Dharma Wants You: Updating! 61

The Dharma Want You website has finally been updated... to let us know that the site is being updated.

A password protected 8/20 email page means we should be getting an official announcement very soon. Really. No, Really. I'm totally serious this time...

Dharma Wants You: Getting Ready For 8/15? 62

The Dharma Wants You security upgrades seem to be complete, and the logged-in screen no longer shows the "Currently Conducting Security Upgrade" message. No other changes have been detected, but it looks like we are getting closer.


Also, Hans Van Eeghan has dispatched a new Dharma Wants You email, to Comic-Con attendees only, thanking them for their participation. Hans mentions the upcoming tests, and the mission of the Dharma Initiative: to continue its unique scientific and social contribution to the future of humankind.

Click here to read the full email text...

ATTENTION ALL COMIC-CON RECRUITS

On behalf of the Dharma Initiative I would like to thank you for your participation in our recent recruiting drive at Comic-Con 2008.

Despite a somewhat disappointing start, this event proved to be an extremely successful endeavour that introduced the Dharma Initiative to a fresh and talented cohort of volunteer applicants.

Early eligibility test results at Comic-Con did not live up to expectations but following my frank and fair comments at a sponsored panel discussion, there was a remarkable improvement in results. This pleasing display of courage and determination is, in part, the reason for this correspondence.

I would like to commend the efforts of all recruits at Comic-Con and feel extremely confident in forecasting that the upcoming stage of the testing process will be a great success.

The Dharma Initiative is returning to continue its unique scientific and social contribution to the future of humankind.

We look forward to you joining us.

Namaste,
Hans Van Eeghen
Head of Recruiting
The Dharma Initiative

There is no hidden message in the source code of the email, so it looks like the Black Swan may have had its wings clipped, at least temporarily. Hopefully this means that testing will begin soon. Even the Fringe ARG has been moving faster than this, and it's not even a real ARG.

Maybe they have been waiting for 8/15? Until then, we'll keep waiting...

4472696E6B20596F757220536C6F76616C74696E6521

Dharma Wants You: Security Upgrade 81

The Dharma Wants You website has been updated. The hacked message has been removed and been replaced with Currently Conducting Security Upgrade.

There do not appear to be any other updates at this time...

* Thanks to Anonymous, RRogue67, Zort70, inatrancer

The Lost ARGs Podcast #2 - Do Or Die Cast 60

Join hosts David A. Dein and Steve 'The Goog' Guglich as they unpack the latest updates from the brand new Lost ARG at DharmaWantsYou.com. Along the way David comes up with a bunch of bad analogies and Goog harasses a poor unfortunate door store.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, have any theories, discover any clues, or just want to say "Hi!", contact TLCpodcast@gmail.com (mp3 comments are accepted as well), or leave a voice mail or fax at (206) 202-3512.

Listen now:


Download (right-click, save as)

You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, by clicking the iTunes logo, or searching for "Lost ARGs" in the iTunes store.

LostARGs Poll: How do you say LostARGs.com?

Dharma Wants You: Security Breach Email 36

Hans Van Eeghan has dispatched a new Dharma Wants You email explaining the "security breach" that happened at Comic-con, and the delay for launching the Volunteer Assessment tests. It appears Dan Bronson's stunt has caused a security lock down.

Click here to read the full email text...

ATTENTION ALL RECRUITS
RE: SECURITY BREACH AT COMIC-CON 2008

As many of you may be aware there have been a number of security breaches in recent days related to the nature of the Dharma Initiative's latest research.

Apart from the leak of a sensitive internal communication there was also the unauthorized release of confidential video documentation during a sponsored panel discussion with the makers of the TV show "LOST" at Comic-Con 2008 in San Diego. Consequently, the person responsible for this breach, a promising recruit by the name of Dan Bronson, has been expelled from the volunteer program and had his Dharma membership permanently revoked. Furthermore, the Dharma Initiative has withdrawn their sponsorship from "LOST".

The Dharma Initiative must stress that the video material leaked at Comic-Con 2008 was viewed entirely out of context. Furthermore, the way in which the material was presented utterly distorted its significance and credibility as scientific data.

The Dharma Initiative is extremely disappointed with this outcome and has ordered a security audit of all departments. As part of this audit the DharmaWantsYou recruiting website will undergo a security upgrade in the next few days.

Upon completion of this upgrade a date will be announced for the official commencement of Volunteer Assessments.

All recruits are reminded that the unauthorized release of confidential information pertaining to the details of your activities within the Dharma Initiative will result in instant dismissal from the volunteer program.

Namaste.
Hans Van Eeghen
Head of Recruiting
The Dharma Initiative

The email is slightly different from the email that was leaked a few days ago. The second sentence was changed from:

This included the unauthorized release of sensitive video documentation during a sponsored panel discussion with the makers of the TV show "LOST" at Comic-Con 2008 in San Diego.

to

Apart from the leak of a sensitive internal communication there was also the unauthorized release of confidential video documentation during a sponsored panel discussion with the makers of the TV show "LOST" at Comic-Con 2008 in San Diego.

If you view the source code of the email, another message has been left:

<!-- Good luck my old friend Hans -->

Could this be from Dan Bronson (aka Ruckus Guy? aka Black Swan?) despite his expulsion from The Dharma Initiative, or does Hans have other enemies working against him?

*Thanks Meatball who first mentioned this message in the comments.

Coded Message at DharmaWantsYou.com 112

This morning when you log in to DharmaWantsYou.com there are random characters that appear within the bagua where the words, Volunteer Assessment Commencing Soon, should be. The characters appear to be a code or scrambled words, and the shapes that make up the bagua flash and pixelate. This doesn't happen right away, but after a few seconds, and they do cycle through regularly.

One set of all-lower-case letters stands out, and displays longer than any other. The random letters are an anagram for "I am on the inside". This looks likes a message from RuckusGuy, letting us know he's hacked into the Dharma Wants You website. Hans Van Eeghan wont be happy about that...



*Thanks to Zort for e-mailing about this and for the video capture, and to Broken Halo for posting about this first!

Octagon Global Recruiting Made Redundant 6

The Dharma Initiative has sacked Octagon Global Recruiting, and the site now redirects to DharmaWantsYou.com. No word on why the relationship went pear-shaped, but if you fancy another Captain Cook, you can still find the old site at OctagonGlobalRecruiting.com/site

* Cheers to Memphish for mentioning this in the comments!

Dharma Initiative Volunteer Assessment Test 86

The Dharma Initiative Volunteer Assessment Test consists of a series of questions designed to provoke an emotional response.



Namaste.

The following test will assess your suitability for the Dharma Initiative’s Volunteer Recruitment Program. This is a multiple-choice test of 17 questions.The test will take approximately five (5) minutes to complete.

PART 1: Psycho-Visual Correlation Evaluation
Instructions: Choose the answer that you most associate with the following images.

A: Trap
B: Party
C: Turn
D: Disclosure


A: Wound
B: Essence
C: Candy
D: Leech


A: Vulnerable
B: Deceive
C: Naive
D: Awakening


A: Evolution
B: Devastate
C: Opportunity
D: Rehabilitate


A: Calcify
B: Blend
C: Seize
D: Guitar


A: Metamorphose
B: Nutrition
C: Amputate
D: Eat


A: Sting
B: Humid
C: Sibling
D: Fright


A: Exit
B: Enter
C: Isolate
D: Ambush


A: Decay
B: Grind
C: Extract
D: Smile


A: Reef
B: Rust
C: Abandon
D: Tide

PART 2: Hypothetical Situational Projection Assessment
Instructions: Choose the answer that you think is most likely in the following hypothetical situations.

A spider is biting your arm. You don't kill it. Why?
A: It's not poisonous
B: You have a prosthetic arm
C: You're Buddhist
D: You're paralyzed with fear

You just stole a sick child's toy. Why?
A: The child was choking on it
B: To replace its battery
C: To wind it up
D: You're a child too

A tortoise is on its back in the sun. You're not helping. Why?
A: The tortoise is already dead
B: You are herpetophobic (fear of reptiles)
C: The tortoise is in a locked cage
D: You're filming a wildlife documentary

You are crawling across a stormy beach. Why?
A: You're shipwrecked
B: You've lost a contact lens
C: You're a crab
D: You're a soldier in a beach invasion

You are running down an unfamiliar street. why?
A: You're running a marathon
B: You're on a Spanish bull run
C: You're chasing an ice cream truck
D: You're on the run from the police

You are lying face down on the edge of a cemetery. Why?
A: You're sleeping in an adjacent park
B: You fainted from grief
C: Your body fell out of the Hearse
D: You suffer narcolepsy

You're sitting on your bed with a sharp knife. Why?
A: A burglar is in the house
B: You're about to cut the tag off a new pair of shoes
C: You're eating breakfast in bed
D: You're rehearsing a scene from Macbeth

Congratulations. Register Now.

Note: While you are taking the test, you will hear someone speaking in a foreign language. Any one know what she is saying? Here is the audio...


UPDATE 7/29: Ridley at The Fuselage has translated the audio, which is Icelandic:

Those who come to the Dharma Initiative will have to travel a long way across the sea at a considerable speed. Work will include being outdoors and physical labor. You may also experience some [instability of time along the way]. Hopefully you, like many others, feel that your social duty is more important than your personal safety.

*Thanks to Lost2010 in comments for pointing this out.

DharmaWantsYou.com NOW OPEN! 51

The DharmaWantsYou.com site is NOW OPEN!

Does the world fill you with wonder?
Do you marvel at human ingenuity?
Do you dream of a better tomorrow for everyone?
At the Dharma Initiative, we do... and we'd like you to join us!

Why would you want to join the Dharma Initiative you ask?

"Together we can guide the world to a better tomorrow.”
Hans Van Eeghen (Head of Recruiting, Dharma Initiative)

The Dharma Initiative is a multidisciplinary research collective dedicated to improving the human condition through innovative scientific research. Our directors are recognized leaders in their fields, with distinguished research histories in a wide range of social and scientific disciplines.

A new research project is about to commence which will play a vital role in furthering the Dharma Initiative’s objectives.

We require research volunteers to assist in a range of unpaid positions.

Complete an Eligibility Test to enroll in our Volunteer Recruiting Program. Over a number of weeks, you will undergo a series of tests scientifically designed to assess the most appropriate research role for your talents and abilities.

Join today.

Well, if that doesn't convince you, I don't know what will. So head on over, take the test, and register for the Dharma Initiative. Please post your user name and results in the comments.

And check back here for more updates soon!!!!

BTW, in case you didn't realize it... the Dharma Initiative is fictional!

Lost Videos From Comic-Con 153

Comic Con 2008 Dharma Video (warning explicit language used).

Straight from Tapdawg at Comic Con comes video of today's Lost Q&A panel with a few added surprises. You can watch all four parts at DocArtz.com and audio of the panel can be download or streamed at The Transmission. Part 1 and Part 2 of the video features an appearance from Hans Van Eeghen of Octagon Global Recruiting, who calls the testing results "abysmal" and "truly pathetic". He brings a "few" candidates to the stage that did excel at the tests. Could one of them be RuckusGuy? He encourages people to continue taking the tests Saturday and Sunday and then proceed to dharmawantsyou.com on Monday to register. Also from Tapdawg comes this Dharma video featuring a message from the man formerly known as Dr. Marvin Candle, with a plea to "save" them and "change the past". Could this be our new mission?

UPDATE 7/27: I typed up a transcript of what I could make out in the Pierre Chang/Marvin Candle video (click the image to view it clearly/larger). I think it's pretty close, but you can point out anything I missed or that should be changed in comments:

*Thanks to Memphish and Sayid's Girl for edits.

Dharma Dots 36

The Dharma Wants You website has been adding dots just above it's coming soon graphic, actually twice since launching on Friday. At first they appeared to be random, but now it looks like a pattern is emerging. I have "connected the dots" to make the pattern easier to see.

Will this eventually draw out some sort of Dharma logo or other message, or is this simply a countdown clock to Comic-con?

UPDATE 7/22: More Dharma Dots today. I've updated the graphic with the new dots and extrapolated the remaining dots.

UPDATE 7/23: More Dharma Dots. Not quite following my pattern...

UPDATE 7/23: Here is the pattern superimposed with the Dharma logo (rotated 90°), and another way to draw the lines...

UPDATE 7/24: Here is the final pattern, based on the actual Dharma logo from Comic-con. So close...

UPDATE 7/24: More dots added to the page today. Six sets of dots down, two more to go...