The Truth About Ruth - Part 2 - Merge

[Lainey]

I don't really think it's that family, either. I'm still more interested in whether she is PennMommy/Possummomma/jhawksgirl1. Here's an interesting link about those three (who are, apparently, just one): http://princessmc.proboards.com/thread/2935?page=71

I just lurked on TWOP, never posted, but I think I vaguely remember jhawksgirl1. I think she may have even come here (or Yuku?) for a time.

[sparkplug]

This is the kind of thing I am uncomfortable with. We have no reason to believe any of the [redacted] have made up the Ruth story, let alone [redacted].

The reason I have been researching them is because I thought it was possible whoever "Ruth" is may have used their family for certain details of her story. That's it. No one should speculate that anyone is "Ruth" unless they have very strong proof to back them up.

I also hate to open this can of worms, but it also worries me when new posters show up and start speculating. New members are important, but this might not be a good place to jump into posting if you are new, since so many of the questions and concern are about trust, possible sockpuppets, etc. If you have something to say, please just be careful and if possible post links or proof to what you are saying.

Ya, I agree. Too bad I can't delete my post! :(

[chemist1217]

Ok so I just have to make something clear....I brought up the [redacted] because they had a blog with 11 children, two of whom were named [redacted]. I said that perhaps RR had taken this as part her identity. I NEVER EVER said, insinuated, etc that the [redacted] were in any way connected with this. They are CLEARLY not connected to this and any relationship is tenuous at best and entirely on the part of RR. I think people just want to get to the bottom of this and are taking any piece of "evidence" as truth and running with it. That seems to be exactly what that comment on Ruth's blog was intended to do- send us on a wild goose chase and make us look like a bunch of witch-hunting idiots. So I think we should all calm down. At this point Im convinced that RR is at some level a hoax and we will never find out who she actually is. I'm satisfied to leave it at that and stop poking into other's lives.

[MissBitters]

I do not think any of the [redacted] are involved in this either. I think there is a strong possibility she stole names & other details from them though. If there hadn't been a suggestion about the family pictures on the TLC website from the commenter I would've thought the similarities between the real family & Ruth's family were just a coincidence.

[VaSportsMom]

I agree with those that are uncomfortable and wonder if perhaps it wouldn't be best to move this thread back to the private area so that, at the very least, googling the [redacted] family won't pull up this thread.

[Mustang Sally]

Ok so I just have to make something clear....I brought up the [redacted] because they had a blog with 11 children, two of whom were named [redacted]. I said that perhaps RR had taken this as part her identity. I NEVER EVER said, insinuated, etc that the [redacted] were in any way connected with this. They are CLEARLY not connected to this and any relationship is tenuous at best and entirely on the part of RR. I think people just want to get to the bottom of this and are taking any piece of "evidence" as truth and running with it. That seems to be exactly what that comment on Ruth's blog was intended to do- send us on a wild goose chase and make us look like a bunch of witch-hunting idiots. So I think we should all calm down. At this point Im convinced that RR is at some level a hoax and we will never find out who she actually is. I'm satisfied to leave it at that and stop poking into other's lives.

Again I mostly agree with you, but I do still think it's worth researching and I think it is fair to look at publicly available information online. I think people are getting a little hair-triggery and then subsequently a little freaked out in reaction, and I think maybe people should just refrain from speculating, and if the thread is making them uncomfortable they should take a break.

I also do not think the [redacted] are related, except POSSIBLY as a source for some of "Ruth's" fiction.

ETA: Is Snark indexed by Google? - So I just had my husband check from his computer, which has never been signed into FJ, and if you Google "[redacted]" FJ does not show up in the first page or two of results. If you Google "freejinger [redacted]" then yes it shows up because it is indexed. But unless they already know to look to freejinger, I very much doubt they are going to notice we are discussing them unless the Google results change a lot in the next few days due to this discussion.

[Lainey]

Hey, look what I found: http://freejinger.yuku.com/reply/28429/ ... eply-28429

I couldn't find any record of jhawksgirl being a member of either here or Yuku, but I found a post by WokChop about the possible PennMommy/Possummomma/jhawksgirl connection. And since I now see Wok Chop already wrote it somewhere, I feel more comfortable saying that I got this potential information from Samantha (WokChop's daughter).

[NurseNell]

So Taryn can contact a bunch of news outlets and try to give more interviews? I wouldn't.

Doesn't Warrior Eli expose people who are scamming large amounts of money, stealing photos from other people's Facebook pages, and pretending to have serious or terminal diseases? I've never seen them take on a case that doesn't involve those 3 factors.

[louisa05]

In regard to the Borden family reference. In the post here, RR said that was at "the" Nebraska KOA which struck me as odd as it implied there being only one in the state. We are not heavily populated, granted, but this state is geographically pretty large-16th largest in the U.S. Per google, there are three KOA campgrounds along I-80--the logical route for her supposed trip. Based on her reference to tornadoes, she had to mean the central part of the state. Again, using google, a few people named "Borden" pop up in the central part of the state near that campground.

But...that could be based on her own search. It could be based on knowing someone in the state IRL, or a lucky guess.

I have to say, though, some aspects of her journey seemed extremely slow to me. Cheyenne to central Nebraska, for example, is barely over half a day's drive.

[OkToBeTakei]

Regarding the Vyckie RR thing. I'm still looking. Found this

Am I real?

Posting about my leg set off alarm bells for some people. Reading my blog with a critical mind, I can see how it looks and I don't blame people for their doubt. It seems like I just got over the throat sugery and now it's a broken leg. Right. I haven't been around the internet long enough to know about all the scamming that happens so I guess it's common for people who are scamming to use injuries or illness to try to get money. I don't ever want people to think that's why I posted about my leg. This is what I was afraid of when I put up the tip jar. It complicates things because people stop believing you if there's a financial incentive. This is my blog for venting and getting out all the things that were wrong for me with ATI and fundamentalism ala Bill Gothard. That's what is important.

This is the repost of what I said at Freejinger.

I'm not offended at all. If I read my story and the lack of wanting to "come out" I'd be wondering if the blogger was real. I don't know what to say. It's okay if you doubt me and the truth of my blog. That's what I tell people to do don't I? You should have reasons to follow or trust the people your expected to follow or trust. If you want to read my blog then you're welcome to, if you don't want to read my blog don't read it. That's why I don't advertise it. I'm not the only person who grew up in ATI with a blog. Some people had great experiences and you should read them too and then form your opinion on this breed of fundamentalism.

The tip jar was what I knew would make people suspect and I'm taking it down because it's not what the blog was about.

Added-

There is something that was brought up in freejinger that made me wonder about blogger. Is there a way to block certain commenters on blogger? I don't really like my dad, if it's always him, getting his digs in but I didn't know I could screen his comments or block him. I know I can set comments to a setting where I have to screen them all before allowing them but that seems like a lot of work and I'm not online often enough to keep comments flowing. Is there a better way?

No knowledge to block comments but savvy enough to utilise a bot?

Does princessjo still post? I seem to remember she got some stick for doubting, or am I remembering incorrectly?

[mockingbird]

Doesn't Warrior Eli expose people who are scamming large amounts of money, stealing photos from other people's Facebook pages, and pretending to have serious or terminal diseases? I've never seen them take on a case that doesn't involve those 3 factors.

I don't keep up with the blog extensively but most of the cases I've read haven't involved money.

The other two tend to be true (I think the pictures are how a lot of these scams are initially found out, someone recognizing a picture or reverse-searching a picture) but I'm not sure if that's their exclusive focus.

[VaSportsMom]

Doesn't Warrior Eli expose people who are scamming large amounts of money, stealing photos from other people's Facebook pages, and pretending to have serious or terminal diseases? I've never seen them take on a case that doesn't involve those 3 factors.

I really like Taryn and have a lot of respect for what she does but I fear that she would really latch on to all the coincidences with the [redacted] family and in the end none of us would feel good about the hoops they would have to jump through to prove they aren't connected.

[Mustang Sally]

I really like Taryn and have a lot of respect for what she does but I fear that she would really latch on to all the coincidences with the [redacted] family and in the end none of us would feel good about the hoops they would have to jump through to prove they aren't connected.

I'm kind of curious why you think the burden of proof would be on the [redacted] family to prove anything? No one, not Taryn, and not anyone here, should accuse anyone of being involved with this without rock solid proof. I can't imagine Taryn would do anything with these "coincidences" other than research them further to get to the bottom of it. It's not like the [redacted] would be put on trial to prove their innocence.

[formergothardite]

Regarding the Vyckie RR thing. I'm still looking. Found this

No knowledge to block comments but savvy enough to utilise a bot?

Does princessjo still post? I seem to remember she got some stick for doubting, or am I remembering incorrectly?

I see the tip jar didn't go away. :roll: I'm not that good with computer stuff, but even I could figure out how to google and block someone.

[AnAgnostic]

Hello,

I just looked on the tlc website for the picture of RRs family? Which picture is it? Is it one of the black and whites or color pictures? Here is where I looked:

tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/duggar-home-pictures.htm

[Mustang Sally]

Hello,

I just looked on the tlc website for the picture of RRs family? Which picture is it? Is it one of the black and whites or color pictures? Here is where I looked:

tlc.howstuffworks.com/home/duggar-home-pictures.htm

The picture was already posted earlier in the thread - viewtopic.php?p=584797#p584797 - and we don't know for sure which picture it is, if it is any of them at all. The entire comment could be fake.

[AmyP]

I, like many, had my doubts- but the lesbian adoption story clinched it for me. I'm glad to see all this coming to light. The fawning over Ruth always made me uncomfortable.

[OkToBeTakei]

Fake or not I would love to know how much money she has made over the years. No steady income for sure. But I'm betting just due to the sympathy regarding her move last month there would have been times she could have made a fair bit?

WHAT? I'm Scottish. Of course I want to know :lol:

[RealityTVRN]

I don't really think it's that family, either. I'm still more interested in whether she is PennMommy/Possummomma/jhawksgirl1. Here's an interesting link about those three (who are, apparently, just one): http://princessmc.proboards.com/thread/2935?page=71

I just lurked on TWOP, never posted, but I think I vaguely remember jhawksgirl1. I think she may have even come here (or Yuku?) for a time.

Is there any connection to this scammer and Ruth other than California?

[Lainey]

Is there any connection to this scammer and Ruth other than California?

I'm not sure, but I would like to find out. I just don't know how.

ETA: Samantha had said she'd found something analyzing PennMommy and PossumMomma's writing styles, and applied that to Ruth's blog. She found similarities that way, such as hyphenating things that most people don't. I think she may have used this: http://gosselinsdonotneedourpity.blogsp ... topic.html It's the comment by Tintin.

[Ex 2x2]

For those of you in the know about this sort of thing, is this part of the cycle something the scammer enjoys? Watching people try to figure it out? Or is it more, "Oh crap it's over?"

Also, does anyone have any hope that there is still some reasonable explanation? I guess I just want to believe in the good in people too much b/c I'm still hoping this will all be cleared up.

[Mustang Sally]

For those of you in the know about this sort of thing, is this part of the cycle something the scammer enjoys? Watching people try to figure it out? Or is it more, "Oh crap it's over?"

Also, does anyone have any hope that there is still some reasonable explanation? I guess I just want to believe in the good in people too much b/c I'm still hoping this will all be cleared up.

I think there is a slim possibility there is still a reasonable explanation, although the OfDuggar post on TWOP makes it really hard to imagine what it could be.

And I have no idea whether people who pull these hoaxes actually enjoy the denouement or what. Some of them are probably scared and upset to be found out, others might relish it. Who's to say.

[Grannie2times]

I'd like to thank everyone who has been looking into this and posting all the links and information. I am amazed at everyone's internet knowledge and skills. This has been a fascinating read and I have learned a lot. RR does remind me a lot of the MTV show Catfish, a show my daughter got me hooked on.

I hope this gets resolved with minimal collateral damage to any innocent parties that RR used as source material.

[OkToBeTakei]

For those of you in the know about this sort of thing, is this part of the cycle something the scammer enjoys? Watching people try to figure it out? Or is it more, "Oh crap it's over?"

Also, does anyone have any hope that there is still some reasonable explanation? I guess I just want to believe in the good in people too much b/c I'm still hoping this will all be cleared up.

Did not seem to have ANY impact on McKMama. Rubber ball that one.

[Mecca]

You know, it is amazing that with the amount of griping and moaning Ruth has done about that dang tip jar complicating things, she has made no effort to remove it. Yeah, not weird at all. :|