ET, Phone Washington!

Roadtoad · 5th January 2006, 03:19 AM

I'm not sure where to post this, but I ran across this group.

Just when I think I need something resembling a life...

Now I know why we have motorcycle helmet and seat belt laws.

schplurg · 5th January 2006, 04:38 AM

I like the financial tracking page. The rest of the site is mind numbingly boring and hard on my eyes. It did, however, make me ponder the many many ways I could screw people out of their money with a simple website.

"I am schplurg the profit...errr prophet! Send me $10 and you will be happier!"

Something like that. I'm fairly certain I would get donations.

Very tempted to run some kind of experiment here to see how many visitors I could get to 'contribute' to something completely ludicrous. I couldn't really ask for money though and feel right about it. Perhaps I could ask for money and have a final "click here to send your payment" button on the page. When the user clicks it, they are taken to a screen that says "lucky for you this is only a survey! no transaction has taken place."

We could track the number of visitors to the site and the number of "contributors" who click.

I know a member here has an avatar and advertisement/webpage of a mock product...it's name eludes me. Some kind of happy pill?

Mephisto · 5th January 2006, 07:53 AM

Originally Posted by schplurg

Very tempted to run some kind of experiment here to see how many visitors I could get to 'contribute' to something completely ludicrous.

I'd read once that someone once ran an ad in a large city newspaper that simply read: This is your last chance to send me a dollar (with a P.O. Box)

Apparently the guy made several hundreds of dollars and was cornered by the IRS for their share. Of course, it could easily be an urban myth, but I can easily see some people rushing to send the guy a dollar because they didn't want to miss out on "the last chance."

Marc L · 5th January 2006, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mephisto

I'd read once that someone once ran an ad in a large city newspaper that simply read: This is your last chance to send me a dollar (with a P.O. Box)

Apparently the guy made several hundreds of dollars and was cornered by the IRS for their share. Of course, it could easily be an urban myth, but I can easily see some people rushing to send the guy a dollar because they didn't want to miss out on "the last chance."

A quick search on Snopes doesn't reveal anything. Neither does a search on google. I've got duty today, which means I'm stuck on the ship until tomorrow morning, so I may look into it further, just for something to do.

Marc

Roadtoad · 5th January 2006, 02:00 PM

What pisses me off about this outfit is the whole lack of perspective. We have a war in Iraq, we have freeways crumbling into rubble, the economy is poised to tank, and these yoyos seem to think the most important thing in the world is figuring out what the hell the Government knows about UFOs.

There's something to be said for Anal Probing, I guess, but I'll be damned if I know what it is.

Nyarlathotep · 5th January 2006, 04:12 PM

From their mission statement

Quote:

X-PPAC is the first political action committee in history to directly target the politics of UFO/ET phenomena. Its primary mission is to end the government embargo of facts confirming the presence of extraterrestrial life forms in our world and to form a partnership between our government and the American public to create policy.

A secondary mission is to contribute to the process of reform of the massive secrecy infrastructure built up in the U.S. since the end of World War II.

A third mission is the freeing of technology currently sequestered behind the curtain of the National Security Act. This technology could have a major impact in helping to solve the escalating destruction of the global environment and threats to the human condition.

To instill the trust and support of the interested public, X-PPAC will publish on this site a real-time record of all financial transactions and account balance.

Because after all, we all know that a government whose "secrecy infrastructure" that it has been building since WWII which failed to keep the A-bomb out of Soviet hands and which was unable to successfully cover up Watergate and which couldn't keep a lid on presidential blow jobs or secret programs to wiretap US citizens w/o warrants, is going to be naught but successful in keeping the existence of extraterrestrial life and 300 mpg carburetors covered up for decades.

Roadtoad · 5th January 2006, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by Nyarlathotep

From their mission statement

Because after all, we all know that a government whose "secrecy infrastructure" that it has been building since WWII which failed to keep the A-bomb out of Soviet hands and which was unable to successfully cover up Watergate and which couldn't keep a lid on presidential blow jobs or secret programs to wiretap US citizens w/o warrants, is going to be naught but successful in keeping the existence of extraterrestrial life and 300 mpg carburetors covered up for decades.

Touche, Sir.

Marc L · 11th January 2006, 05:21 AM

Originally Posted by Marc L

A quick search on Snopes doesn't reveal anything. Neither does a search on google. I've got duty today, which means I'm stuck on the ship until tomorrow morning, so I may look into it further, just for something to do.

Marc

I know, it's a week later

. I didn't do a heavy search for the article, just basic Google ones, but I couldn't find anything referring to someone saying it was their last chance to send money to a PO Box. I did see someone say it on a random message board, but s/he didn't give an actual box to send it to.

Marc

5th January 2006, 03:19 AM	#1
Roadtoad Bufo Caminus Inedibilis Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gone. Posts: 15,738	ET, Phone Washington! I'm not sure where to post this, but I ran across this group. Just when I think I need something resembling a life... Now I know why we have motorcycle helmet and seat belt laws.

5th January 2006, 04:38 AM	#2
schplurg Muse Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 923	I like the financial tracking page. The rest of the site is mind numbingly boring and hard on my eyes. It did, however, make me ponder the many many ways I could screw people out of their money with a simple website. "I am schplurg the profit...errr prophet! Send me $10 and you will be happier!" Something like that. I'm fairly certain I would get donations. Very tempted to run some kind of experiment here to see how many visitors I could get to 'contribute' to something completely ludicrous. I couldn't really ask for money though and feel right about it. Perhaps I could ask for money and have a final "click here to send your payment" button on the page. When the user clicks it, they are taken to a screen that says "lucky for you this is only a survey! no transaction has taken place." We could track the number of visitors to the site and the number of "contributors" who click. I know a member here has an avatar and advertisement/webpage of a mock product...it's name eludes me. Some kind of happy pill?
schplurg Muse Join Date: Jan 2003 Posts: 923

5th January 2006, 07:53 AM	#3
Mephisto Philosopher Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: in a state of disbelief Posts: 6,065	Originally Posted by schplurg Very tempted to run some kind of experiment here to see how many visitors I could get to 'contribute' to something completely ludicrous. I'd read once that someone once ran an ad in a large city newspaper that simply read: This is your last chance to send me a dollar (with a P.O. Box) Apparently the guy made several hundreds of dollars and was cornered by the IRS for their share. Of course, it could easily be an urban myth, but I can easily see some people rushing to send the guy a dollar because they didn't want to miss out on "the last chance."
	__________________ "What difference does it make to the dead, the orphans and the homeless, whether the mad destruction is wrought under the name of totalitarianism or the holy name of liberty or democracy?" Mahatma Gandhi

5th January 2006, 12:52 PM	#4
Marc L Thread Killer Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,743	Originally Posted by Mephisto I'd read once that someone once ran an ad in a large city newspaper that simply read: This is your last chance to send me a dollar (with a P.O. Box) Apparently the guy made several hundreds of dollars and was cornered by the IRS for their share. Of course, it could easily be an urban myth, but I can easily see some people rushing to send the guy a dollar because they didn't want to miss out on "the last chance." A quick search on Snopes doesn't reveal anything. Neither does a search on google. I've got duty today, which means I'm stuck on the ship until tomorrow morning, so I may look into it further, just for something to do. Marc
Marc L Thread Killer Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,743

5th January 2006, 04:12 PM	#6
Nyarlathotep Philosopher Join Date: Mar 2003 Posts: 7,514	From their mission statement Quote: X-PPAC is the first political action committee in history to directly target the politics of UFO/ET phenomena. Its primary mission is to end the government embargo of facts confirming the presence of extraterrestrial life forms in our world and to form a partnership between our government and the American public to create policy. A secondary mission is to contribute to the process of reform of the massive secrecy infrastructure built up in the U.S. since the end of World War II. A third mission is the freeing of technology currently sequestered behind the curtain of the National Security Act. This technology could have a major impact in helping to solve the escalating destruction of the global environment and threats to the human condition. To instill the trust and support of the interested public, X-PPAC will publish on this site a real-time record of all financial transactions and account balance. Because after all, we all know that a government whose "secrecy infrastructure" that it has been building since WWII which failed to keep the A-bomb out of Soviet hands and which was unable to successfully cover up Watergate and which couldn't keep a lid on presidential blow jobs or secret programs to wiretap US citizens w/o warrants, is going to be naught but successful in keeping the existence of extraterrestrial life and 300 mpg carburetors covered up for decades.
	__________________ Why stay sane in a sick world?

5th January 2006, 02:00 PM	#5
Roadtoad Bufo Caminus Inedibilis Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gone. Posts: 15,738	What pisses me off about this outfit is the whole lack of perspective. We have a war in Iraq, we have freeways crumbling into rubble, the economy is poised to tank, and these yoyos seem to think the most important thing in the world is figuring out what the hell the Government knows about UFOs. There's something to be said for Anal Probing, I guess, but I'll be damned if I know what it is.

5th January 2006, 04:19 PM	#7
Roadtoad Bufo Caminus Inedibilis Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Gone. Posts: 15,738	Originally Posted by Nyarlathotep From their mission statement Because after all, we all know that a government whose "secrecy infrastructure" that it has been building since WWII which failed to keep the A-bomb out of Soviet hands and which was unable to successfully cover up Watergate and which couldn't keep a lid on presidential blow jobs or secret programs to wiretap US citizens w/o warrants, is going to be naught but successful in keeping the existence of extraterrestrial life and 300 mpg carburetors covered up for decades. Touche, Sir.

11th January 2006, 05:21 AM	#8
Marc L Thread Killer Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,743	Originally Posted by Marc L A quick search on Snopes doesn't reveal anything. Neither does a search on google. I've got duty today, which means I'm stuck on the ship until tomorrow morning, so I may look into it further, just for something to do. Marc I know, it's a week later . I didn't do a heavy search for the article, just basic Google ones, but I couldn't find anything referring to someone saying it was their last chance to send money to a PO Box. I did see someone say it on a random message board, but s/he didn't give an actual box to send it to. Marc
Marc L Thread Killer Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 1,743