At least you got a reply!
Anyone else heard anything?
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 12:19 pm
enaxor
Recruitment Puzzle
I sent the answer to the puzzle, but forgot to apply for a specific job. Here's what Annie Goldstein sent. Too bad it's nothing new.
Annie Goldstein wrote:
Hi Roxanne,
We've got several recruitment puzzles, and this one has stumped more than 90%
of our prospects.
Were you applying for a specific position? Just curious. If I've
misplaced a previous email, I apologize. It feels like we're out
Google-ing Google, in terms of recruiting. I haven't seen the top of
my desk in weeks.
In the meantime, if you'd like to see what life on the inside is
like, one of our new hires has started a blog (complete with video).
Again, nice work on the puzzle. You're in good company.
Regards,
Annie Goldstein
Senior Recruiter.
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 11:51 am
Darren Knight
...Alex, i think you may be over thinking this analogy. He just means that we are making alot of speculation and assumptions over this matter or the crossword puzzle.
Anywho, no new updates as of yet. I just wanted to add that I probably wasnt supposed to find the twitter, lol. It was a good way to cover it up and backtrack for the PM =)
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 8:03 am
alexbutterfield
Nate's picture and reply to blog comment
Re: Nates blog profile pic. It's too trivial a place for anything meaningful, these PMs seem to make the puzzles have a plausible origin, like solve this to apply for a job type thing, a realistic reason for them to be posed - that's how I'm looking at this ARG. I don't expect to find morse code hidden for the sake of it. No guiding from behind the curtain.
But what about this picture. For one it doesn't look like the guy in the videos. (i guess maybe its just a bad hair day and/or my eyes are off, or maybe they used one model for that photo and another for the acting) for two, what's with the exploding car in the background? is this a still from a movie? its clearly (clearly) photoshopped, i only point it out because the original is in his myspace pics with a plain background. coincidence? clue?
edit: i thought i'd ask him, why not?
Okay to the real point of my post. I posted a comment on the original crossword blog entry. and got a reply today. I'll copy paste it here.
Quote:
Blogger alex butterfield said...
Hi Nathan:
Interesting blog.
First I want to agree that it is pretty weird to keep someone's office completely intact. Why has this happened? Haven't you asked anyone about it?
Secondly, I'd like to propose to you that what is weirder is that a great puzzle-solver like Dr. Gough would even attempt a puzzle as easy as this crossword. Let alone that he would get answers wrong.
He was clearly hiding a message within this crossword, as people have detailed in your later post.
Following this logic it is fair to assume that Dr. Gough KNEW in advance that he was going to 'disappear' and that he left this coded message as a clue to the truth behind something, perhaps even his disappearance. Perhaps we could conclude that his death off the coast of Belize is suspicious, or that conversely he is not dead at all. (Which would explain why his office is not cleared out. For this theory to be true, someone in the office must know something.)
What do you say to that?
Quote:
Blogger codewtrN8 said...
Thanks. I knew my blog would be interesting to me. Anyone else is just bonus.
I guess, in response, I will quote one of my professors: "You look like you need a shave. I think Occam has a razor." (Do they all take a course in corny jokes before they can teach?)
From what I know, people around here revered Dr. Gough. Even people who have arrived after he died get. He founded the company so it's hard to separate who he was from the company. To me, five months seems like a long time. But maybe I'd be more inclined to hold on to the past if I had been with him for years.
I don't know what to make of the crossword puzzle. Since I was recruited with an elaborate puzzle, I figured it was a puzzle they used in the past. I know my puzzle was taken down.
But you have given me something to think about. Please don't make me think too much. It's Friday.
May 9, 2008 1:04 PM
man, and i thought i'd kept my post pretty concise
does he invoke occam's razor to say that my theory needs cutting down? how would he know? is this a bit of PM seeping through? because otherwise i don't quite get the point of that first paragraph.
the scary thing is i really do need a shave - these guys have a lot of info on us.
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 2:34 am
ares5000
Bored friday night update: so looking over the crossword puzzle, all of the wrong letters spell out NOT NICE.
Nate and Eliza are my myspace buddies now! I messaged them asking how Holomove is because I'm looking for work as well.
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 1:01 am
redct
An XKCD ARG would be totally awesome. XKCD being XKCD, you know, it'd be a perfect fit.
Plus, something that popped out at me:
16 Across on the puzzle was "HATTRICK"
Maybe a clue to his disappearance; "it was all a magic trick"?
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:06 pm
Darren Knight
Ill do that for you, here is Nate's Linkedin for everyone to see:
Study in (DPSS) Diode Pumped Solid Sate Lasers and Copper-Vapor based lasers, Acousto-Optic Devices
Recommend Nathan's work at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Summer Research Scholar
National Science Foundation
(Government Agency ; 1001-5000 employees ; Government Administration industry)
June 2005 – August 2005 ( 3 months)
3D Printing: Rapid prototyping using FDM Fused Deposit Modeling and 2-Photon Photopolymerization
Recommend Nathan's work at National Science Foundation
HelpDesk Representative
James Madison University - Computing HelpDesk
(Educational Institution ; 1001-5000 employees ; Information Technology and Services industry)
September 2003 – April 2005 (1 year 8 months)
Diagnosed software/hardware issues in person and via phone
Recommend Nathan's work at James Madison University - Computing HelpDesk
EducationJames Madison University
B.S., Computer Science, 2003 – 2006
Keio Gijuku Daigaku
Computer Science, 2002 – 2003
Additional InformationWebsites:
My Blog
My Company
Interests:
Legacy computer system emulation, travel, motorcycles, video games, music, photography
Honors and Awards:
JMU Association for Information Technology Professionals Award
Contact SettingsInterested In:
career opportunities
job inquiries
expertise requests
business deals
reference requests
getting back in touch
EDIT: BTW, everybody, there is a new post up by Nathan. apparently it is Pay Day!
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 8:26 pm
Nighthawk
Nathan added me to LinkedIn as well, but i don't have time right now to copy/paste his profile.
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 8:24 pm
Darren Knight
Has anyone tried befriending Ms. Goldstein. I shot her a request via my LinkedIn (saying that I am one of the people looking for a job) but I am still waiting for a reply.
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 8:20 pm
Nighthawk
Eliza Marks added me to her LinkedIn Connections. Her other two are Nathan Bozeman and Annie Goldstein.
The whole profile enchilada:
Quote:
Email: elizamarksSPLATgmail.com
Project Manager - Holomove
(Privately Held ; 11-50 employees ; Computer Hardware industry)
November 2006 – Present (1 year 7 months)
Ensure that objectives are accomplished in accordance with outlined priorities. Coordinate the successful development of several projects simultaneously. Delegate responsibilities and design time schedules. Review project status reports during each operational phase. Prepare weekly project status reports for management. Negotiate contracts that ensured quality.
Senior Associate Consultant - Mitchell Madison Group
(Privately Held ; 501-1000 employees ; Management Consulting industry)
October 2005 – August 2006 ( 11 months)
Provided business and technical consultation services. Responsible for all facets of business analysis, scope and specification reviews, system analysis and design, project management and scheduling, maintenance and training. Planned, directed, and managed designated projects.
Associate Consultant - Mitchell Madison Group
(Privately Held ; 501-1000 employees ; Management Consulting industry)
October 2003 – October 2005 (2 years 1 month)
Provided management consulting services and project support in strategy and business planning, network design operations and organization. Analyzed results of operations to discover more efficient ways to utilize resources.
Education:
University of Wisconsin
BA, BS, Psychology, Economics, 1998 – 2003
Graduated with honors with a double major in Psychology and Economics.
Managed annual student voting program, increased student participation by over 73%.
Thesis titled "Sexual Hormone Arbitration of Cerebral Sex Disparities: A Feminist Critique", 2003.
Activities and Societies: Intramural Martial Arts Club, Debate, A Cappella, Delta Sigma Theta, Republican Women's Club, snowboarding, bungi jumping, hang gliding, running, triathlons.
Interesting thesis there...
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 5:50 pm
celina63
[EMAIL] Nate responds to LinkedIn message
I added Nate to my LinkedIn connections and he accepted a couple days ago. Today I thought I would send him a message via LinkedIn:
Quote:
Hi Nate... my name is Celina and I'm a Software QA Engineer here in San Diego (well, as you can see from my profile ). Just wanted to welcome you to Sunny Sandy Eggo! If you're looking for someone to give you a tour of this fine city, or take you to a Padres game (I'm a Season ticket holder so have tix - and maybe they're start playing good again soon!), I'm your gal
Just curious - where in town is Holomove located? I'm in La Jolla, if you're near was should meet up for lunch!
*Disclaimer* - I'm married, but doesn't stop me from making new friends of both genders
Hope to hear from you soon!
Celina
He responds:
Quote:
Hi Celina,
Thanks for the offer. I guess networking is what this thing is for. Good disclaimer, I was starting to wonder. I actually just started a relationship, and between that and work, I don't think I should be networking with anyone. It all seems innocent enough, but I don't want to do anything to even imply infidelity. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I really like her.
I've moved around too much to grab onto a "home" team. But umm, go Padres!
Nate.
Gee. Did I come off like I was wanting a date or something? He's gonna have to get used to that from the fine folk of San Diego - we're a friendly bunch!
It also lists all the other places it's been used, but Asimov was, as you say, the creator of the term.
Though the more I think about it, it's probably just a plain old ST:TNG reference. I overthink things
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 4:03 pm
celina63
shylilembrace wrote:
Didn't H2G2 mention Positronics as well?
We were just talking in chat (#holomove) about it being possible that Asimov was the originator of the "positronic" term - the robots in I, Robot also had positronic brains.
Still, just a reference, IMO
/me waits to be proven wrong
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 3:56 pm
shylilembrace
Didn't H2G2 mention Positronics as well?
Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 3:45 pm
celina63
Re: Positronic matrix
alexbutterfield wrote:
I also found this choice of phrase in his blog interesting - seems like yet another link to AI.
It could also mean he's a Star Trek N3rd Data had a positronic brain...
Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 12:19 pm
