I suspect that they are so totally inconsequential in their own lives that getting any acknowledgment, even as a pest to strangers on the internet, provides them with some short-lived feelings of relevance. A genuinely sad existence.
@BCWitness: Best description of the cameraderie and ethos of bigfooting or just getting out in nature with friends. Makes life worth living, whether you find lots of trackways or not. I like that expression “medical adventures” even for hospital stays. Good attitude; life’s always an adventure.