OLD photos as profIle photos ....

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1CountryGirl05
1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
edited April 2016 in Chit-Chat
I've got a new account but on my old account I found multiple people who were using Internet photos and passing them off as themselves.

Also, talked to multiple people who admitted to using photos of themselves when they were in better shape.

Personally, I become increasingly frustrated by this and deleted my account. I thought, "Who needs fake friends?"

I feel like it's sort of cheating to use inaccurate photos while I use the real me.

I'm not judging the people, I really just don't understand the thought process for this. I mean it's a fitness site so wouldn't it be more helpful to use your own photo and a current one?

Curious what others think....
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Replies

  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 690 Member
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    I don't think I've ever spent 2 seconds thinking about what people use as their picture on here. But it would be incredibly creepy if someone used someone ELSE's picture. That's weird. If it's just old or outdated, who cares? I feel like the pictures are a pretty irrelevant part of this site to me.
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
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    I have an old photo of myself as my profile picture. That's me, 8 years ago, at my best. It's the me I'm trying to get back. I put it there for myself - when I log into MFP, I see that picture and I'm reminded of what I'm working for, here. It's motivating.

    There's no intent whatsoever to be misleading or to cheat. Why should my profile picture be "helpful" to anyone but myself?
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    ald783 wrote: »
    I don't think I've ever spent 2 seconds thinking about what people use as their picture on here. But it would be incredibly creepy if someone used someone ELSE's picture. That's weird. If it's just old or outdated, who cares? I feel like the pictures are a pretty irrelevant part of this site to me.

    There was a guy using a photo of a fitness trainer as himself. The photo was of Marc Fitt. I have numerous examples but this is just one of them.

    To me, it's relevant because that's all we have is a photo. I just want to know who I'm talking to. Haha

  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 690 Member
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    JeepHair77 wrote: »
    There's no intent whatsoever to be misleading or to cheat. Why should my profile picture be "helpful" to anyone but myself?

    Exactly. And this isn't a dating site (I realize some ignore that fact) where it really matters if you're using the most recent, accurate photo. My profile pic is from 2.5 years ago but it's an easy head shot to use for stuff like this when I just need a generic headshot.
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 690 Member
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    1CountryGirl05 wrote: »
    ald783 wrote: »
    I don't think I've ever spent 2 seconds thinking about what people use as their picture on here. But it would be incredibly creepy if someone used someone ELSE's picture. That's weird. If it's just old or outdated, who cares? I feel like the pictures are a pretty irrelevant part of this site to me.

    There was a guy using a photo of a fitness trainer as himself. The photo was of Marc Fitt. I have numerous examples but this is just one of them.

    To me, it's relevant because that's all we have is a photo. I just want to know who I'm talking to. Haha

    And I agree it's really weird if someone is using someone else's picture. But an outdated pic.. who cares. It's not like it makes the person you're talking to or getting advice from any less "them". Or that someone can't still provide helpful guidance or suggestions if they've regained weight.
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
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    Who cares about what other people have? So what if I want to be a taiwanese underwear model one day and a korean drama actor the next! You're not my mom!

    (I have a few friends with pics of them at a younger age or maybe even someone else completely. They say they can look at it each time they log in and give them inspiration to reach that level.)
  • JeepHair77
    JeepHair77 Posts: 1,291 Member
    edited April 2016
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    1CountryGirl05 wrote: »
    To me, it's relevant because that's all we have is a photo. I just want to know who I'm talking to. Haha

    Nah. People's words tell you a whole lot more about who they are than the tiny picture to the left.
  • canadjineh
    canadjineh Posts: 5,396 Member
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    I think people might use a photo of someone else as a motivator for themselves (although if they are trying to pass themselves off as that person - just way tooooo creepy). I put pix on mine that remind me of fun times (for instance my present one - Mardi Gras) or of getting to my goal (over 2 yrs ago) or continued success in maintenance... Everyone has a different reason for their profile & other pix, and as ald783 said it's not supposed to be a hook-up site anyhow.
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    xSPICYx wrote: »
    Who cares about what other people have? So what if I want to be a taiwanese underwear model one day and a korean drama actor the next! You're not my mom!

    (I have a few friends with pics of them at a younger age or maybe even someone else completely. They say they can look at it each time they log in and give them inspiration to reach

    You are always hilarious!!! I'm sorry about your Mommy issues.

    And I'm not talking about the people who tell everyone it's for inspiration. There is nothing wrong with that.

    I mean for instance I had a friend who posted photos and said they were showing her progress progress but then told me she didn't look like that anymore.

    Then that's not progress. That's inspiration for what you want to look like again.

  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 690 Member
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    If we're talking accuracy, one could make the argument that a selfie from a deliberately overhead angle is as inaccurate as an outdated picture.
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    I don't know. I'm just saying when I a fatty, I posted photos of my fat self is all.

    I'm really just curious of the purpose.

    If the purpose is motivation then that makes sense.

    I'm married and so I know it's not a dating site. But I do know people hook up from here. And I had a male friend who told me how shocked he was when he arrived to meet a girl. She was not in the shape he though she was. :smiley: *Stop judging. Both parties were single.* But he's in super awesome shape and got a shock upon arrival. Haha. Oh well
  • not_a_runner
    not_a_runner Posts: 1,343 Member
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    JeepHair77 wrote: »
    I have an old photo of myself as my profile picture. That's me, 8 years ago, at my best. It's the me I'm trying to get back. I put it there for myself - when I log into MFP, I see that picture and I'm reminded of what I'm working for, here. It's motivating.

    There's no intent whatsoever to be misleading or to cheat. Why should my profile picture be "helpful" to anyone but myself?

    I love this reason, and I think using a photo that inspires you every time you see it is a great idea.
    Maybe it seems a bit strange to use someone else's picture, but it could be for the same reason.
    And personally, I wouldn't want to look at a picture of myself when I was at my heaviest every time I log in.
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    JeepHair77 wrote: »
    I have an old photo of myself as my profile picture. That's me, 8 years ago, at my best. It's the me I'm trying to get back. I put it there for myself - when I log into MFP, I see that picture and I'm reminded of what I'm working for, here. It's motivating.

    There's no intent whatsoever to be misleading or to cheat. Why should my profile picture be "helpful" to anyone but myself?


    I had not looked at it from this angle. I actually posted my fat photos because I hated seeing them and it made me work harder. It was like an ugly wake up call every time I opened MFP. IF I would have posted my cutesy 105 pound self I would have gotten compliments and then been depressed I think. Haha



  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    ald783 wrote: »
    If we're talking accuracy, one could make the argument that a selfie from a deliberately overhead angle is as inaccurate as an outdated picture.

    If you are talking about my photo, I was just trying to get my whole body. But my profile has photos from different angles posted. I didn't deliberately do anything. I'm actually quite new to selfies. I hid from the camera until about December when friends encouraged me to jump onto the selfie bandwagon.

    I'm a size 3/4 now but I was about a size 12 at one point.
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
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    Honestly, misleading photos is nothing new. Angled pics have been popular along misleading since the MySpace days, and old/slimmer pics are used quite often on dating sites or apps such as Tinder. Since I'm not a big social networker, I don't come across it personally that often, but I have been fooled once back during myspace days. Chick had only angled face photos with a little bit of cleavage, but when I showed up to pick her up, she was at least 300lbs. Now I just request nudes to verify ;);)
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    xSPICYx wrote: »
    Honestly, misleading photos is nothing new. Angled pics have been popular along misleading since the MySpace days, and old/slimmer pics are used quite often on dating sites or apps such as Tinder. Since I'm not a big social networker, I don't come across it personally that often, but I have been fooled once back during myspace days. Chick had only angled face photos with a little bit of cleavage, but when I showed up to pick her up, she was at least 300lbs. Now I just request nudes to verify ;);)

    Bwaaaa omg I'm sorry but I can't stop laughing. That's one hell of an angle if it hid 300 pounds. I could make myself dissappear from that angle then! I don't know anything about MySpace or dating sites. I've been with my husband for 30 years. Haha we met the old fashioned way .... in grade school.
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    1CountryGirl05 wrote: »
    xSPICYx wrote: »
    Honestly, misleading photos is nothing new. Angled pics have been popular along misleading since the MySpace days, and old/slimmer pics are used quite often on dating sites or apps such as Tinder. Since I'm not a big social networker, I don't come across it personally that often, but I have been fooled once back during myspace days. Chick had only angled face photos with a little bit of cleavage, but when I showed up to pick her up, she was at least 300lbs. Now I just request nudes to verify ;);)

    Bwaaaa omg I'm sorry but I can't stop laughing. That's one hell of an angle if it hid 300 pounds. I could make myself dissappear from that angle then! I don't know anything about MySpace or dating sites. I've been with my husband for 30 years. Haha we met the old fashioned way .... in grade school.

    Oops 20 years not 30 years. ROFL
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
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    I don't use dating sates either, but I still know about them. lol And MySpace? really? I thought everyone had a myspace at some point in their life :lol:
  • King_Spicy
    King_Spicy Posts: 821 Member
    edited April 2016
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    1CountryGirl05 wrote: »
    Oops 20 years not 30 years. ROFL

    Don't lie. You meant 30 years, you old *kitten*
  • 1CountryGirl05
    1CountryGirl05 Posts: 73 Member
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    xSPICYx wrote: »
    I don't use dating sates either, but I still know about them. lol And MySpace? really? I thought everyone had a myspace at some point in their life :lol:

    No, I do have facebook which I rarely use. Haha

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