Common Mistakes

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Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 2:07 pm

Have you ever emailed a lad, posing as one of your characters, from another character's email account? I just did, fortunately the lad was too stupid to notice...

What are the most common mistakes you make on a regular basis. For me, I tend to get my character's back stories mixed up.

Not quite a Newb Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 21

I tend to be too direct with the lad, asking quite early a trophy.

But as I start baiting 10-20 lads, I always get a few 3 or 4 that accept my requests. So they are the nice mugu that are worth the shot to work with Very Happy

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:13 pm

I can't say there are any mistakes I make on a regular basis. Not because I am so perfect that I don't make mistakes, but because I don't think there are many mistakes you can't talk your way out of in a bait.

One of the most worrisome was in our Shorty bait earlier this year. We use photos of Nicole Richie as Lucy, typically ones that aren't so obviously famous. I am usually very careful to edit them in some way so they won't show up in TinEye or other googleable ways. However, once I forgot to change the name of the photo's file name and it clearly said something like: '944653803_richie_nicole.jpg'.

Thinking the gig was up, all of Team Shorty were all on pins and needles for 24 hours awaiting Shorty's reply. Would he notice it?

Of course he noticed it but not in the way we thought. He thought the name was 'Richie Nicole' and that was the name of one of Lucy's kidnappers! Laughing

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 4:26 pm

^^^

Don't see why the lads should worry with slips like that, often they post with a different name than the email account one. Wink

Baiting Guru Joined: 10 Oct 2003 Posts: 4747

I think a general mistake people make is being too nervous or worry about details. I have changed names, emails, phone numbers on lads and they haven’t even batted an eye.

I’ve made the mistake a of misdirecting emails a ton of times, with very little fall out.

People should take care, but a few mistakes rarely ruin a bait, as long as the lad is properly hooked.

Elite Baiter Joined: 02 Jul 2006 Posts: 1702

over stretching myself, there are only 24hrs in a day, i tend to have about 50 things at once on the go, some lads im straight baiting, some im testing new things on, and then im doing 101 things in other areas as well.

I think its fair to say that is my worse trait, as it delays everything and then i have no patience. but i do manage to get there in the end Razz

im sure there are a few lads out there with a nice dose of fatigue.

Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 10:18 pm

I always catch myself before writing my own name at the end of an email to a lad. Especially if I write 'Regards' to sign off

I think it's habit from when I write work emails and I have to stop myself writing my real name in baits. I did it once and the lad asked about it. Just mentioned that it was my middle name which a lot of people use to refer to me - he bought it.

Just need to make sure it doesn't swing the other way and I start signing off my work emails with my baiting character names Laughing

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 1:56 am

GreyAmadeus wrote:

Just need to make sure it doesn't swing the other way and I start signing off my work emails with my baiting character names Laughing

I imagine my boss would be concerned if I signed off as Ben Dover or my personal favorite Harold Knutz

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:09 am

I've accidentally sent a lad a message CC:ed to other characters that aren't supposed to know each other Embarassed

It is usually handled by blaming harckers who are trying to chop the lad's dollar.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:23 am

I just about sent a personal email about weekend plans to one of my lads. I use Thunderbird, so the contacts for all of my different email addresses are in one address book. I have a friend whose email starts with "phil.g" and I'm used to typing "phil." and then hitting tab and having his email get entered into the recipient field. But I had recently started baiting a lad whose address began "phil.d" so it put his email in the recipient field instead. I had typed the email and hit send before I realized my mistake and I was just able to hit cancel before it sent it. Embarassed

I ended up dropping the lad and deleting his email from my address book because I knew that I would keep doing that.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:26 pm

Early on my mistake was responding too quickly and not doing the one question per email, one email per day.

After reading accounts other baiters posted, I quickly broke that habit -- so much so that occasionally after not hearing from me for a while, I get the "Are you dead?" in the subject line from the lad.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:39 pm

In my early baiting days, more than just a few times I signed emails to the lads with my real initials - because I was sending so many work emails which I signed off that way (automatically). Obviously this is not at all safe baiting! The way I fixed it was to use a different web-based email for my baiting accounts so the look and feel was totally different, and also adopting baiting characters who wrote in a style completely separate from my own personal voice. By doing this I was able to train myself to prevent mistakes like these.

Nowadays I still make quite a few mistakes but they are completely harmless. All of them can be considered carelessness and lack of detail in remembering which bait is which, or which storyline is which. For example replying to Scammer #1 that I have still not heard from the barrister, when this ought to go to a totally different Scammer #2. Or other times when I have accidentally made an excuse related to a payment when the lad has not reached the point of requesting payment. And so on and so forth.
Fortunately almost all of these can be handled by apologizing and telling the lad "this relates to a different business, please delete that email". And sometimes you get a lad warning as a bonus as they try to get you to focus on their deal and theirs alone.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:42 pm

I've become a bit lazy and blasé about my baiting these days and make lots of mistakes. If lads pick up on anything and question me about it, I just ask if they want me to point out all the spelling and grammatical mistakes they have made in their emails to me. It always shuts them up even if they know how to write correctly. Wink

My favourite lad mistake is when they mix me up with someone else and write saying a cancer patient has died, but I still get email from the deceased. That's happened to me a couple of times and is priceless.

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

I've only got the few working at the moment, and they are my first. I already see that I am thinking too far ahead and trying to anticipate where I can work certain things into these. I'm working on breaking that habit!

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:47 pm

Chatting has its hazards where you can get baits mixed up. For example, I had "S3ly Love" (stredded in Brazil with her trunkbox) and "4nita Sexy" (romance scammer, with a trunkbox in the background). I sent off a less that impressed message to Sely's contact 4nton Frey, who'd sent me a crappy invoice. Then up pops Anita...

----- Our chat on Wed, 26/1/11 3:32 PM -----
AS (2:02 PM): hello
AS (2:02 PM): how are u doing today?
Mal (2:02 PM): Oh hi.
Mal (2:02 PM): Not so well.
AS (2:02 PM): why?
AS (2:02 PM): ur leg right?
Mal (2:03 PM): The doctor called me in today on a public holiday - he was worried about secondary infection with MRSA.
AS (2:04 PM): really?
AS (2:04 PM): oh sorry
AS (2:05 PM): how wich i can be with u to take care of you now?
Mal (2:06 PM): He also needed a urine sample to check how my kidneys are coping with heavy and regular painkillers.
AS (2:07 PM): oh sorry
AS (2:08 PM): go and get marriage
AS (2:08 PM): plz
Mal (2:08 PM): Not sure if I see the link there...
AS (2:09 PM): if even you can,t get marriage to me try and get marriage to some one else okay please i beg you with name of god.........
Mal (2:11 PM): Whoah there, hold on! What's with you? Don't get your nickers in a knot, as they say over here.
AS (2:12 PM): what do you mean?
Mal (2:12 PM): You sounded a bit... over-anxious.
AS (2:13 PM): go and get marriage
AS (2:13 PM): plz plz plz
Mal (2:13 PM): To who?
AS (2:14 PM): you
Mal (2:15 PM): Marry myself? Too-wubba-hoo?
AS (2:16 PM): u mean you will marriage ur self?
Mal (2:17 PM): No I don't!
AS (2:19 PM): when are you going to get marriage?
Mal (2:20 PM): When the right woan comes along...?
Mal (2:20 PM): woman?
AS (2:20 PM): u are old go and get marriage
Mal (2:20 PM): I know that.
AS (2:22 PM): then what is the problem with you now for not getting narriage?
Mal (2:25 PM): Until five years ago I was in no position to. After that, I haven't met the one I want to settle down with. There were some girls it was OK to, well, spend time with, but no to settle down with, like I said.
AS (2:28 PM): i just that the reason why you don,t want get marriage
AS (2:28 PM): ?
Mal (2:28 PM): What?
AS (2:29 PM): just like that
Mal (2:30 PM): I don't get it.
AS (2:30 PM): go and marriage
Mal (2:30 PM): Is that an ORDER?
AS (2:31 PM): no how can you say that?
Mal (2:31 PM): Sounds like it to me!
AS (2:32 PM): no
AS (2:32 PM): but just try plz
Mal (2:32 PM): Not until I'm healthy.
AS (2:33 PM): okay if that is what you want no problem
Mal (2:37 PM): Fine. We have consensus at last.
AS (2:37 PM): haahahha
Mal (2:37 PM): Don't we?
AS (2:38 PM): yes
Mal (2:38 PM): Well then?
AS (2:39 PM): so what next?
Mal (2:40 PM): Well, I suppose I could be a little less aloof towards the local girls...
AS (2:41 PM): why?
Mal (2:41 PM): Then maybe I'd get to know them better; maybe one of them is Ms Right.
AS (2:42 PM): ok
[This is where my attention wandered…]
Mal (2:45 PM): Well, as I wrote you before, that Frey guy is a few rounds short of a full clip.
AS (2:45 PM): i see
Mal (2:46 PM): He sent me an effectively blank invoice.
AS (2:47 PM): who are u talking about?
[Shit! Wrong Lad! Quick, evasive!]
Mal (2:47 PM): Never mind. Someone bugging me a lot. I thought I mentioned him before.
AS (2:48 PM): plz tell me who is that?
Mal (2:49 PM): Guy who claimed I owed him over a tour mixup. You sure I didn't tell you before?
AS (2:50 PM): know
AS (2:50 PM): at where?
Mal (2:51 PM): In one of our chats. He wants $8700 for stuff he claims I promised to supply as part of a tour deal. He's talking out of his ass.
AS (2:52 PM): and how is that?
Mal (2:53 PM): Because he's bullshitting. I made no such promises.
AS (2:53 PM): from where?
AS (2:54 PM): where is that person from?
Mal (2:54 PM): Canada.
AS (2:55 PM): okay
AS (2:55 PM): i told is from ghana
AS (2:55 PM): so what do want to do now?
Mal (2:57 PM): Sorry, what?
AS (2:57 PM): this is bussiness
Mal (2:58 PM): So is that asshole suing me!
AS (2:59 PM): then after you pay that money what are you to get in retoun?
Mal (2:59 PM): I'm not paying because I don't owe Frey a gorram cent.
AS (3:00 PM): really?
AS (3:01 PM): but is business?
Mal (3:01 PM): Really!
AS (3:02 PM): canada
AS (3:02 PM): do you know any body in cannada?
Mal (3:02 PM): No.
Mal (3:03 PM): He was arranging a tour with me that never came off and he claims that I owe him for stuff purchased for the tour but never used/
AS (3:04 PM): just like that?
Mal (3:05 PM): Yeah.
AS (3:05 PM): about from you job you are doing ?
AS (3:05 PM): do you have any other in any where else?
Mal (3:05 PM): I'm a survival instructor and tour guide.
AS (3:07 PM): i know. but do you have any other business in any where else?
Mal (3:07 PM): No.
AS (3:07 PM): not even ghana?
AS (3:08 PM): not even nigeria?
AS (3:08 PM): what about cannada?
Mal (3:10 PM): Of course not.
[I think it worked…]
AS (3:10 PM): what about brazia?
[Or did it?]
Mal (3:11 PM): What?
AS (3:12 PM): i said about brazie?
AS (3:13 PM): i just want to know big people like you have business in every where in the world
[It did – phew!]

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:54 pm

When you phone bait, and fellow baiters are listening in - make sure they are properly muted. A fellow baiter forgot to do that last time I called one of my lads, and the lad asked who were laughing in the background. I had to explain that I was at the office and it must've been one of my colleagues.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 4:54 pm

I have made two serious mistakes. One was when i called a lad and the wrong number showed on his display. I was supposed to call from Sweden and a UK number showed. Not good.

Another time (a week ago) i mixed up two lads. I spoke to Jonathan's oga and kept on talking about Sunday in our Operation Gold bait. Also not good.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:08 pm

I try to stick to ONE story line at a time. It's less confusing.

Baiting Guru Joined: 27 Mar 2011 Posts: 21158

firehouse5 wrote:

In my early baiting days, more than just a few times I signed emails to the lads with my real initials -

There is another habit I am working on.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:55 pm

Eliza! Eliza Eliza Eliza welcome back girl!

Ob mistake: I have too much fun with my friends on Eater.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 6:00 pm

I made the mistake of giving my character the telephone number of Vicky, who is obviously female, but had no way to answer with a female voice. This caused a lot of problems and raised my lads suspicion.

Eventually I arranged for Vicky to die. He seems to have accepted that.

But if you play someone of the opposite sex, and are willing to accept phone calls, then you need some way of spoofing the voice.

I won't make that mistake again.

wasname

Elite Baiter Joined: 19 Jun 2011 Posts: 1066

Mine isn't really a mistake so much as it is a character flaw. I'm incredibly cheap (read: poor). I'm in a two person household where only one of those persons (not me) is working so I have to find a way to bait with out spending a penny. That means no phone calls. Ever. I've already lost quite a few lads because of this. No worries though. There are still plenty of lads out there to mess with and I don't even need to worry about them ringing me at inconvenient times.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Having dead characters, in a complex bait, suddenly come to life. It's usually easy to work past it, and causes general confusion for the lad, which is probably a good thing. As long as the money is on the way, they will look past even the most grievous mistake.

Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:15 pm

I love it when I do not respond for a while and the lad puts "Are you dead?" in the subject line.

On occasion, I have been known to respond: "Yes I have been dead for sometime now. How is the transaction going? What do we need to do next?"

Most do not even read or comprehend, they just go on about sending the money via WU/MG?

Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2011 1:40 am

I do pretty good in emails but I have a habit of re-reading emails before hitting send taught myself this for RL after writting "Hell" instead of "Hello".

My slip ups seem to happen on the phone. I was baiting two modalities at the same time and a lad called me and I started yelling at him for not picking is package from Gp3 it took me 5 minutes to realize it was a differant lad calling about a church scholarship.

I also made a call for a fellow Baiter one time who was a gold lad. I called one of my lads instead and it was 10 minutes of pure confusion but the lad just went along with it.

My favorite slip up though was a call with Dora. We were interrogating some of my C4C members and Dora kept calling them clown lads. I had to keep muting so the lad couldn't hear me. The lad never picked up on it.