Yeah, we all want to think people are being honest but unfortunately some people just push to see what they can get away with. Even harder to understand are the people who seem to "get off" on manipulating others with lies, etc.

Count me among the people who have made some good travel contacts on Mudcat and been grateful for a place to stay and people to share music and meals with. When I announced a trip to England where I would be grateful for a clean spot on the floor and a sink to wash in, I was offered hospitable lodgings from a number of people,too many offers to accept. Some of the folks still offer me a bed when I go there and we always have a great time. I have offered them the same. Some even offered me long-term accomodation if I decided to enroll in an aromatherapy course. It's hard to fathom this kind of generosity but there ya go. Some online communities by their very nature contain genuinely nice people (like this folk music site)--some don't. The trick is to learn how to gauge sincerity in people...not easy to do online.