It’s A Mystery No More: Infernal Optimist proves “strange~~~visitor” is mOOn platOOn
Characteristics of popular SoulCast bloggers bloc, CreativeWoman, TheNakedProfessor, silverwhisper, Zayda, secretlife, gingersoul / PLUS: all the clues – it’s no longer a mystery
mOOn platOOn
7 regular features updated on odd days
The Bottom Line: This is a blog about mOOn platOOn, by Steve Games. Working in Hollywood but outside the bounds of studio controls, it’s a dream to create a movie – a TV series – a video game, books, interactive website and toys, and this is the beginning.
How We Did It – The Mystery of Strange~~~Visitor
As a special holiday treat for all you “Detectives” out there, and as an experiment to help boost the average number of page views per visitor to SoulCast (see the mOOn platOOn Issues column, scroll down), I designed a puzzle that you could have some fun reassembling while getting to know the realm of SoulCast even that much better. If you do not want the answers yet, do NOT read on. For those in the dark, here’s the post I’m talking about:
By the time my scheme was concocted, I realized that I needed help for a spectacular execution.
So, as strange~~~visitor I private messaged several of my more frequent mOOn platOOn blog correspondents (even a couple of the more hostile ones) asking if they would assist in a grand scheme for some fun. Some did not respond, but eventually eleven did. I only needed ten, but realized that I could stretch out the fun.
I gave each of them instructions. Each was given a headline and told it had to be printed precisely as I gave it to them – cut and paste. And, it had to be posted at a certain time on a certain date for everything to fit nicely together.
After some adjustments, the players were in place. Next, it was up to them to write convincing posts around their headlines. They had to make sense, regardless of how weird the headline was. It was up to the imagination of my co-conspirators to fill in those blanks. I think the outcome was great!
And of course, they were sworn to secrecy and instructed to stay away from the strange~~~visitor blog. None were aware of who the other conspirators were, how many there were, or what their fragment of headline meant (that it was part of a poem). Nor did they know who strange~~~visitor was any more than anyone else. I thank them all for their magnificent cooperation.
One more thing: each post had to begin with a certain letter – either singled out in bold or set apart from the rest of the word like this – H ello – which, when assembled in proper order, would spell out my name: M O O N P L A T O O N. The parts of the poem were in backwards order on the “most recent” page so that if anyone scrolled downward their eyes might catch the sequence, “Eenie Meenie” – “My Knee” – “Moe” – etc.
Some of my accomplices have been around since SoulCast began, others are brand new. Here are their credits in this mOOn platOOn prOductiOn:
Eenie Meanie, Kigore_V_Trout, “M”
My Knee, StoneMaster, “O”
Moe, Dreamknightx, “O”
Catch A Nigger, TheUndergroundEagle, “N”
By His Toe, somethingunUSual, “P”
If He Hollars, sweetnessorange, “L”
Make Him Pay, Bittch, “A”
Fifty Dollars, celestialspace2001, “T”
Every Day, trebleclef, “O”
My Mother Told Me, checkeredpast, “O”
To Choose The Very Best One, unique1, “N”
- and there you have it.
While TheNakedProfessor came in a close second, The_Infernal_Optimist was the first to name mOOn platOOn directly as the correct answer, after uncovering 4 puzzle pieces.
Was that some fun, or what?
- OO
MORE ON “strange~~~visitor,” bloc, Evil_Twin, moonriver, silverwhisper, Zayda, TheNakedProfessor, CreativeWoman, secretlife and gingersoul BELOW
It Came From Out Of The Script
For some excellent samples from the screenplay mOOn platOOn, visit these posts if you haven’t already, and see this department.
mOOn platOOn is the story of a man drawn into the Cold War in the 1980s, to serve at the USA’s secret military moon base with 36 other unknowns.
If I Were Casting Now
The part of Oberon, the mOOn platOOn movies’ leading man who discovers that a life of adventure can be more than he bargained for: Giovanni Ribisi (Boiler Room)
mOOn platOOn Byproducts
What Does It Take To Be Popular?
In a recent study, I tracked certain characteristics of a cross-section of SoulCast bloggers.
They were popular members bloc, CreativeWoman, TheNakedProfessor, silverwhisper, Zayda, secretlife, gingersoul, up and comers moonriver and evil_twin and then little old me, mOOn platOOn. I modestly included myself for comparison, although I am the newest of the group (I started August 2, 2007) with the least history.
I compared the 15 most viewed posts from each blogger as well as their length of time in here and their cumulative body of work I will provide a more expansive article in the future, but here are some interesting facts:
MOST PROLIFIC BLOGGER: the one with the most total pages: bloc
2ND MOST PROLIFIC BLOGGER: silverwhisper
3RD MOST PROLIFIC BLOGGER: CreativeWoman
MOST COMMON TAGS: has more “popular” tags in common with others than anyone else: silverwhisper
2ND MOST COMMON TAGS: Evil_Twin
3RD MOST COMMON TAGS: Zayda
MOST VIEWED POST: most page views on a single post: TheNakedProfessor – also, TNP has the most cumulative views of all in his top 15 posts, the views of all 15 posts totaled.
2ND MOST VIEWED POST: moonriver
3RD MOST VIEWED POST: silverwhisper
mOOn platOOn Issues
strange~~~visitor boosts SoulCast page views. Is a SoulCast Editor Needed?
Why did I send the SoulCast community searching all through the archives and formerly ignored bloggers of our yakkity universe trying to identify a strange~~~visitor?
Since SoulCast is the home site for mOOn platOOn, and frankly a launching pad for a more sophisticated blog effort, I am always watching the “reach” of the site, the percentage of global internet users that visit here and such.
Some of you may be unaware that SoulCast reached the summit of its popularity in late June and early July of 2006. It had a fantastic climb in its first few months that had SoulCast administration giving notice to YouTube to get out of the way.
Then it was downhill, almost as quickly. Today, SoulCast is averaging only 2 page views per visitor (source: Alexa) and on average over the past three months is ranked 71,768 in website traffic. In comparison, Google is number 2, YouTube is number 4 and MySpace is ranked 6th.
In the last three months, SoulCast has experienced an 18% drop in global internet use. Last Wednesday, three-tenths of one percent of all global internet users paid us a visit, however briefly. They averaged just one and a half page views each. They didn’t stay long, despite the fun and diversity that we regular users know is here. The average number of page views has declined in those three months by 13%.
As it is, the “democratic” rank-and-file of SoulCast determines what posts are “featured” or headlining the page when the casual observer first arrives. Since comments and initial subscriber views are all it takes, there is an “inbred” feeling to many of the more popular posts. Almost like coming into the middle of a novel with no background on it.
A SoulCast editor would be someone who could selectively keep “sticky” posts on the front page to draw in the casual viewer. And if SoulCast is counting on silverwhisper to meet and greet newbies with some kind of acknowledgment and response, they need to hire him and someone else full time.
It’s all about EYEBALLS. And holding on to them.
Other Projects By Steve Games
Mike Feral
operative of
m.o.o.n.p.l.a.t.o.o.n.
(multi-organizational office of non-partisan law agencies territorially official over nations)
In times of trouble, Mike Feral transforms himself into mOOn platOOn, fantastically-armed defender of those weaker than himself…
Another In The Series Of 200-Word Adventures Of The Action Agent
“Drag On”
Carrie Dragoul liked to be called Drag. She hated school, couldn’t perform during tests. But she imagined slowing everything to a halt – and it happened. Her dandelion wish came true!
Mike Feral was horny, and saw no use waiting around for Urana. No matter how badly he’d long for her. She was always “busy.” It was clearly time to find some action elsewhere.
Slowing school to a stop, the only moving body on the scene, Drag visited the smartest students, copying their answers. Then she followed a weird impulse. She squeezed every boys’ crotch. Oddly gratifying.
Sensing trouble, Feral switched to mOOn platOOn, witnessing Drag’s activity using his platOOn biO-shield to resist Drag’s motion-stopping power. Then Drag seduced him.
mOOn was remorseful over doing Drag, yet trusted her to stop her immoral activity as she had promised. Good God! Why did he succumb to her? What happened?
mOOn discovered (by reviewing his mOOnscOpe) that Drag used time-lapse
stop motion to manipulate him unbeknownst. He was raped. Methodically. The choices were not his. Raped!
Drag was arrested. Meanwhile, Urana just couldn’t get Mike out of her mind. Was it love? She gave him a call. No answer. Try later?
The Cast In Hollywood
It’s Christmas Eve and a happy kringle to the yamaka rasheed hindufluous hordes, to all a good blesstious and a merry new chronicle. Peace Out!
Participants can get involved by going to www.paypal.com and sending to stevegames1@yahoo.com through their system.
