Google groups is weird

[redbird]

I got email earlier this evening from someone who identified herself as a student at the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto, doing an "Internet project" (whatever that means). She wanted to ask me about something I'd posted to soc.support.fat-acceptance.moderated three years ago: did I have any references for the theory that I posted? Why had I posted in the discussion about eating disorders? And did I have further thoughts on the subject?

It rang no bells at all, from her description, so I asked for a pointer. She emailed me an URL (in groups.google.ca, but I assume that finds the same things as groups.google.com would). I pasted it together and read the message.

The message in question states, at the very beginning (okay, after the usual Usenet headers and bits of quoting)

I've been away for a week, which means everyone got to talk this over a bit, and I can take advantage of your thinking when I post.

These are random thoughts, not particularly connected:

So no, I have no references. I had speculation, not even at the level of hypothesis, on a subject that wandered through and I haven't really considered since. I don't mind, in this case, that Usenet and the Web have a memory--but that doesn't mean that I have one. It's conversation, not a research project. On the other hand, I suppose she can use me as a citation, if she can't find anyone else who speculated similarly.

firecat, I'd be interested to know whether you've heard from this person (Jessica Lee), since my message was in reply to you.

Comments

[rainliver.livejournal.com]

University of Guelph-Humber isn't actually a university, it's just a tech school. Most Canadian tech schools are at a high school level. You need a high school diploma to get in, but if you can count to 10 with less than 50% error you can get a basic high school diploma. My point is, the poster may have no clue.

Some tech schools are academic. I haven't heard of Guelph-Humber, so I don't know whether it teaches at a university or preschool level.

Sorry for the sarcasm, but I audited a few classes at a tech school in Canada and it was _really_ low level. The advanced English class was learning how to write a sentence.

[bibliotrope.livejournal.com]

*sympathy*

I've had similar queries out of the blue about things I'd posted on the Stumpers list years ago. If it weren't for the list archives I'd be totally lost as to What This Person Is Talking About.

[brisingamen.livejournal.com]

I remember casually mentioning on rassf way back that I had cut off contact with my family, after which I received an email out of the blue from a total stranger, wanting to know all about how I achieved this, which books on the subject I recommended, how I set out my formal process for cutting them off, etc. I had to respond by saying simply 'I stopped speaking to them, and didn't give them my new address when I left town'. It hadn't occurred to me that one needed to read books on the subject and devise a formal process of withdrawal. I think, in the end, she really wanted someone to give her the courage to do it, but I was probably not the person to do that. The original post has not, as yet, come back to haunt me, but I'm beginning to wonder.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Fascinating. On the Internet, your past stays with you forever.

B

"Internet project"

[dakiwiboid.livejournal.com]

What that mostly means is getting someone else to do your research for you. You wouldn't believe how many e-mails I get forwarded to me from my Kiwi Bird Page (http://www.kiwi.bird.freeservers.com) asking me to do just that, even though I have a paragraph that instructs kids to do their own homework.

[papersky.livejournal.com]

Oh, hey, me too, same email, same discussion!

I expect she wrote to everyone who had done it. IIRC, she wanted to write a formal letter to her family saying she didn't want to know them any more. I replied and suggested she just move and not give them her address, possibly changing her name if necessary -- it's one of the reasons I changed mine when I married carandol.

It seemed to me that she wanted her hand held through the process.