In 2007, after thirty years in Bangkok and a fair amount of travel, I was ready for something different. We chose to start a new phase of our lives in Chiang Rai. We started building a house, I started a blog, joined forums like ThaiVisa, found social media and started rediscovering my own language.

Not wanting to use my real name online I had to come up with something I could relate to in my new life as a blogger. Village Farang just seemed more appropriate than all the other names I came up with. After all, I was now a farang living in a village, as opposed to my old life in Bangkok.

In the beginning there were stark differences between my online and offline personas. Much to my surprise, over time they began to merge and it became harder and harder to tell one from the other. You might say, VillageFarang has become my brand across all social media and who I am in real life.

By not revealing personal identifying data it somehow feels like I don’t have to be as guarded while connecting with people around the world. If the people I meet become difficult it is much easier move on and ignore people online than it is in daily life. I enjoy the physical and natural aspects of where I live but there is a dearth of interesting and inspiring companionship locally so I use travel and the internet to extend my reach. I sometimes feel as though I am spread a bit thin but one never knows where that next interesting conversation will come from.

Do you identify with and curate your online persona or is it simply a mask to hide behind <removed>

A very well observed post.

The avatar we create as our online identity merges with who we are.

Which, if true, opens the possibility of examining posts we read in a different light.

What you see is what I am. Sipi is easily confused without complicating things unnecessary.

No matter what is "tried", over a period of time, some longer than others, and of course frequency of posts etc, a "personality" emerges, even to the point that within a community like Thaivisa it can be recognised without even looking at the posters name.

The style, the syntax, and general attitude, becomes quite clear and recognisable as to the person behind it.

bottom line is no matter who anyone "tries to be", or mask they use, if they are around long enough, the "real" personality or identity will start to form.

none of the above awfully sorry to burst your 30 year old bubble

I'm the same both online and offline.

I don't even ride my bike that much these days.

If you happen to spot a London taxi in Bangkok (and there is one), then look closely. It might be me.

But it might not.

My avatar is actually me...

Especially the Village farang

I also find it interesting that no matter how popular and respected you are or how carefully you choose your words, there will be those who come to despise you, twisting everything you say and do to fit their personal bias.

Sometimes the hate of a few can send people to the exit in search of respite and that always saddens me. I have actually stuck around because I have no desire to let those negative individuals rule ThaiVisa. Someone needs to present a more balanced view of Thailand to counter the naysayers who dump on Thailand at every turn.

I find it interesting that there are those that, dont actually believe nor think in the way they write/post, they do it purely for the reaction, like a twisted game that somehow they try to "win" at other peoples expense. It seems to provide entertainment or gain focus on them for a brief time, allbeit negative, its focus none the less.

And so the "Troll" was born, a word and description that has now, in recent years, become an everyday expression and that perhaps 10 years ago was rarely used and few would know what it meant.

I find it interesting that there are those with such a narrow, restricted view of the world that they presume anybody who expresses an opinion that differs from theirs must be trolling.

My favorite was a now non-active member who used to routinely post:

The reason that you disagree with me is that you are too stupid to understand what I'm saying.

There are still a few of the Übermensch personalities around but at least they can have their jollies on here rather than in person where they might say something like the above to the wrong person.

Or of course, use the term to provoke or bait others into an argument, leaving you wondering if in fact they are nothing more than "Trolls" themselves.

Like many things, often the readers view of a sentence may not be what the writer had intended, this is complicated further by the lack of tone and expression, body language and so on, that is present in the usual verbal communication that can help people understand the meaning and intention with more clarity.

There is also the, sometimes false, sense of security that people feel they have behind a keyboard. This often leads them to say things that they would never dream of saying in person for fear of a physical response and once again gives the Troll the courage, that they probably lack and wish they had in the real world.

It becomes there only way to "fight back" as they are incapable or too affraid to do, perhaps because of some early trauma, in the "real" world.

Who knows what drives the "troll", we can only guess or assume, or in most cases, simply ignore.

There are many smart people on ThaiVisa and, at least with some of them, the way that you can tell that they are smarter than you is that they have no problem in telling you that they are smarter than you.

There many "sayings" that appear on this forum, one of my favourites is

" I can explain it for you, but I cant understand it for you"

There many "sayings" that appear on this forum, one of my favourites is

" I can explain it for you, but I cant understand it for you"

That's close to the famous comment in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Potter Stewart in saying (loosely) that he cannot define 'pornography':

But I know it when I see it ...

There many "sayings" that appear on this forum, one of my favourites is

" I can explain it for you, but I cant understand it for you"

That's close to the famous comment in 1964 by United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Potter Stewart in saying (loosely) that that he cannot define 'pornography':

But I know it when I see it ...

Which rather neatly brings us back to the "troll" as the same could be said for Troll posts........."I know it when I see it" too.

Mine signifies having no fear!!!!!

Mine signifies having no fear!!!!!

Thank you for explaining your choice. I wish more would follow your lead.

I use an avatar because I've become more aware, and a little more fearful, about the amount of personal information that people reveal online, Facebook being an obvious culprit. The number of internet derived scams is growing exponentially and the personal information that people post online becomes the starting point for 'phishing'; obtaining information via telephone or email by pretending to be a reputable source.

i'd say that my views are much the same offline or online but the danger of an avatar is that you might become your worst self, hence the prevalence of the spiteful troll. Having said that, "trolling" is becoming an overused abuse, and is sometimes applied to people who just don't happen to agree with you, and say so.

PS. VF ... I did enjoy your blog, especially the photography. Your blog and a You Tube logging duo "8 miles from home" led me to Chiang Rai, and I discovered an area of Thailand that I never planned to travel to.

Though I do not live like a villager, I am a farang and I do live in a village, thus the name as I said earlier. I am an advocate of original content so the image I use has to be one of my own. I have tried a variety of my images, including self portraits, but I am quite happy with my present Tokay photo. He is a happy, colorful character, misunderstood, under appreciated and full of contradictions. I try my best to be a voice of reason and remain civil at all times.

I generated my nick during the days of USENET, specifically S.C.T. (social.culture.thai) inaugurated 1991, which was about 25+ years ago. Just noticed I spelled it as TyWais then. A play on words as it could be pronounced Thai Wise or Thai Wais or Thai Ways. Left S.C.T. during the beginning of the flame wars and my nick came with me to Thaivisa in February 2003.

My avatar is in memorial to our beloved GR. Kept it as it is a more serene, approachable and non-aggressive avatar.

I generated my nick during the days of USENET, specifically S.C.T. (social.culture.thai) inaugurated 1991, which was about 25+ years ago. Just noticed I spelled it as TyWais then. A play on words as it could be pronounced Thai Wise or Thai Wais or Thai Ways. Left S.C.T. during the beginning of the flame wars and my nick came with me to Thaivisa in February 2003.

My avatar is in memorial to our beloved GR. Kept it as it is a more serene, approachable and non-aggressive avatar.

I had always thought your nick was Thai Wais but the other two make sense too. Being the loving servant of a GR myself, I remember reading with great sadness about the passing of your beloved GR. Definitely nothing aggressive about a GR.

I have a Thai neighbor with a GR that barks hysterically at 5:30 AM every morning as the first round of monks go by ... same monks ... every day.

GRs are excellent judges of character.

GRs are excellent judges of character.

So now you are disparaging the character of the monks?

I have a Thai neighbor with a GR that barks hysterically at 5:30 AM every morning as the first round of monks go by ... same monks ... every day.

I had a friend who had a myna bird. One day he found it chanting due to the above.

I have a Thai neighbor with a GR that barks hysterically at 5:30 AM every morning as the first round of monks go by ... same monks ... every day.

I had a friend who had a myna bird. One day he found it chanting due to the above.

These monks just walk quietly past the dog as this house is not on their chanting circuit.