Y again because I forgot.”
Joe hesitated, and scratched behind his ear nervously. He didn’t have his computer or his google. “Oh that… well, basically, etc…”
What Joe explained to me was nothing like Y. He didn’t remember anything specific about it. In fact, what he said could hardly be related to it at all aside from a few, obscure remarks that were of the same general subject. I pulled a piece of paper from my pocket and showed him Y, verbatim.
“Well Joe, everybody at the forum was really impressed by that quote, but curiously you don’t seem to remember much about it in detail. Why then would you post it?”
Joe stood there in silence.
“Joe? Come on Joey. Can I call you Joey? You know you really shouldn’t do that. All that crap you haven’t read and wouldn’t remember even if you did. Why would you do that, Joester?”
Joe shifted a little and lowered his eyes, bashfully.
“It’s alright man. A lot of people on the forums do that. You just wanted to blow the all away, dazzle them, make them think you really knew what you were talking about. That’s perfectly human, maybe a little too human but what can ya do. We all want to impress people and nothing is wrong with that. So, can we talk some? Come on, I’ll buy you a coffee. Waddaya say?”
Joe looked at his watch and said “damn, I would but I didn’t know it was this late. I really do have to go. Uh, it was nice to meet you…I guess.” And with that he turned swiftly toward the door and walked out.
“Wait, Joe! I’ll see you on the boards then?”
But he was gone.
