It's kind of like the werewolves game which JC tried except it has a whole bunch of players and doesn't end in complete failure.
Hey!
The forum that pinner linked to seems devoted to such games and even has terms of service that they quote to people.
I'm going to start doing that here.
Also: I was under the impression that ARGs have some sort of real-world component. For instance, the Wyoming Incident had people going to pay phones in the middle of nowhere to get phone calls from the runners of the game. (It later turned out that the guy getting the phone call was in on it, I think.)
Man, I'd love to run one. I gotta clear out some other things from the queue first. And, of course, now that I said I am running one it kind of ruins it. Forever.
So instead.... ToS!
1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS
Yahoo! Inc. ("Yahoo!") welcomes you. Yahoo! provides its service to you subject to the following Terms of Service ("TOS"), which may be updated by us from time to time without notice to you. You can review the most current version of the TOS at any time at: http://info.yahoo.com/legal/us/yahoo/utos/utos-173.html. In addition, when using particular Yahoo! owned or operated services, you and Yahoo! shall be subject to any posted guidelines or rules applicable to such services, which may be posted from time to time. All such guidelines or rules (including but not limited to our Spam Policy are hereby incorporated by reference into the TOS. Yahoo! may also offer other services that are governed by different Terms of Service. For instance, different terms apply to homesteaders on Yahoo! GeoCities or members of AT&T Yahoo! Dial or AT&T Yahoo! High Speed.
2. DESCRIPTION OF SERVICE
Yahoo! provides users with access to a rich collection of resources, including various communications tools, forums, shopping services, search services, personalized content and branded programming through its network of properties which may be accessed through any various medium or device now known or hereafter developed (the "Service"). You also understand and agree that the Service may include advertisements and that these advertisements are necessary for Yahoo! to provide the Service. You also understand and agree that the Service may include certain communications from Yahoo!, such as service announcements, administrative messages and the Yahoo! Newsletter, and that these communications are considered part of Yahoo! membership and you will not be able to opt out of receiving them. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any new features that augment or enhance the current Service, including the release of new Yahoo! properties, shall be subject to the TOS. You understand and agree that the Service is provided "AS-IS" and that Yahoo! assumes no responsibility for the timeliness, deletion, mis-delivery or failure to store any user communications or personalization settings. You are responsible for obtaining access to the Service, and that access may involve third-party fees (such as Internet service provider or airtime charges). You are responsible for those fees, including those fees associated with the display or delivery of advertisements. In addition, you must provide and are responsible for all equipment necessary to access the Service.
Please be aware that Yahoo! has created certain areas on the Service that contain adult or mature content. You must be at least 18 years of age to access and view such areas.
3. YOUR REGISTRATION OBLIGATIONS
In consideration of your use of the Service, you represent that you are of legal age to form a binding contract and are not a person barred from receiving services under the laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdiction. You also agree to: (a) provide true, accurate, current and complete information about yourself as prompted by the Service's registration form (the "Registration Data") and (b) maintain and promptly update the Registration Data to keep it true, accurate, current and complete. If you provide any information that is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, or Yahoo! has reasonable grounds to suspect that such information is untrue, inaccurate, not current or incomplete, Yahoo! has the right to suspend or terminate your account and refuse any and all current or future use of the Service (or any portion thereof). Yahoo! is concerned about the safety and privacy of all its users, particularly children. For this reason, parents of children under the age of 13 who wish to allow their children access to the Service must create a Yahoo! Family Account. When you create a Yahoo! Family Account and add your child to the account, you certify that you are at least 18 years old and that you are the legal guardian of the child/children listed on the Yahoo! Family Account. By adding a child to your Yahoo! Family Account, you also give your child permission to access many areas of the Service, including, email, message boards and instant messaging (among others). Please remember that the Service is designed to appeal to a broad audience. Accordingly, as the legal guardian, it is your responsibility to determine whether any of the Service areas and/or Content (as defined in Section 6 below) are appropriate for your child.
4. YAHOO! PRIVACY POLICY
Registration Data and certain other information about you is subject to our Privacy Policy. For more information, see our full privacy policy at http://privacy.yahoo.com/, or if you came from Yahoo! Kids, then see our Yahoo! Kids privacy policy at http://www.yahooligans.com/docs/privacy/. You understand that through your use of the Service you consent to the collection and use (as set forth in the Privacy Policy) of this information, including the transfer of this information to the United States and/or other countries for storage, processing and use by Yahoo! and its affiliates.
5. MEMBER ACCOUNT, PASSWORD AND SECURITY
You will receive a password and account designation upon completing the Service's registration process. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of the password and account and are fully responsible for all activities that occur under your password or account. You agree to (a) immediately notify Yahoo! of any unauthorized use of your password or account or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that you exit from your account at the end of each session. Yahoo! cannot and will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to comply with this Section 5.
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 10:25 am
by pinback
I re-listened to the voicemail the guy left yesterday, and he says:
"I'm tired of these crank callers calling me and hanging up. I don't know where 310 is, and I don't wanna know, so please, just stop calling."
310 is LOS ANGELES, baby. It's tha 3-1-0, not tha 8-1-8. Got that, Barry?
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 11:27 am
by Ice Cream Jonsey
pinback wrote:I re-listened to the voicemail the guy left yesterday, and he says:
"I'm tired of these crank callers calling me and hanging up. I don't know where 310 is, and I don't wanna know, so please, just stop calling."
310 is LOS ANGELES, baby. It's tha 3-1-0, not tha 8-1-8. Got that, Barry?
So basically, somebody put his phone number for the "Dead Kids Foundation" onto a Google video and now one of two things has happened:
1) Either ... wait, fuck that, you said he answered with "(something something) foundation"? Let me get out of this numbered list.
So he's answering, "Dead Kids Foundation," which was set up for alternate reality games, but he's sick of the hang ups? Something doesn't make sense. I am fairly certain the guy will one day lurk here, so I am going to try not to presume too much as I'll look like a jerk if I have something wrong. But I cannot provide an answer as to why he still answers his phone that way AND is sick of people calling him. Unless the DKF has really nothing to do with alternate reality games and is ...
... Oh man, maybe it wasn't setup for the Wyoming Incident. Maybe it is a non profit by a guy trying to help deceased children and the Wyoming Incident fellas just put that number there for the irony. Shit. Shit!
Meanwhile, Barry has not been back. How about some answers, Barry?
Posted: Tue Mar 13, 2007 1:38 pm
by Lysander
I just wanna know why us. We were apparently the only forum on the entire internet completely unknowing of this ARG (good thing too, if I'd found out i would have completely fallen for it) and are thus out of and uninterested in playing his game. SO what's the point of having us call? Is it just some guy posting hte number all over teh internet and getting peopel to crankclll him for no damn reason?
Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 10:32 pm
by barry
Don't listen to them - you did the right thing. That foundation lives on!
Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2007 11:09 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
barry wrote:Don't listen to them - you did the right thing. That foundation lives on!
But there was one thing you didn't anticipate, wasn't there, barry? Barry? There was one factor you didn't consider. Oh sure, you've been from forum to forum, attempting to get people involved in your ARG... probably even cursed a few rubes that called it an "ARG game," didn't you?
But we stood united. Oh sure, we'll spend and have spent the majority of the database records of this site on cracking on each other. But when someone does show up with a phone number to call, we call that motherfucker and look good doing it, like a group of handsome, leather-clad actors slow-walking and slow-preening their way into the foreground of a movie preview.
You hapless SON OF A BITCH.
You underestimated Jolt Country and it vomited a page and a half of pink and cyan fucking nonsense at you. NEVER take your eyes off the people here. NEVER make eye contact. ALWAYS sort of glance awkwardly around at everyone, like you can't remember if you hit "lock" or "trunk release" on your second keyfob, the one that replaces the original one you somehow managed to fucking run over like an old Korean woman mechnomorphizing an MC Escher painting.
And now you know, and now it's too late. Because the one thing that sets us apart from every other site on the Internet is our catch-phrase. Say it, barry. COME ON, FUCKING BARRY! SAY IT!
You are leaving...
... forever!!!
Posted: Thu May 17, 2007 11:48 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
Here is another Dead Kids Foundation video. It's really well done.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 2:07 pm
by Vitriola
If that was a movie, I'd rent it. Subdued voices freak me out, in a good way.
Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 10:53 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
Yeah. And the people making that video seem to really have started hating people that call the number and hang up.
I am guessing that Ben called in that one little time period where they were getting tired of the calls. I am guessing. But yeah, the guy who did the last video linked up there is very talented, as most vids of that type rely on the scream to cause terror. That director did not - sure, there IS a scream, but there's so much more going on there.
Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 7:37 pm
by co
Hey, where'd the picture of Jessica Simpson's twat go? That's the kind of spam we could use more of around here.
Posted: Sat May 19, 2007 8:49 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
co wrote:Hey, where'd the picture of Jessica Simpson's twat go? That's the kind of spam we could use more of around here.
I thought it was faked. Jessica does seem like she'd be a lot of fun to hang out with for a weekend though, doesn't she?
Posted: Sat Jun 30, 2007 2:42 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
The dumb fucks at Wikipedia deleted the page. Special shout-out to "Thunderbunny". Not that I think there is any chance he will see this post, but if he does, I'd like him to know that he's worthless. I will be grabbing a copy of the Wyoming Incident from Google's cache and storing it on the Cryptozookeeper wiki.
I'm the guy who made the Dead Kids videos, and here's why
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 8:07 pm
by Dead Kids Foundation
Like many others, we (DKF) were hooked on the Wyoming Tapes back in the early days, when everyone still believed that they were the latest instance of broadcast signal intrusion in America (Niobara County, Wyoming, right?).
I think that the funniest part were the "reports" of headaches and such after viewing the videos... kinda reminded me of Videodrome. In fact, a few of my friends, believing this to be real, told me that their stomachs hurt and that they felt dizzy for a moment after I showed them the first video. Damn placebo effect...
So after all of this, we (we're a small video club) wanted to know more about the videos, who made them, why they made them, and so forth. We figured that sending messages to 'ilovetofix' on YouTube wouldn't do any good, so we made videos and weird messages instead, as a way to catch everyone's attention. To sweeten the deal, I added my cell phone number (702 203 8573; I don't actually live in Nevada, but I activated the phone there) to see if I could get other people who know what was up to clue me in. I realized that I'd have to wade through a lot of crap to get real info, but I didn't mind.
After learning about the SA prank, I made the last video ("WE'VE BEEN HAD"), but I left my number, as I've spoken with some cool people throughout the whole Wyoming thing. These days, I still get callers who weren't around when the video prank news surfaced, so I fill them in.
I also get people who call at ungodly hours, holding their phones up to their television sets while commercials for "The Number 23" (that crap movie with Jim Carrey) are playing, and other crap like that. I may get ticked once in a while, but I suppose that I asked for it when I put my number up. Maybe I'll take it down and edit it where I can in a little while, seeing how this whole thing is pretty much finished.
This really is me, no joke. Go ahead and call, say "RAMA-LAMA-DING-DONG" at the beginning of your call, and I'll confirm with "SHAVE-AND-A-HAIRCUT-TWO-BITS".
Re: I'm the guy who made the Dead Kids videos, and here's wh
Posted: Wed Sep 19, 2007 9:01 pm
by Ice Cream Jonsey
Dead Kids Foundation wrote:Like many others, we (DKF) were hooked on the Wyoming Tapes back in the early days, when everyone still believed that they were the latest instance of broadcast signal intrusion in America (Niobara County, Wyoming, right?).
Hey there! I'm very glad that you found our little thread here. As far as I am concerned, the Wyoming Incident was fun, but the real treat in the whole experience was the videos that you guys did. Let me gush! I'm going to gush.
The care and craft that you guys displayed with those things still blows me away. I was going to do this whole thread with my take on the videos, but I might as well do it here:
For "T e l l US ab o u t WHO made the TAPE," the guy with the blood coming off him, who says, "You know more than me, so..." -- pause any frame of that video and you have the sort of thing nightmares are made out of. By the time you get to the part where the narrator says, "We are very grateful" you're, in the space of seconds, lulled into this whole "I'm zoning out on TV" mode, which then blasts off into a strobe effect with the captive. The face at the end is also hilarious. Great freaking video. You know what, for all I know you guys are experienced movie makers and you've been doing this thing for 20 years. If that is at all not the case, well, I can tell you quite categorically that this vid looks like it was done by people that experienced.
"TO h a p p y c u b e HANDler" is the ultimate, "I'm fucking pissed and capable of anything" video. Starting off with the blood-red version of the same intro we've seen over and over again is an "easy" effect, but chilling and the first time in the whole DKF/Wyoming Incident that I can remember someone changing that up like that. Two guys being there, in front of the camera is also great. It makes you wonder if the other guy in the hat was there the whole time in other scenes, just... watching. The post by palidor42 being referenced gives the viewer something to do. I went out, after seeing that vid, to try to find where people were talking about the DKF. Okay, so they turned out to be liars and charlatans there. A video, without a push or any transparent "Tally-ho!" smugness, had me out searching for spOoOOooOoky crap on the Internet. That just demonstrates a genius-level mastery of audience manipulation.
You know what, I could go on about all the videos, but this is quickly turning into Wall of Text. The single funniest thing I have ever seen in an Internet video, and possibly ever, is in the last one. When the masked guy takes that step towards the camera and says, "Unfortunately, my boss he's not too happy" and that transitions to the laughing and the, "Nice trick! But you haven't heard the last... from us!" ... I fucking crack up every single time. EVERY TIME! It's been months, but it still has staying power. Ha, hahaha!
Here's the one thing I would say from all this: don't stop making videos. You guys are the most talented people on Youtube right now. You have a perfect blend of comic timing, charisma, production values and creepiness. You can enjoy them for being creepy in that way, ignorant of the Wyoming Incident, or enjoy them in association with that whole thing... they just work on multiple levels.
If you guys are making videos under another account, please, let me know or point me in the right direction. Hell, drop a hint and I'll work out a way to find them. I don't know if you guys ever received proper kudos for the stuff you produced (I imagine you don't get props as often as bewildered phone calls) but they are seriously fantastic. I remain in awe.
-- Robb
Re: I'm the guy who made the Dead Kids videos, and here's wh
Posted: Thu Sep 20, 2007 2:50 am
by Dead Kids Foundation
Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:
Hey there! I'm very glad that you found our little thread here. As far as I am concerned, the Wyoming Incident was fun, but the real treat in the whole experience was the videos that you guys did.
Why don't you give me a call sometime?
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 9:21 am
by Ice Cream Jonsey
I think I'll need a couple drinks for that. Luckily, in like 8 hours the weekend will be here! I am stoked! You have already talked to my friend Pinback a few months ago, when that one guy named "Barry" was posting the number. We are sane, friendly, and curious, and I don't have any sort of callblock on my number. Perfect for calling the makers of videos!
Do call, my friend
Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 8:08 pm
by Dead Kids Foundation
Ice Cream Jonsey wrote:I think I'll need a couple drinks for that. Luckily, in like 8 hours the weekend will be here! I am stoked! You have already talked to my friend Pinback a few months ago, when that one guy named "Barry" was posting the number. We are sane, friendly, and curious, and I don't have any sort of callblock on my number. Perfect for calling the makers of videos!
How's about this: Call sometime within the next 24 hours (remember, the code is RAMA-LAMA-DING-DONG, confirmed with SHAVE-AND-A-HAIRCUT-TWO-BITS), and I'll let you know a few things that I've never told anyone about the DKF... Might not be anything major, but still, y'know?