SZbNAhL's Similarly Sibilant (if unpronouncable) Random Banter #223

[LaZodiac]

To be perfectly honest, Benedict the 25-year-old autistic London-residing carehome worker with a third-class degree in electrical engineering, if any of us wanted to cyberstalk you, you've already given us plenty of information. I think factotum and enderlord are the only people here (myslef included) who couldn't be identified with 30 minutes of websearching.

Also if there's some weird taboo about collating information I'm unaware of (see signature), tell me and I'll delete the post.

I'm fairly confident I can't be found, for a variety of reasons. I won't take that bet though.

[SZbNAhL]

You forgot the 'autistc'

It was the third fact, after your first name and age. I'm missing a joke here, aren't I?

Eh, as I said before, in many ways I'm more worried about people from outside finding this account, for various reasons I'm fairly easy to find online (having a rather rare name is one of them).

Unless somebody from outside is really into RPGs, I doubt they'd find you here. The information is disparate across many posts and most searches for your first name (your surname not being avaliable here) would get a tall man with nice cheekbones.

Honestly, most of you here could likely find my Facebook profile without much effort. Those of you who do will see that A: the information I've got publicly visible is tightly controlled, and B: I won't have anything to do with a person on the unless I'm certain I know them. Also C: that I'm a failure as a person who couldn't meet anybody if he tried, because hooray for autism and deteriorating mental health from the lack of a social life.

Nah, LinkedIn is the stalker's site of choice. Terrible privacy controls and everybody mentions what searchable lists they're on (former workplaces, universities, etc.).

Edit:

I'm fairly confident I can't be found, for a variety of reasons. I won't take that bet though.

Didn't you tell us exactly which law firm you work for at one point?

[DataNinja]

Didn't you tell us exactly which law firm you work for at one point?

Also shared a distinctly identifying picture including an address after a fire alarm went off.

[LaZodiac]

Didn't you tell us exactly which law firm you work for at one point?

I don't recall, but even then I wouldn't be on the staff list since I'm just an office assistant.

Anyway, I hope everyone's having a good Sunday. Assuming it's Sunday where you are.

[Anonymouswizard]

It was the third fact, after your first name and age. I'm missing a joke here, aren't I?

You're missing that I'm in the middle I'd a very stressful day at work, therefore my hyperawareness is acting up and I miss details. Also I've gotten into arguments over whether or not 'autistic person' is acceptable language recently, it's on the mind right now.

Unless somebody from outside is really into RPGs, I doubt they'd find you here. The information is disparate across many posts and most searches for your first name (your surname not being avaliable here) would get a tall man with nice cheekbones.

I have been very careful about that, while you could dig out my surname if needed finding it is pretty much the last step to locating my Facebook and LinkedIn pages.

And gosh, doesn't that man make me feel insecure about my looks. Doesn't help I have to mention him to get people to remember my name.

Nah, LinkedIn is the stalker's site of choice. Terrible privacy controls and everybody mentions what searchable lists they're on (former workplaces, universities, etc.).

There's a reason my LinkedIn page is sitting underdeveloped. While it hurts my chances of herring a job it also keeps a lot of information under wraps.

[Comrade]

To be perfectly honest, Benedict the 25-year-old autistic London-residing carehome worker with a third-class degree in electrical engineering, if any of us wanted to cyberstalk you, you've already given us plenty of information. I think factotum and enderlord are the only people here (myslef included) who couldn't be identified with 30 minutes of websearching.

I think I'm pretty safe on that front (not that that's an invitation to prove me wrong or anything). Pretty sure I haven't divulged much that could identify me.

[Fyraltari]

To be perfectly honest, Benedict the 25-year-old autistic London-residing carehome worker with a third-class degree in electrical engineering, if any of us wanted to cyberstalk you, you've already given us plenty of information. I think factotum and enderlord are the only people here (myslef included) who couldn't be identified with 30 minutes of websearching.

Also if there's some weird taboo about collating information I'm unaware of (see signature), tell me and I'll delete the post.

Ooh, do me, do me! (in PM if you actually have something.)

[DataNinja]

I know that while I've certainly not done names (though one-to-a-handful do know mine from outside the bounds of the forum), city, occupation, and general photo have all been shared at one time or another. Along with probably other stuff. Though, there's a surprising amount of girls with pink hair around the city, so, hey, maybe not so identifying...

[Durkoala]

So many people have stopped me to say like, hey *name* and it took a lot of work learning how to not say "hello person I don't know" because like 90% of the time it would be some rando.

Even worse are the times when you're like "ohhhh… I should know this person, but I can't for the life of me remember what their name is, or where I know them from... I just know that I know them."

Urgh. There's a guy at the place I work/volunteer at who thinks he has to check everything with me and bellows my name from far away every twenty minutes or so. I often find that hired maintainence and members of the public know my name without ever having met me. (yes, Zodi, it's BSM again)

Um, just how old *are* you? The Tripartite System hasn't been a thing for 40 years--I'm nearing 50 and I never did the Eleven Plus.

I have a friend who's about thirty and went through a three-part system, although they referred to it as 'Something, middle school and high school'. I can't remember where they were living at the time though: Derbyshire maybe?

[Anonymouswizard]

I have a friend who's about thirty and went through a three-part system, although they referred to it as 'Something, middle school and high school'. I can't remember where they were living at the time though: Derbyshire maybe?

Yeah, that's still there in some places, although Primary/Secondary is more common than Primary/Middle/High, and other places still have the old Secondary/Grammar split, which my original post was actually complaining about.


Although I'm also not happy because throughout schooling I was pushed towards STEM subjects, while I think I might been more successful pursuing Literature into high level academia (I've just always had more of a passion for it than science, which caused problems with motivation at university). But because of my autism and family history I was pushed into science and engineering, and as such spent a lot of time devoting energy to something I don't love, with the exception of digital logic (it's jessy so beautiful).

So yeah, a request for any teachers on here: if you see autistic kids putting their heart and soul into one thing while doing another because that's what's ecpected please encourage them to follow the former even if they don't look or feel that great about it. My mental health problems began in my first year of university when I stopped reading to focus on my electronics, and while I might not have a great career the one thing that has kept me sane is dropping the electronics to spend more time with a field I love.

I'm thinking of starting a literature blog that'll be a collection of musings and maybe short essays on books I find interesting. I'm just holding off a bit because I'm not sure I can deal with the ego blow of not analysing in the technically correct manner and being called out for it.

[Sermil]

To be perfectly honest, Benedict the 25-year-old autistic London-residing carehome worker with a third-class degree in electrical engineering, if any of us wanted to cyberstalk you, you've already given us plenty of information. I think factotum and enderlord are the only people here (myslef included) who couldn't be identified with 30 minutes of websearching.

Ya, I'm pretty sure someone watching me closely could figure out several of the companies I've worked for, and the approximate date of my last job change. There's not many people who have worked at that particular set of companies, and I think I'm the only one who made the switch in that time period. A little scrapping of LinkedIn and *boom* my real name.

Shrug.

[enderlord99]

I think factotum and enderlord are the only people here (myslef included) who couldn't be identified with 30 minutes of websearching.[/SIZE]

I'm glad that I fit that criteria, because I still haven't fully grown out of "stranger danger" paranoia. That said, now I'm a bit worried that you're claiming that in order to cover up the fact that you did accomplish exactly what you claimed couldn't be.

I know that, rationally, that's extremely unlikely... but, again: paranoia.

[Anonymouswizard]

When did 'meme' start meaning 'a picture with funny words attached'?It has very little to do with the concept of memetics, and hass in fact hindered me when I've tried to explain memes to people. Sure, they can be memes or part of memes, but they limit people's understanding of a field that is rather interesting.

This came up because I'm working on a piece where memetic warfare, particularly the spreading and suppression of ideas and information, is important, and I'm struggling to find people my age who get why I've chosen the term.

[enderlord99]

I believe the correct term for the type of meme you described is "snowclone" but I'm not sure, nor do I know the reason behind that term.

[DataNinja]

When did 'meme' start meaning 'a picture with funny words attached'?It has very little to do with the concept of memetics, and hass in fact hindered me when I've tried to explain memes to people. Sure, they can be memes or part of memes, but they limit people's understanding of a field that is rather interesting.

This came up because I'm working on a piece where memetic warfare, particularly the spreading and suppression of ideas and information, is important, and I'm struggling to find people my age who get why I've chosen the term.

I imagine it's because it's the spread of a certain general idea, far beyond the context of the original. I can guarantee that for a lot of people, they have no idea what media specific memes come from, but the idea of what's being implied tends to be communicated and takes on a life of its own, beyond the original.

No idea when, though.

[Insane Jeenyus]

I have been off line for two days because of some sort of a computer connectivity thingy, and I was jonesing to be reading this thread! Man I missed you all

[Remmirath]

When did 'meme' start meaning 'a picture with funny words attached'?It has very little to do with the concept of memetics, and hass in fact hindered me when I've tried to explain memes to people. Sure, they can be memes or part of memes, but they limit people's understanding of a field that is rather interesting.

This came up because I'm working on a piece where memetic warfare, particularly the spreading and suppression of ideas and information, is important, and I'm struggling to find people my age who get why I've chosen the term.

This is a thing that I have been really wondering about ever since those got popular as well, but I don't know the answer - or the why of it.

[Insane Jeenyus]

So, on another topic, I have been putting off the chore of laundry all day as it has looked gloomy and rainy. I finally decide to get up and start the delightful chore when while still at the laundromat of the apartment complex I live at LO AND BEHOLD! it finally opens up and starts raining and has been ever since. I don't mind a walk in the rain, but not when I am trying to do laundry.



I have such WONDERFUL timing!!!


Thank you for your alls [actually should be pronounced ya'alls] time in reading this.

[Qwertystop]

Mike Godwin (yes, that one) seems to have been the first to use the word "meme" in an internet-specific context, when he described his initial creation of "Godwin's Law" in a Wired article in 1994.

Image macros got started in 2004, as an actual macro (shortcut) on Something Awful for re-use of commonly uploaded images without constantly reuploading – see also, the same sort of thing as our custom smilies. Lolcats started in 2005 on 4chan, their simple generation without manual photo-editing started shortly thereafter (didn't find a year). 2008 brought the more general "stock picture plus Impact text on the top and bottom" Advice Animals. Structures vary further from there, one of the earlier such being doge.

The specific things to which "meme" refers, for a given person, seems to be mostly down to what the popular ones were when they had an interest and heard the word. To some people, it's specifically lolcats and Advice Animals, and so they say memes have pretty much died out because they're looking in the wrong places for the wrong things.

The meaning of the word has shifted as it became popular; "meme" is itself a meme in Dawkins' original sense.

(I recently got a copy of Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch; it's quite good and very well-cited. One chapter is on memes, in the broader sense)

[Rawhide]

When did 'meme' start meaning 'a picture with funny words attached'?It has very little to do with the concept of memetics, and hass in fact hindered me when I've tried to explain memes to people. Sure, they can be memes or part of memes, but they limit people's understanding of a field that is rather interesting.

This came up because I'm working on a piece where memetic warfare, particularly the spreading and suppression of ideas and information, is important, and I'm struggling to find people my age who get why I've chosen the term.

This is a thing that I have been really wondering about ever since those got popular as well, but I don't know the answer - or the why of it.

The concept of memes evolved through the transfer of ideas, corrupting slightly with each iteration, to begin referring to pictures with humorous captions. You could say, the way memes formed is the very definition of a meme.

[LaZodiac]

When did 'meme' start meaning 'a picture with funny words attached'?It has very little to do with the concept of memetics, and hass in fact hindered me when I've tried to explain memes to people. Sure, they can be memes or part of memes, but they limit people's understanding of a field that is rather interesting.

This came up because I'm working on a piece where memetic warfare, particularly the spreading and suppression of ideas and information, is important, and I'm struggling to find people my age who get why I've chosen the term.

Well-

The concept of memes evolved through the transfer of ideas, corrupting slightly with each iteration, to begin referring to pictures with humorous captions. You could say, the way memes formed is the very definition of a meme.

Damnit, ninjaed by the cowboy.

The only other thing I have to say about memes is that, much like everything, Hideo Kojima basically figured it all out back in the early 2000s with Metal Gear Solid 2.

[factotum]

I think factotum and enderlord are the only people here (myslef included) who couldn't be identified with 30 minutes of websearching.

Odd you think that about me, I don't recall ever being particularly secretive.

[Peelee]

Odd you think that about me, I don't recall ever being particularly secretive.

It's a stereotype of Manchesterites over here in the States. You're so secretive nobody even knows where your city is!

[DataNinja]

It's a stereotype of Manchesterites over here in the States. You're so secretive nobody even knows where your city is!

Could be worse. Could be like Canada, where a 'city' is three households living within a dozen kilometers of each other.

[factotum]

It's a stereotype of Manchesterites over here in the States. You're so secretive nobody even knows where your city is!

1) I wasn't born in Manchester.
2) Apparently the folks who were born here are so secretive that you don't even know what they're called--the word is "Mancunian".

[Peelee]

1) I wasn't born in Manchester.
2) Apparently the folks who were born here are so secretive that you don't even know what they're called--the word is "Mancunian".

It's pronounced "Man-cu-nian," but it's spelled "Manchesterite." it's like worcestershire sauce. Secret letters, because secret people.

[SZbNAhL]

And gosh, doesn't that man make me feel insecure about my looks. Doesn't help I have to mention him to get people to remember my name.

You could always say "like the last pope".

It's pronounced "Man-cu-nian," but it's spelled "Manchesterite." it's like worcestershire sauce. Secret letters, because secret people.

Surely you're familiar with the British political thriller The Mancunian Candidate? I'm told it was remade for American audiences under another name, but I'm sure the central plotline about Andy Burnham's 2015 bid for Leader of the Opposition wasn't changed much.

[Peelee]

Surely you're familiar with the British political thriller The Mancunian Candidate?

Well, the Brits do enjoy saying "I like that. It's British now."

[Anonymouswizard]

Well, the Brits do enjoy saying "I like that. It's British now."

Considering there's significantly more American adaptations of UK media than the other way around (The Office, Lord of the Flies, Doctor Who, Life on Mars, Kitchen Nightmares, just off the top of my head), you lot are in no position to judge

[Mith]

Life has been busy, and not always in a good way. Hope you all have been doing well.

I find this discussion on internet security fun, as I know at least 4 people on this forum have my full name, and I have mentioned the province I live in. Combined with my degree, you can narrow me down to one of two people in one directory, and picking the right one of another one means you find me.

Doubt I would be the most interesting person to cyberstalk though.