Alterac Valley practical jokes

I am writing this while I wait for my Deserter debuff to wear off. No, I didn't exit a Battleground because it was going badly (I don't do that). No, I didn't have to leave because my daughter needed me (she's fine). I have the debuff because I am absurdly gullible. Yes, I just fell for the latest Alterac Valley practical joke and I'm pretty angry at myself about it.

Orange is the emote color. I know this. Yet, I still fell for it when someone emoted that I had been reported for AFK and to type /AFK Report to find out why. I couldn't believe someone would have reported me for being AFK before the game even started! (Can you even do that?) And so I immediately typed /AFK report, hit enter and got slapped in the face with the loading screen. My husband tried to stop me, but he was too late. So now he's snickering. I feel so stupid.

I felt this stupid a year ago when I fell for the now classic "help me summon" joke. Someone calls out to help him summon a friend to the AV instance. (You can't do that.) And then he throws up a portal. And you click on it, if you are a sucker like me, then get transported to a town and get the lovely Deserter debuff.

Years ago, when I played EQ, I fell for someone emoting that they pickpocketed me and I almost cried at the loss of my hard earned cash. You'd think I'd get wiser about these things. I'm not stupid. I am just too trusting.

I'd like to blame my first MMO experience. Ultima Online was painful with the pickpocketing and other tools that were available to griefers. But then I remember the time my "best friend" pulled the chair out from under me in the cafeteria, embarrassing me in front of the whole school. And the time my "best friends" at this other school conspired against me during a piggyback ride and I ended up with a hospital trip. And, well, I guess I'm just a sucker.

So, please, learn from my mistakes. If the text is in orange, it's an emote.

Have you fallen for these too? (Please make me feel better.) More importantly, do you know of any others you can warn me about?