unforum

[jerkface]

http://www.johnfry.com

[Xeno Lambrose]

Appreciate your research.

We wrestled for some time when we began piecing together the Josh Minker connection, especially over the 1-800 number. We could not be sure at the time that what we were dealing with wasn't a real person who had lost his mother in death. Speculation revolved around whether we should attempt a hack on the messages that may have been left on that number--I mean it's one thing to mess around with some site that is in game, but entirely a different thing to mess with real humans, their sites, etc. that's not in game.

I'm not suggesting that that was any intention that you had, you're just trying to help, and maybe there is some connection in some way with Ronald Bobbit and the game, we just need to be discreet.

Thanks again for your input.

[Bishopfan]

Oscar fish named Nelson

[simplicityjones]

Astronaut Nelson

[bah humbug]

Anagram "Life is short"?

[Melodyman]

I keep trying to think of why Josh would hide clues in his postings.. he is the innocent here.. Doesnt know what anything is and really seems like just a kid who loves fish and now is being swept up in this adventure..How could he leave us any clues when he doesnt know anything about whats going on? he repeatedly says he dosent understand M's clues and he dosent understand this stuff he found or who M is and why he is leaving cryptic messages etc..
It would seem that his blog is being used by Mysterioso to leave us clues (calendar and blogs for chat times) but to assume Josh is secretly leaving clues about things he dosent even know about is a bit of a Wild Goose chase IMHO..

[machinehead112]

I agree with Melodyman. I don't believe HLM has any hidden clues in it. I believe it, and possibly the RP site, are used just to reference the clues given my Mysterio on STIES. Kind on like a Ottendorf cipher, where there would be a book or magazine that is used. The book or magazine doesn't have anything to do directly with the person giving the clues nor does it have any hidden messages, but by piecing together parts of the text a person can create a message. HLM is used as the book in this case and Mysterio is creating clues from what is already there.

[machinehead112]

This doesn't roll out the use of anagrams, but i don't believe they would be put there by Josh. I think the concentration should be on the STIES site, all the clues so far have come from there. I don't see a reason to change the mo just yet, being there is a lot more to come.

[Xeno Lambrose]

Melodyman and machine;

I appreciate your input on Mysterio co-opting Josh's site for his/her/their own reasons.

I don't know what got me to thinking about this--perhaps my own mental deficiencies—but it would be fascinating to have an opinion of someone in the mental health field about the type of "character" that the PM's are trying to portray Josh as.

For example, it's been discussed to death how he has an obsession to house a fish that scientists are incapable of achieving, and yet he is able to hold down a job that pays the bills, albeit on a budget that allows for his passion for possessing numerous aquariums with fish and all of the amenities to keep his aquatic friends well fed and happy.

He seems lonely, only mentioning one friend by name, Fred, and him only once. He's bemoaned the fact that there are not (or he had not become acquainted with) others locally who shared his passion (or is it an obsessive/compulsive need—I recall the post where he wrote, "I've heard there's more to life than fish – though I sometimes can't imagine what that would be") for fish.

He seemed to hint that he would have enjoyed a relationship with the aquarium rep, what was her name, Shelly, but felt embarrassed (possibly) that his contact might have scared his net friends off. He mentions on the 112 post that "it turns out I learned a thing or two by going out for once" inferring that hanging out socially may not be his cup of tea."

If he is using the HLM blog to pass clues/messages, I would look (and have) for oddities (which there are numerous) in posts after his mother's death, around April 15, but if he is, perhaps it is to someone other than Mysterio, for we don't know just who may have sent him private replies to his Above Top Secret query.

I have wondered if he may not have some schizophrenic disorder wherein he is one person with an odd personality that we are discussing, or someone with multiple personalities?

Any psychiatrists/psychologists out there who want to weigh in on Josh?

[machinehead112]

Very excellent point, sounds very viable. I can't weigh in much on the psychology behind him, but it would be very interesting if Josh and Mysterio are 1 and the same. I think i noticed some lag in Mysterio's responses in the chat program on STIES, that might be a reason for that. I will have to go back and check to see if i notice any thing similar.

A good profile of Josh would be nice.

Way to think out the box.

[Xeno Lambrose]

Machine;

Thanks, but I just to clarify, I wasn't suggesting that Josh and Mysterio are one in the same (and if they prove to be, you'll get credit for that), but that Josh may be conflicted in who he really is.

Sure, it's just a story, but like they say, the "devil's in the details" and character development in a successful story is just as important as plot.

So, what type of characters are the PMs trying to create for Josh, his father, Mysterio, Capt. Coop, Fred, Evelynn, Clive, Sarah, etc.?

[tk42one]

Hmmmmm...I guess we have to wait and see if Josh also makes his own soap

[Lelouch]

Hey everyone, This is my first time posting here. been mainly reading everything i can about the game on your forums, having fun and finally decided to participate.

This thought actually occurred to me the other day and that was what actual clues has the HLM brought us? other than the time and password for the chat which, as people have posted, wasn't done by Josh.

Also on a side note i think it was parmav (excuses me if i got his/her name wrong) that found the password for the chat, and when i read his/her post i sorta banged my head on the desk like "it was that simple? and i completely missed it" and reminded me of the anagram KISS (keep it simple stupid) made me realize i was over thinking things to a degree.

With this in mind, i personally feel that leaves us with two options for the HLM site either as Xeno/Melodyman/machine just mentioned the site could just be a cipher or there is still something we have not pieced together from the site.

I do want to believe it is the later though just because of how complex this ARG is, but since i haven't personally found anything yet but i'll keep digging, you never know.

Onto Josh personality, i am by no means an expert, but i do know a little bit about abnormal psychology, which is basically is an overview of a vast range of disorders.

Reading Josh's blog i personally would rule out any schizo disorders. The positive symptoms of schizophrenia (meaning the behaviors that you would see present in people with the disorder) are delusions, hallucinations, disorganized though and speech, and disorganized or catatonic behavior. And his blog to me at least doesn't read like a delusion that he is per-occupied with. Really when it comes down to psychiatric disorders most these behaviors have to be taken to an extreme to actually be a disorder and for the most part Josh seems coherent.

Now Multiple personality disorder seems interesting to me, although unlikely. This is actually now know as Dissociative identity disorder (DID). People with this disorder develop multiple separate personalities that may or may not be aware of each other. Overall it is quite a rare disorder (One study found it to only be present in 1% of all psychiatric inpatients) and the vast majority of people with disorder are female rather than males. Now saying that one interesting outcome could be, that josh and Mr. X are the same person but unable to realize it since they are each a different personality.

But then i just have to think back to KISS and that that can't be a possibility just because that would become way to confusing for everyone.

Now what i get from reading josh's blog is that i agree he does seem lonely. From what he said with 20+ years of fishing experience i would have to assume the youngest he could be is 30 if say he been fishing since he was 10, i would more venture a guess that his email has his birth year in it making him 47 and that is closer to an age someone may lose their mother at too.

Assuming he is 47, his blog seems to hint he doesn't have many (if any) real life friends just his co-workers. Honestly this sounds like a fairly average person to me, with his fish as a hobby. But if you take a step back and see he just lost his mother and never knew his father and not many real life friends i am sure i would feel lonely too, he is probably a bit depressed. But seeing that he can got out and have fun with his coworkers like he did on 112 post i would guess that he isn't suffering from any disorder. But if there are any psychiatrists/psychologists out there you are definitely more qualified to weigh in on this than i am.

As xeno said in his last post (sorry i don't see how to quote someone atm)

"If he is using the HLM blog to pass clues/messages, I would look (and have) for oddities (which there are numerous) in posts after his mother's death, around April 15, but if he is, perhaps it is to someone other than Mysterio, for we don't know just who may have sent him private replies to his Above Top Secret query. "

This is also a conclusion i would agree with, honestly i feel like there is no real information on his blog that actually pertains to fish, only things seems to be the photo slider and the calender, but he never actually talks about fish. I could easily believe that it is all a code he is using to document his search for his father (could he be the Coelacanth), and he made the blog to let someone else know what is happening, someone we currently not aware of.

[Xeno Lambrose]

Lelouch;

Welcome, and thanks for taking the time to get a basic overview of what's been discussed before you post.

I appreciate your insights on the psychological profile of Josh, but when you state, "seeing that he can got out and have fun with his coworkers like he did on 112 post i would guess that he isn't suffering from any disorder" I'm not questioning your assessment, but to me it seemed like that that incident was the exception rather than the rule, and that Josh may be a loner (though from other things he's written, not necessarily happy about that).

Just curious about your take on Mysterio—from the chat session and the STIES printout messages he seems cruel—not answering really anything asked by Josh, and yet is Josh so needy as to keep giving Mysterio what is asked of him in exchange for nada?

[Lelouch]

I want to say Josh is not so naive to answer ever question posed to him from Mysterio without something in return. I mean he even gave him an ultimatum in the print out.

>>>I don't know who you are but I'm getting really tired of these games.
>>>If you actually know anything, come out and say it. Otherwise I'm
>>>not going to respond to your cryptic messages.

Yet he goes to the chat and still just blindly answers every question Mysterio asks him and gets the exact same response every time, it might help find your father.

Mysterio to me seems to be completely preying upon the desire Josh has to meet his father. Again with Josh's mothers death, and i do agree he does seem to be a very introverted person, a loner to a degree, and if his mother was one of the key people in his life this would be the perfect time to string someone along with the idea of finding the father they never knew.

But i also don't believe Josh would keep answering all these questions without anything in return so there must have been something that Mysterio sent him that has given him an idea that in the least Mysterio has more of an idea about what is going on than he does.

Mysterio motives are quite questionable, either he is really on the run from someone/thing and is trying his best to find the one person that can help him, Josh's Father? Or He is apart of a group that is searching for Josh's father, and want to manipulate Josh into helping them.