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[recollecters]

Welcome to Retrospec™, the last social media network you will ever need. You are one of the few selected to test this exciting new platform based on our cutting-edge algorithms. Less than two hundred invitations have gone out, and membership is not currently open to the public. However, we hope you will come to see how useful Retrospec™ is, given time. We have for your use a variety of features such as text, voice, video, and image posts. We encourage you to explore our many options. Anyway, now that the copypaste part is out of the way! Jim here, requesting you guys make your secret meetings a little more exciting. It's not like you're not trying with the whole "let's meet off the network!" dealio, but I have some serious concerns. For one thing, no secret handshakes or phrases? Not even dramatic meeting locations? The trying rating is about half a star if that. And I'm almost bored to tears with the whole back and forth about what's going on. Not bored enough to give you a cheat sheet, but still. I can't get myself taken off surveillance duty, so at least try to make it a little more exciting! You guys might like this wikihow. Later! Jim Halloway Research & Development Retrspec Incorporated Please feel free to use this post as a network mingle. Every toplevel can be considered a new post, and threadjacking is permitted. No NPC response will be given. Usernames are the character's full real AU names, not aliases or chosen nicknames or usernames, and seemed to have filled themselves in; nothing characters do can change or obscure their names currently. Characters who have been in game for more than one month will find they can change their profile pictures; newcomers are locked into their first choice. At various points throughout the day users will be sent images of themselves from behind, regardless of where they are. There doesn't seem to be any way to catch whoever might be taking and sending these, however, especially since being alone in a room doesn't seem to be a deterrent.

Comments

[testgasm]

Right so

(and forgive me if someone’s brought this up before, just trying to get my bearings here)

Are we absolutely sure this is not some kind of incredibly sophisticated government surveillance mechanism? Because, honestly, this screams ‘incredibly sophisticated government surveillance mechanism'. I could run some diagnostics, maybe? If no one’s done that already? Because I'd rather not be spied on by the government, thanks.

I mean, I'm well aware that we are being spied on by the government and also various corporations, generally speaking, but if this is a new and improved way for them to go about it, I don’t really want it on my phone, you know? Downloads automatically, can’t get rid of it, no terms of service or anything. Is this a secret club, or something? Because I didn't consent to this. Are you selling my data?

It is pretty smart, though, all this. In a vaguely infuriating sort of way. Wish I’d thought of it.

[manolia]

I'm not too much of a software guy, so could you run some diagnostics? I'm not sure it's the government so much as an independent corporation that has something to gain. Normally, I'd think the same as you, but there seems to be some stranger shit occurring.

My concern there is that we seem to be experiencing either a warping of reality or an extremely detailed common delusion. You mentioned you're getting your bearings. Do you remember fruit that, uh, don't have faces? Horses? Things that were there, but now seem to not be, and those around us have no concept otherwise? Not to mention those that claim they have hallucinations of memories they know they haven't experienced. Independently, I'd claim mental illness, but this many? It makes one paranoid.

God doesn't make mistakes (see: normal fruit, rather than the happy dancing ones that He surely had no hand in), but someone at Retrospec might have. I don't know if that's more or less terrifying than the idea that they know what they're doing.

[testgasm]

I mean, I'm working on it, but I haven't come up with anything yet. I can...keep everyone posted? If this is something we think is worth investigating.

Warpings of reality is decidedly above my pay grade, unfortunately. Are you saying all of that is set to start happening to me? Because I'd rather not, thanks.

[manolia]

I certainly think it's worth investigating. Probably others do as well. Once you get Retrospec, there's not much getting rid of it - not even via getting a new device entirely. It's as though it's linked to you.

Ahahaha, yeah, good luck with that, dude. It's like someone gave an incredibly sketchy startup a warp drive. (I can only imagine how many hours these people work, if they ever go home.)

[testgasm]

Right. That's only a little disconcerting.

[He's just gonna go...check that out real quick.]

What does Retrospec do, exactly? The company?

[manolia]

Social media and marketing, ostensibly. They have headquarters in Tisse, if you ever care to take a crack at talking to a live human being. Other than that, they're incredibly secretive, they never answer their messages, and they seem to interact with us only on their terms. Never ours.

[crushcard]

only vaguely infuriating? I find it ridiculously infuriating, especially since opting out doesn't seem to be an option.

and I find it frankly alarming that our personal information is being broadcast to everyone on this app - the only consolation, little as it may be, is that it seems to be limited to people within the city.

[testgasm]

I was trying to be nice, but, yes. You're right, of course.

That's not very comforting at all, actually. Even if it is limited to people within the city, how long's that going to be the case? Maybe they're committed to keeping it local for now, but they'll branch out sooner or later, I'd bet.

[crushcard]

based on the vitriol being levelled against this Jim person from the other people on this app, suffice to say that being nice is probably off the cards at this point of time.

... There has to be a way to stop them before they expand. Somehow.

[testgasm]

It's the first time I've actually seen a human (presumably) from this company make themselves known. Didn't want to scare them off, you know?

Anyway, that...sounds a bit drastic, don't you think?

[vendettastool]

Thought that and went through everything I could think of. Even went as far as using totally not connected to the internet devices that still was able to run this app.

And if a government is able to run something like this one something that does not have the hardware to make any connection to any for of the internet, then we have a lot more to worry about then simple privacy problems.

[testgasm]

well, there goes that, then. Thanks for looking into it. Bit disconcerting, the whole no internet thing. Wonder what else we could get it to run on...

But I guess that's beside the point. You're right, of course; it's only a matter of time, if Retrospec didn't get their tech from the government in the first place.

[vendettastool]

I know it's so weird, but I was brought up to be paranoid over programs.
Can't let the rival companies get into the system sort of thing.
But I'm always willing to hear about new attempts on figuring this thing out.

[testgasm]

No, it's not weird. I'd keep it close to the chest too, but you never know. They might just be waiting around for the highest bidder.

[originallutece]

It's a bit worrying to hear you and Kaiba haven't come up with something yet. What precisely would you do if you'd thought of this app first?

[testgasm]

Well, the point is that I didn't think of the app first, because I'm not a sociopath.

[originallutece]

Yes, obviously, and we're all quite glad for it. But entertain the hypothetical.

[testgasm]

here!

[parodeity]

it is 100% a government surveillance mechanism
that or aliens
honestly were very open to any conspiracy theory of your choice
the dude who believed it was ghosts isnt around anymore though i dont think

[testgasm]

Don't be silly; ghosts aren't real.

Aliens, though. The government collaborating with aliens?

[parodeity]

[ continued here ]

[explodosafe]

How can we tell whether it's an incredibly sophisticated government surveillance mechanism or not? If it's that hi-tech, wouldn't it also have a function to keep it from being screened?

[testgasm]

I mean, I'm poking at it. Looking at some of the coding. Haven't come up with anything yet, but I'm sure I'll know what I'm looking for when I see it.

[explodosafe]

You know, I think that's what most people who got exploded by their own bombs probably said right before they went up too.

Is being carelessly self-destructive a requirement for being added to this app? Because if it is I'll take that as an insult.

[testgasm]

boop!