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 Forum index » Archive » Archive: General » ARG: Tom Tooman
[TRAILHEAD] Tom Tooman
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tygr20
Unfettered


Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 554
Location: New Albany IN(READ: Louisville KY)
ScarpeGrosse wrote:
Serious Google Stalking Alert:

I just received a letter from Tom ... at my university lab address, which I don't give out as a mailing address, or try to associate with uhm, me here. Shocked

Yipes. Good work, Google Stalker. Extra bonus points if you send a copy of my publications, too Wink


Weird. I asked Scarpe about her publicized writings-

"Proteomic analysis of hyperdynamic mouse hearts with enhanced sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium cycling."

So there goes my theory about maybe they'd all been published in viral marketing.(Bass wrote on crowd sourcing, Rushkoff's is on viral marketing in general, you can find it on his site, just search "Suicide bombers," it's an essay he wrote(cred GCDOA))

EDIT: This was in response to another post that disappeared. Don't remember the connection now... Razz EDIT AGAIN: So Scrappy isn't a he. Whoops.
_________________
Followed Nate, couldn't find Tom Tooman, anyone got any good leads for someone else to stalk help?

@tygr20
www.tygr20.com

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:15 pm
Last edited by tygr20 on Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:22 am; edited 1 time in total
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Giskard
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Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 2066
Location: Chicago

 		Maybe the link is viral, not viral marketing ... I bet ScarpeGrosse (who's she, not he btw) wrote an essay on research on cloning ugly viruses too Razz
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"They never tell you truth is subjective, they only tell you not to lie." -- Gary Jules

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 3:33 pm
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Bubasture
Boot


Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 22
Location: Monroe, NC

 		Here are some of CoffeeJedi's ideas:

Hey gang!
Sorry if this is trout, but i noticed two things.
Not all of the states' borders go wonky.
The wave of wonkiness does not go in a west to east order, it seems chaotic, or perhaps a clockwise pattern beginning with Michigan.

Perhaps if we took the names of the states that have the changing borders, and then use the order that they go in, we could make a word or phrase out of the letters.

Ok, now back to your regularly scheduled Bubasture

PostPosted: Fri Aug 17, 2007 9:23 pm
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rushkoff
Guest


 		ARM
Well, I don't have much time for this. Not because I'm teaching (I had to quit, at least for now) but because I'm trying to write and raise a two-year-old and move all at the same time. But I don't want to devalue your investigations, so I've scanned as best as possible and emailed it to the fellow who was kind enough to get in touch.

I've spent a good deal of time with vid games, FRPs, computer games, and even game theory (as in that RAND wargames stuff) but I don't know what ARM means. If that says anything. I'm guessing that if you guys play Alternate Reality Gaming, then ARM is probably Alternate Reality Marketing? Meaning, you hate it as much as I hate Viral Marketing (I'll explain in a moment.)

I wrote a book called Cyberia back in 91 (pub in 94) when I first hung out with Terence McKenna and got a little interested in Mayan stuff - but not seriously. Then just last year I did a discussion with a fellow named Dan Pinchbeck in a bookstore, where I tried to counter what I saw as the too-literal interpretations of these mythologies. That's what I thought of when I read the letter. I figured it was someone trying to tell me I shouldn't have questioned Quetzacoatyl's true channeler.

The second possible connection (based on the viral marketing things you're saying) could be my book Media Virus, published in 94, which - and I don't mean to brag, only to inform - coined the term "media virus" and served as the basis for its bastardization in the marketing world, "viral marketing." I just did an interview for NPR's show Studio360 - I doubt it will air for another month or so - about all that, and how viral marketing really doesn't exploit the principles of media I was writing about. That ad agencies think it's just "word of mouth," when I meant it much more specifically.

I think I'm best known for two Frontline documentaries, The Merchants of Cool and The Persuaders, both about (to summarize) the evils of marketing.

I know two people who live in Montana. Walter Kirn, a writer living in Livingston, and a woman who lives over near Missoula. Walter wrote an online book with some weird components. The woman works in a health food store and isn't like this.

Now, I'm assuming the person who mailed me was hoping for me to post the thing on my site - which is what I figured I'd do, particularly because I'm not going to Burning Man and missing this kind of weirdness. But if it's just a marketing thing and bad one, then ugh. I prefer true locally grown weirdness to corporate marketing. Still, I don't see much else about it online than what you guys have written, so I'm not sure. A good marketer would have gotten word a bit wider. (This thing was sent to my NYU address, where I only happened to go to pick up the last of my stuff a week ago. And that's when I got the letter.)

Why do you think it's related to ARM or ARG? Couldn't be some guy who is trying to get us interested in the end of the calendar memes?

Does the assembled group think it is inappropriate or a sucker move to post it on my blog? If so, why? Most important, does wider replication of this hurt what you guys are doing in any way? The paranoia at the beginning makes me worry I could Censored some game you're playing and involved in, and I don't want to do that.

Edited for language - RedHatty

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 9:25 pm
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MerRabbit
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Joined: 11 Jul 2007
Posts: 126

 		Rushkoff thank you for the scans, I hope to view them soon.

PostPosted: Sat Aug 18, 2007 11:10 pm
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Giskard
Sassypants


Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 2066
Location: Chicago

 		Re: ARM
rushkoff wrote:
Why do you think it's related to ARM or ARG? Couldn't be some guy who is trying to get us interested in the end of the calendar memes?


Thanks for your lengthy post and for giving us some insight in your background and the possible motivation "Mr Tooman" had for writing to you!

The reason we think this might be an ARG (and well, yes, in the end, most ARGs are 'just' marketing campaigns, but if they're also entertaining, we don't always care Smile ) is mostly that the first two letters were addressed to SpaceBass and Scrappy, two of this sites administrators. That's a pretty direct target of the ARG-community and audience. It might still just be a clever move by someone who wants to see how long he can keep a group of people interested in the Mayan calendar and a pointless map of the Midwest, but I guess we like mystery and intrigue enough to stay on this for now and see where it leads Wink

rushkoff wrote:
Does the assembled group think it is inappropriate or a sucker move to post it on my blog? If so, why? Most important, does wider replication of this hurt what you guys are doing in any way? The paranoia at the beginning makes me worry I could Censored some game you're playing and involved in, and I don't want to do that.


I don't think posting it to your blog would be inappropriate at all. It might get more people interested, and right now, if this really is a puzzle we're meant to solve, we could use some help and your blog might interest some people with fresh ideas.

The paranoia shown earlier had a lot to do with a few other people trying to "gamejack" this game (and a lot of other ARGs in the past) and have us follow leads that aren't actually related to the real game. I think we're all very much satisfied by now that you aren't making this up just to have a laugh at our expense, so by all means spread the word.
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 6:48 am
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DeadbyDawn
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Joined: 16 Jul 2007
Posts: 678
Location: S Mart

 		Rushkoff letter
image
After wrestling with the UNGODLY sized file he sent Tygr, I shrunk it down to viewable.
rushkoffletter.jpg
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rushkoffletter.jpg

PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 1:02 pm
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Giskard
Sassypants


Joined: 07 Oct 2003
Posts: 2066
Location: Chicago

 		Sooo.... that's the same as we already had (or am I missing something?). Seeing that Rushkoff didn't immediately pick up his mail, this could perhaps have been sent off around the same time the other letters were...
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"They never tell you truth is subjective, they only tell you not to lie." -- Gary Jules

PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 2:09 pm
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HetMasteen
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Joined: 11 Jul 2007
Posts: 342
Location: In the Court of the Crimson King.
Giskard wrote:
Sooo.... that's the same as we already had (or am I missing something?). Seeing that Rushkoff didn't immediately pick up his mail, this could perhaps have been sent off around the same time the other letters were...


There is some behind-the-scenes work going on trying to get the envelope posted as well.

In the meantime, if you read this Rushkoff, please black out your address and scan the envelope as well. It contains some of the most important clues (postmarks etc.). You can send it to the same email as the other scans (tygr20's email).

Some issues we're raised (primarily by GCDOA) about the post routing on SpaceBass's letter. We'd like to compare them if possible.
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PostPosted: Sun Aug 19, 2007 2:31 pm
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Liquidtouch
Boot


Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 50

 		Whats with the "G" in thought on rushkoffs letter? mistake or is it some symbol? Probably nothing but it just stood out to me....

liquidtouch

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:09 am
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tygr20
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Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 554
Location: New Albany IN(READ: Louisville KY)
Liquidtouch wrote:
Whats with the "G" in thought on rushkoffs letter? mistake or is it some symbol? Probably nothing but it just stood out to me....

liquidtouch


This is my 200th post. However, it's only my 5th with real, honest to God substance. Smile

Liquidtouch- I think it's just a mistake. Kind of sloppy, rather than starting over, but, whatever.

I emailed Mr. Rushkoff back this morning to ask him to provide a scan of the envelope, or at least to let me know what the date/location on the post mark were, and the return address. Are we convinced so far that unless there's something different about the envelope, this is a dead end?

EDIT: Damn. No real substance... my bad. Sad
_________________
Followed Nate, couldn't find Tom Tooman, anyone got any good leads for someone else to stalk help?

@tygr20
www.tygr20.com

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 10:03 am
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Bubasture
Boot


Joined: 12 Aug 2007
Posts: 22
Location: Monroe, NC

 		If you look at the "smoke signals", the pattern on it has changed.

It used to be three increasing areas of smoke, and now it's only the one.

Edit: I looked at it again, and it switched back to normal. Maybe I'm going insane and need to be on the Red King thread, but there might be a pattern here.

PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:57 pm
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mgelles
Decorated

Joined: 19 Dec 2006
Posts: 210

 		As someone whose basically accepted viral marketing as part of our age, I prefer it's alternate reality incarnation to any other. While i am definitely a fan of alterternate reality gaming in its purest form and for it's own sake, I do have to admit a certain amount of respect for a well done marketing related game that takes the time to truly engage the mental faculties of its public and encourage collaborative communication. Even though the impetus is to sale a product, it has its pleasant side effects.
Michelle
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lurking something is coming
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 2:45 pm
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Liquidtouch
Boot


Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 50

 		Everything indicates that tomorrow will be a big day for this one. I wonder what will happen to the clouds.

How is the dots on the bar codes going? Has everyone pretty much determined that we need a bit more direction from the PM. Namely hints as to what photo to overlay it on or how to decode it? I have thrown out all my ideas I am just wondering if there arent some more that need work....

Liquidtouch

PostPosted: Tue Aug 21, 2007 3:12 pm
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Liquidtouch
Boot


Joined: 10 Aug 2007
Posts: 50

 		Well there was a site update but not much new info that I can see. The left glyph changed but the eyes still link to the same photo. On the photo the lines are much more crazy and there is not only smoke signals on the spots but one of them also goes dark. Still not sure what it all means but its pointing to one site now...

Edit: During the squiggles it looks like new borders are drawn. Here is a screen capture of the new borders and the black spot.
Newborders.JPG
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Newborders.JPG

PostPosted: Wed Aug 22, 2007 2:08 am
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