Fake David Bowie Trolled Fans On Message Boards
This screenshot periodically circulates the internet, bringing laughs and smiles to old Bowie fans. Supposedly, the author was Bowie himself, using an alias to troll his fans.
The truth of the matter is much less entertaining, though the subject matter remains hilarious. Let’s unwind this mystery together.
Bowie was one of the first celebrities to embrace the internet, releasing a single on the web and starting his ISP, BowieNet, by the mid-’90s. It’s well known that Bowie had a wacky sense of humor. It’s also true that he had his own message board on BowieNet, which he used to post on as Sailor. The name “Sailor” is presumed to be a reference to the photo of him standing on a boat wearing an American-themed thong.
Unfortunately, though, the screenshot was not actually taken from BowieNet, but a forum called Teenage Wildlife. This was where you went when you got banned from the other Bowie forums. The TW website contained enormous amounts of valuable Bowie info, but it was mostly filled with trolls and a fair amount of terrible poetry.
On the TW forum, there was a user using the same name as the real Bowie did on his own forum, which is how the confusion started. Most users were aware of this. The user was also known as Muhammed Shibaz Moqito, who is known for his TubGirl pranks.
Image courtesy of davidbowie.com 
The point is Bowie seldomly posted on his own forum, let alone others. When he did, it was to debunk rumors or rant about his latest musical discoveries.