Does Greg Lie?
Entry posted by bonesiii
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Every once in a while someone accusing Greg of lying. People wanna know what's gonna happen ahead of time, and sometimes there are Big Theory Debates that get everybody madly curious. What's a poor author to say when someone asks point-blank, is it true?
Recently, a member whose name won't be mentioned here said this:
Things Greg had denied time and time again were true
So Greg lied? When people PMed him asking "Is Takua Takanuva?" or the like, did he just say "no", knowing full well that he'd be caught in the lie eventually? Why would he do that?
No.
Greg has NEVER denied anything unless it actually isn't true.
What happens is, we read way too much into some of his answers. Then we spread the false rumor that he denied something. Then, when it's revealed, all those misinformed people conclude, "Greg lied!
"That is OUR fault. Not his.
As I put it in response to that member after PMing to ask for more detail:
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Got your PM -- apparently you are talking about the 2006 Makuta return and the Takua becoming Takanuva false rumors. I closely followed both of those -- Greg NEVER denied those.
What he DID is ask rhetorical questions in reply -- like "Does it really make sense?" He's clever, of course -- he doesn't want to spoil the fun.
But people read way too much into what he says, and read answers like that as "no" when he never said that. Then we spread false rumors that he denied something -- what is he supposed to do? If he points out that he didn't actually deny it (if he even knows we've spread the false rumor), that's basically the same as confirming it. Which would defeat the point. So he has to just be silent on it.
I myself have been guilty of this -- during the whole "Dume is Makuta" theory thing, I saw a quote where Greg pointed out a reason to think Dume couldn't be Makuta -- something to do with the Metru Rahkshi having come in from elsewhere instead of Metru Nui. Clever of him -- he planted the idea that Dume very well might not be Makuta -- but he did NOT deny it. After all, what if Makuta just ordered those Rahkshi to come in so he wouldn't have to worry about making more on location? Seems obvious in hindsight, but just about everybody assumed it amounted to a denial.
I even closed theories that said otherwise based on this. >_< But lo and behold, we were wrong -- Dume WAS Makuta, and Greg DIDN'T deny it.
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In other words, what Greg sometimes does is answer as if he DIDN'T know either way, but is just commenting on it from the perspective of theories. When he does this, he never clearly confirms or denies -- he merely comments on how much a possibility might make sense, or not make sense, and why.
Now, it IS possible that he would deny something because at the time it wasn't planned, but later change his mind. I have seen this happen once, and he was crystal clear about it. Certainly we can't fault him for that either -- he's not a prophet.
In fact, that very question might have been what got him thinking maybe it would be best that way. He's human. If anyone doesn't believe me, I challenge you to prove it. Show me the quote where Greg "denied" something that was actually true (and known by Greg to be true at the time). Or if you don't have proof, tell me about what you think he lied -- chances are the real scoop was in plain sight in the theories forum.
If Greg ever did lie, we would be able to show the proof, and his credibility would go down to zero. Greg knows the value of his answers being trustworthy -- he has always said that the very reason he came to BZP was to correct misinformation. Tell me, what would be the point of lying?
Should he use clever "weasel" answers? Well, maybe that's debatable, but as an aspiring author myself, I can put myself in his shoes and answer personally with a resounding yes! His job is NOT to give things away. His job is to write the story and help us enjoy it.
So as long as he is telling the truth, he's both preserving the surprise AND challenging you guys to use better thinking skills.
If Greg gives such an answer in the future, why not think more carefully about it? If you catch it, you just might be able to use it in your theory as a "he didn't deny it" piece of evidence (as long as you have other evidence that says it might be true, so it's not speculation). You could have the best theory on the issue in S&T.
So let's be careful about what we claim Greg denied, and stop spreading false rumors.
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