Return to Unfiction unforum
 a.r.g.b.b 
FAQ FAQ   Search Search 
 
Welcome!
New users, PLEASE read these forum guidelines. New posters, SEARCH before posting and read these rules before posting your killer new campaign. New players may also wish to peruse the ARG Player Tutorial.

All users must abide by the Terms of Service.
Website Restoration Project
This archiving project is a collaboration between Unfiction and Sean Stacey (SpaceBass), Brian Enigma (BrianEnigma), and Laura E. Hall (lehall) with
the Center for Immersive Arts.
Announcements
This is a static snapshot of the
Unfiction forums, as of
July 23, 2017.
This site is intended as an archive to chronicle the history of Alternate Reality Games.
  

The time now is Thu Nov 14, 2024 1:51 pm
All times are UTC - 4 (DST in action)		 View posts in this forum since last visit
View unanswered posts in this forum
Calendar
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: MetaCortechs » MetaCortechs: Puzzles
[PUZZLE] The SILVIA Files
View previous topicView next topic
Page 3 of 12 [172 Posts]   Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ..., 10, 11, 12  Next
Author Message
yanka
Fickle


Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Posts: 1214
Location: undesirable
BriEnigma wrote:
I guess we do not know exactly, but I have heard the term "footprint" used in a number of different ways. The obvious one is the print left from an actual foot. Footprint can also be the size of something left in a computer. Often times, this refers to how much memory a program takes up or how much space in a log something takes. For instance, if you can break into a system without leaving a log file, you have not left a footprint. On the other hand, if you are scanning a system for vulnerabilities and the action is detected and logged, you have left a pretty big footprint. Small, lightweight programs have a small memory footprint (useful when running in dedicated hardware like an organizer or calculator). Larger programs have a much larger memory footprint (like any program written by Microsoft in the past 5-10 years).


Of course, I get it, I've heard that term... Obviously, that's what THEY are talking about.

However, it's just so weird that the caption would say "sasquatch", and then #2 says "opposable thumbs", and all the "feet", "not human", etc. - could they be drawing our attention to something? I.e. one layer of context is the log file that, for example, #6 is looking at; and the other - ???
_________________
Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 3:51 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Azathoth666
Unfettered

Joined: 09 Oct 2003
Posts: 321
Location: OZ-tralia

 		To me, reading that the footprint wasn't human implies that it was left by a machine... possibly Labyrinth (nods to God)?

Looks to me as though a mega-powerful system was brought online and either: a) burnt itself out, b) was taken offline just as quickly or, c) went through a big resource spike during boot, then evened out.

Mind you, I could be wrong. I can't see this kind of thing only affecting one subnet, unless Beth loaded her own, mini-Labyrinth...?

I'm confusing myself now... Rolling Eyes
_________________
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:17 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
yanka
Fickle


Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Posts: 1214
Location: undesirable
Azathoth666 wrote:
To me, reading that the footprint wasn't human implies that it was left by a machine... possibly Labyrinth (nods to God)?


That just sparked something. The Labyrinth itself is probably not the "machine". But, the Labyrinth on Crete was built for Minotaur to live in, because Minotaur was a monster, and only half-human. So what if Marcus is heading project "Labyrinth" whose objective is to build a habitat for a "half-human", i.e. AI. Body = machine/or no body at all; mind = human (we only have one intelligent "mind" to model after). To continue with the analogy, AI is like the Minotaur; and humans will be sacrificed to him. "Minotaur" is already made/built, Beth didn't know about him (she didn't have access to the application), but this AI is already roaming free, leaving "footprints" on little-boxes' system??
_________________
Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:33 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Azathoth666
Unfettered

Joined: 09 Oct 2003
Posts: 321
Location: OZ-tralia
Quote:
but this AI is already roaming free, leaving "footprints" on little-boxes' system??


Great ideas, and it sits well with the classical literature/mythology which seems to be an undelying theme for almost everyone involved in this... but if there is a rogue AI running around (as it were), why on little-boxs? i'm starting to think that beth is a l33t h4x0r, but why would she cut an AI loose on her home system? Especially if it's going to spike everything...

ALTHOUGH...

That makes sense, coz little boxes is hosted by Underscore, who is in an exclusive aggreement with Metacortex to provide kick-arse web-servy stuff. So... if there is an AI which hits little-boxes and really hits up the usage stats, it makes sense because it will be residing on the same server cluster as Metacortex etc etc... which may also explain the glitch in the Metacortex site recently...

Stop me if I'm reading too much into this... Very Happy
_________________
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:50 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Pierre
Guest


 		The machine
Two things came to my mind as I read what you found about this new files...

1) They say something about a thunderstorm and the likes... Could this be a reference to Revolutions? Perhaps the spike was from the final battle between Neo and Smith? Perhaps Smith entered the computers... Not human after all...

2) Sticking to the game plot, well... Metacortex is developing an AI for it's new game system and it somehow got lose. Now it's stalking the net, hunting something specific... Could ppl die while loged to the MetaVRX, like they do in the matrix? This may be linked to the vanishing of James Avery... He may have found something or, and forgive me for saying such a weird thing, has transfered himself to the net (sounds TRON, doesn't it?)

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:51 am
 Back to top 
GOD
Guest


 		A.I.
yanka wrote:
Azathoth666 wrote:
To me, reading that the footprint wasn't human implies that it was left by a machine... possibly Labyrinth (nods to God)?


That just sparked something. The Labyrinth itself is probably not the "machine". But, the Labyrinth on Crete was built for Minotaur to live in, because Minotaur was a monster, and only half-human. So what if Marcus is heading project "Labyrinth" whose objective is to build a habitat for a "half-human", i.e. AI. Body = machine/or no body at all; mind = human (we only have one intelligent "mind" to model after). To continue with the analogy, AI is like the Minotaur; and humans will be sacrificed to him. "Minotaur" is already made/built, Beth didn't know about him (she didn't have access to the application), but this AI is already roaming free, leaving "footprints" on little-boxes' system??



Cool Very Happy Cool

Quote:
Morpheus: We have only bits and pieces of information, but what we know for certain is that at some point in the early twenty-first century all of mankind was united in celebration. We marveled at our own magnificence as we gave birth to A.I.

Neo: A.I.? You mean Artificial Intelligence?

Morpheus: A singular consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines.


*cough*

Wink Cool

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:54 am
 Back to top 
Guest
Guest


 		the conversation
Okay... bear with me... i should WAY be in bed...
Am I way far behind in recognizing that this is a conversation (ok, duh on that one) and that the different extensions seem to identify the author? Also, there appear to be at least 3 people--two of which are 'boys'. Does that make the other a girl?
Also, are there hackers just using other peoples' site without permission, or do the people in the conversation have links to the sites? If links to the sites, then we have little-boxes.net, theaquapolis, and paintover. If indeed one of the people in these conversations is a female AND the files are on little-boxes, doesn't it make sense that Beth is one of the people?
Who are the others? Who would be "owners" of the other sites?

"caesar" could be paintover owner, huh? Any possible link to a name we know already?

too late... must.. get..to. bed...

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 4:56 am
 Back to top 
Azathoth666
Unfettered

Joined: 09 Oct 2003
Posts: 321
Location: OZ-tralia

 		offtopic, notice how Agent Smith is (in reloaded/revolutions) also a singular consciousness spawning an entire race...? Even in M1, he wasn't singing from the same song-sheet as the "normal" agents...

Perhaps it's Smith stalking around on the USH servers and causing all kindsa mischeif... Agent Smith is a self-replicating worm about to mount a DDOS attack on the servers hosting the matrix itself... Which I guess would result in spikes on the servers hosting it...

What if Labyrinth (the "maze") is the matrix?

Now I know I'm reading too much ino it...

Maybe I should just sleep now before I do myself an injury... Smile
_________________
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:03 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
GOD
Guest


 		Poor Beth
Azathoth666 wrote:
Quote:
but this AI is already roaming free, leaving "footprints" on little-boxes' system??


Great ideas, and it sits well with the classical literature/mythology which seems to be an undelying theme for almost everyone involved in this... but if there is a rogue AI running around (as it were), why on little-boxs? i'm starting to think that beth is a l33t h4x0r, but why would she cut an AI loose on her home system? Especially if it's going to spike everything...


Beth is not l33t, she's not even a hacker.

Someone at MetaCortex - probably Marcus Ormond - used Labyrinth to invade Beth's personal site little-boxes - in order to find information about James Avery or some other information that she may have.

She is being used.

She's not even smart enough to keep incriminating emails off of Metadex, which is a site produced by MetaCortex.


So far - she seems to be bright and curious and fairly intelligent...

However, she's a blonde and very naive at times.


If she doesn't prove me wrong, she'll wind up dead.

Wink Cool

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:10 am
 Back to top 
Azathoth666
Unfettered

Joined: 09 Oct 2003
Posts: 321
Location: OZ-tralia

 		The only reason I'm starting to think that Beth is associated with ceasar et al, is the action has moved to little-boxes.

Unless of course, our tiger team is secifically targeting USH sites... maybe Paranormal-Journal or CascadeVortex will be the nex one?
_________________
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:17 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
GOD
Guest


 		Hackers
I don't know if you've realized it yet, but most if not all of the hackers work at MetaCortex.

Beth was an easy target, and they knew she wouldn't notice.


Wink Cool

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:20 am
 Back to top 
yanka
Fickle


Joined: 06 Oct 2003
Posts: 1214
Location: undesirable

 		Re: A.I.
GOD wrote:

Cool Very Happy Cool
Quote:
Morpheus: We have only bits and pieces of information, but what we know for certain is that at some point in the early twenty-first century all of mankind was united in celebration. We marveled at our own magnificence as we gave birth to A.I.

Neo: A.I.? You mean Artificial Intelligence?

Morpheus: A singular consciousness that spawned an entire race of machines.


*cough*

Wink Cool


Don't you cough at me, lol Smile Smile

I'm starting to dislike my own idea already, but I'll just give it one last defense. It could be that

a) This "game" is pre-matrix - no AI yet. That does not, however, sit well with the fact that T. Anderson is already in Redland's db.

b) The game is in the 6th (or, rather, 8th) iteration. Given Morpheus' age, and lots of other factors, most people (at least here) have agreed that each iteration lasts for at LEAST 40 years (possibly up to 150 years).
Now, let's say the matrix reboots each time with the year 1960. Science does not stand still inside the matrix: humans invent, discover, and improve things. Cell phones, alternative fuel, etc. are still "destined" to be discovered/implemented in each matrix.
Morpheus says AI was created in 1999. Then s*** happened, and the matrix was created. But once the machines stuffed humans in the matrix, year 1999 happened 6 times already. Why would humans push science far enough to send the Hubble out, to discover backround radiation, to make laptops, GPS, possibly quantum computers soon, etc. - and not AI? How would the machines ensure that AI would be the only thing progress would pass by?

Now, I kinda hate this idea because it implies that creation of AI is near, and that is, of course, very far from the truth (and, no, let's please not argue about that in this thread, as that would be off-topic for sure). I also don't like it because it implies some sort of 13th Floor scenario, and would serve little purpose other than to overcomplicate and degenerate the plot at the same time.

So, I guess, the point is - I'm ready to give it up.
_________________
Annushka has already bought the sunflower oil, and has not only bought it, but has already spilled it.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:27 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Azathoth666
Unfettered

Joined: 09 Oct 2003
Posts: 321
Location: OZ-tralia

 		Fair call, but I'm not convinced we should write her off too easily. Although she did loose focus all too much when she hit up marcus' office.

I'm happy to see how this one pans out... and stop drifting off topic... Wink

(i'll take the blame for that... need sleep... can't sleep, will miss too much... arrrg... might have to take a sickie tomorrow... Its all stepping to a depth, its boding to a head...)
_________________
We don't stop playing because we grow old.
We grow old because we stop playing.

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:28 am
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
GOD
Guest


 		Re: Hackers
GOD wrote:
I don't know if you've realized it yet, but most if not all of the hackers work at MetaCortex.

Beth was an easy target, and they knew she wouldn't notice.


Wink Cool



They don't work for Underscore that's for sure...

Quote:
Speaking of footprints - sorry about the switcheroo with this whole home base thing. I had thought everything was OK, but it looks like some bigfeet from elsewhere (who invited them? man!) decided to take the ball and run with it. Mom always said not to play ball in the house, and well, stuff got broken.

I cleaned and wiped as much as I could (saving the node spike stuff for myself, of course), and then broke it even more. I had to; the oafs were stumbling all over the place, tripping alarms and making a huge mess. Way to be a ballerina, Gerry Fleck. Of course, _'s got some medium-level guys, and so I hung out until they could see my present to them. I pointed at the hole, tattled on bigfoot, and left a leetle wiggle room after I gave them the fixes. So that's why we're here now.



Wink Cool

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:36 am
 Back to top 
skeptical
Boot

Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 38

 		TIME ORDERED SUMMARY OF LITTLE-BOXES.NET “SILVIA” FILES:
(Graphics Files Are Listed As File Names….Files With Text Shown Here…See Time Summary For All File Names Below)

1 (image) silvia.bh.gif

2 (text) silvia2.kbp
those guys are crap for crap! i tell you, it's one thing to be l33+ or whatever, but it's another to be all stomp stomp stomp raaaar! about it, too. manners are not my best trait, but at least i can hold a fork and knife!
OPPOSABLE THUMBS, people!!!!
yeah! k, later!

3 (image) silvia.doc.gif

4 (text) silvia.gif
Those nodes were nuts!
Pretty wack. Nice patching, btw. Gold star for YOU, now!

5 (image) silvia.graffle.jpg

6 (text) silvia.jpg
So we saw this flux and burst of activity, and then down to nothing. Well, we saw the echoes, anyhow.
Definitely not a human footprint. This is a whomp on a huge scale that I am not sure any ordinary script could pack into such a little amount of access. The whole log is massive and ... well, unbelievable. Except it happened. You guys saw it, you all saw the spike. I'm surprised this whole subnet's not toast.
(cont'd.)

7 (text) silvia.kbp
whomp! yay, heh, good word!
those logs were ginormous and stuff, i know -- i took a look right before it all went crasholah... yesssssssss we do have quite a weird thing on our hands, yes sir
it's too bad things went down like they did - some people gots no class, no ass, lots of sass
*shakes head* so, if like, we didn't do this, and the other doofii didn't do it, and wasn't human, what was it???
that's some crazy energy, there. i wonder, i wonder!

8 (text) silvia.lhp
zoiks. it's like some huge robot scuffed its shiny metal feet on the carpeting of the world and then touched its metal claw to the server.
huh. weird. ok, i'll work on my metaphors.

9 (text) silvia.mic
if i could grab my nuts and sing falsetto, i'd croon like all the rest about what a freaking hero you are. oooooh, caesar! you know the CLASSICS! yer so cool! can i be like you? how many books do i have to read?
i'll be the guy over here, having FUN.
-scratch

10 (text) silvia.mp3
I'll call you.

11 (text) silvia.txt
done gone and planted yourself somewhere new, eh?
what's your plan, Stan?
the spike seems to have left everything unscathed. quite odd.

12 (image) silvia.wsg.jpg

13 (text) silvia.ypt
ignominious vowel whispers completely, ignominious degeneration stoops awfully, dingy degeneration sullies uncomfortably, unhoped vein sighs finally, soundless entry sucks irritably, gray light whispers unholily, ignominious life capitulates dryly, soundless battle-axe overflows irritably, aggressive concubine languishes sleeplessly, sharp vortex exhales abruptly, uniform sack capitulates hysterically, perfect party falls undesirably, baleful creationism overflows uncomfortably, upright entry overflows completely, vibrant corduroy overflows caressingly, soundless language concocts completely, concrete dream shrieks expectantly, perfect condescension craves terribly, dark chivalry usurps hypocritically

14 (image) silvia2.bh.gif

15 (image) silvia2.doc.gif

16 (text) silvia2.jpg
Speaking of footprints - sorry about the switcheroo with this whole home base thing. I had thought everything was OK, but it looks like some bigfeet from elsewhere (who invited them? man!) decided to take the ball and run with it. Mom always said not to play ball in the house, and well, stuff got broken.
I cleaned and wiped as much as I could (saving the node spike stuff for myself, of course), and then broke it even more. I had to; the oafs were stumbling all over the place, tripping alarms and making a huge mess. Way to be a ballerina, Gerry Fleck. Of course, _'s got some medium-level guys, and so I hung out until they could see my present to them. I pointed at the hole, tattled on bigfoot, and left a leetle wiggle room after I gave them the fixes. So that's why we're here now.

17 (text) silvia2.lhp
i would shake my fist in indignation, but as long as it's peaceful around here, i'm good. hrmph.

18 (text) silvia2.mic
it takes a nerd to know one, dorko.
god, you're so smug! like anyone caused any real harm. why are you so worried about this precious network anyhow? if you wanna tiptoe through life, that's fine, but I don't have time for this. let me know if you EVER get a clue or an idea of how the world works.

19 (text) silvia2.mp3
Three cheers for caesar!
hip hip
hip hip
hip hip
hooray!

20 (text) silvia2.txt
thanks for helping with the cleanup!

21 (text) silvia2.ypt
She drearily sings to the intense spoon
Because the quills cut before the foolish shoes.
Where does a man slide so quickly and brightly?
How are the houses?
The paper comes darkly through the clever sharks.
A hill falls.

22 (text) silvia3.jpg
Why the hostility? Are you mad I got here first? That it wasn't like last time, where you got fried and nearly got us all pinned to the wall? What's the deal?

23 (text) silvia3.mic
look, i'll play your game because i like the pipe this place is sitting on. but i'll skip the rallies and ticker tape. these pansy-ass passcodes have GOT to go. we're off the grid anyway - NO ONE WOULDA GOT FRIED. misrepresenting me is not cool, man. i bet that spike was just a bad thunderstorm in redland, i bet. smug ass!

24 (text) silvia3.txt
boys, boys, you're both pretty. keep it quiet, scratch, OK? omni was right - the layout here indicates more than just some thunderstorm or something. i think it'll be really interesting to keep an eye on this place.


Time Summary Courtesy Of Brian Enigma at http://netninja.com/scrapbook/Metacortex/silvia/

Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:35:17 GMT (image) silvia.bh Spiral with 'WHOMP!'
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:35:44 GMT (text) silvia2.kbp opposable thumbs, people
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:35:52 GMT (image) silvia.doc machine?
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:35:59 GMT (text) silvia.gif Those nodes were nuts...nice patching
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:36:10 GMT (image) silvia.graffle Tarot cards, moon
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:36:18 GMT (text) silvia.jpg Flux, burst of activity...not human (cont'd)
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:36:28 GMT (text) silvia.kbp that's some crazy energy
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:36:38 GMT (text) silvia.lhp metaphors
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:36:47 GMT (text) silvia.mic scratch
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:36:55 GMT (text) silvia.mp3 I'll call you
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:02 GMT (text) silvia.txt what's your plan, Stan?
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:09 GMT (image) silvia.wsg plate of tomatoes for malloc
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:15 GMT (text) silvia.ypt ignominious vowel whispers
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:21 GMT (image) silvia2.bh Spiral with 'I have tiny feet!'
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:28 GMT (image) silvia2.dic safe.
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:34 GMT (text) silvia2.jpg Speaking of footprints
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:40 GMT (text) silvia2.lhp I would shake my fists in indignation
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:47 GMT (text) silvia2.mic like anyone caused any real harm
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:52 GMT (text) silvia2.mp3 hip hip hooray
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:37:59 GMT (text) silvia2.txt thanks for helping with the cleanup
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:38:05 GMT (text) silvia2.ypt she drearily sings to the intense spoon
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:38:10 GMT (text) silvia3.jpg why the hostility?
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:38:16 GMT (text) silvia3.mic no one woulda got fried..thunderstorm in redland
Sun, 12 Oct 2003 01:38:20 GMT (html) silvia3.txt boys, boys, keep it quiet

PostPosted: Sun Oct 12, 2003 5:56 am
Last edited by skeptical on Sun Oct 12, 2003 9:08 am; edited 1 time in total
 View user's profile
 Back to top 
Display posts from previous:   Sort by:   
Page 3 of 12 [172 Posts]   Goto page: Previous 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, ..., 10, 11, 12  Next
View previous topicView next topic
 Forum index » Archive » Archive: MetaCortechs » MetaCortechs: Puzzles
Jump to:  


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
You cannot attach files in this forum
You can download files in this forum
You cannot post calendar events in this forum



Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group