The Lost ARGs Podcast #4 - Do Or Die Cast 104

Join hosts David A. Dein and Steve 'The Goog' Guglich as they give you a weekly update on the LOST ARG at DharmaWantsYou.com. This week David and the Goog discuss Hoodlum, Aunt Beru, eating Kobe Beef, and what that has to do with James T. Kirk and cheating.

If you'd like to be a guest on the podcast, have any theories, discover any clues, or just want to say "Hi!", contact podcast@lostargs.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.



Also you can help David with his unofficial poll, by e-mailing your answers to these questions.

• What is your Blogger name & DWY name?
• How old are you?
• What is your sex?
• Where are you from?
• Are you in the Pandora or Ganymede group?
• What score did you receive on the Test?
• Did you use the Space Bar Cheat?

Leader Board and Progress Updated 155

If you visit Dharma Wants You today you can view the Leader Board, and also view your progress. It seems we are being placed into two groups: Pandora and Ganymede.
*Thanks to emeraldislost for e-mailing about this.



On my personal Progress page, I have 10 Dharma Points. I did recruit one person that I know signed-up so this may be where the ten points came from.

*UPDATE 8/24: It seems the leader board at DWY really will be updated every 24 hours. This morning there are some changes and rank shifts. Have a look.

Pressurized Spatial Judgment Evaluation: Dharma Wants You To Cheat? 132

Is there a clue for us in the title of Dharma Test 1? Are we being prompted to stop time by creatively using the space bar (Pressurized Spa[ce]tial=Press Space)? At any rate, it seems there is a built in cheat for this puzzle, and it uses the space bar. You can read a little about it at Dark UFO, and try it yourself.

Click here to find out how to stop time…

Use the space bar to get 100%!
1. Log in and start Test 1.
2. Once you have the actual puzzle in front of you, do not start it rather, Click cancel test. It will take you back to the original instruction page.
3. A new button, retry test, will appear, click it.
4. When you begin the test, hold the space bar down and let go of it right as you click a puzzle piece.

• The key here is timing. You can not let go of the space bar too soon or too late. If your timing is off, the timer will start to count down... 99, 98 etc.
  
• If this happens, your score will be what ever is left on the clock. To attain 100% you will have sign out and log back in and start the above over again.
  

5. If you time letting go of the space bar and clicking puzzle piece just right, the timer will not start. Now, you may correctly complete the puzzle taking as long you need and your score should be 100 in green.

*Thanks Zort70 for e-mailing with the screencap, and to r for the space bar process to get 100%.

Test 1: Volunteer Assessment in Progress 497

Hans Van Eeghen was up early today sending out e-mails. He prompts us to go to Dharma Wants you, print out out Dharma ID Card, and commence the first assessment. The source code of the e-mail has a strange phrase in it, "Batteries Ice Pint" which The ODI at Dark UFO worked out could possible anagram to "Patience is Bitter".


Click here to read the full email text...

ATTENTION ALL RECRUITS
RE: OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF TESTING
Namaste.
Today is the most wonderful of days.
It marks the launch of the Dharma Initiative's Volunteer Recruitment Program.
Having completed the eligibility test you can now download your official Dharma Initiative ID card. Simply go to My Profile and download your card. Carry it with pride.
Today you will also be able to commence our extensive testing program that will assess your suitability for a range of research roles within the Dharma Initiative.
Many years ago I was asked to help rebuild this noble community of scientific inquiry. With its genuinely altruistic vision, I understood that a vibrant volunteer cohort would be a fundamental part of this effort.
Together, with my dedicated recruiting team, I have searched the globe for the best and brightest to join us, to form the foundations of the newly reconstituted Dharma Initiative.
Today we lay that foundation. So that together we can guide the world to a better tomorrow.
Hans Van Eeghen
Head of Recruiting
The Dharma Initiative

The test is similar to a tangram puzzle, where you need to arrange the shapes to make a complete square (*Hint: You won't use all the shapes). Some of you have taken the test, and some will be trying now. Good luck, and remember, always carry your Dharma ID Card "with pride"!

*Thanks to ib4uc for e-mailing about this.

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...

Hoodlum Disappoints Again 43

It appears that Dharma doesn't really want you. It's officially 8/20 here in the Eastern Time Zone, and the Volunteer Assessment tests at DharmaWantsYou.com were supposed to have begun yesterday. Yet again Hoodlum had dropped the ball... unless the test consists of laminating your ID cards, which I think we've passed with flying colors!

Seriously, if they couldn't get their act together, shouldn't they have at least changed the date on the login screen to 8/20 or sent out an email explaining the delay? I think everyone should email Hans Van Eeghen and voice your disappointment. Why would anyone want to volunteer for such a disorganized company?

The wait continues...

Have You Downloaded Your ID Card? 230

This morning, when you log-in to Dharma Wants You, there's a button on your profile to "Download ID Card". It gives you a PDF file of a card with your number that can be saved and printed. It's the official commencement date, so hopefully more will come. Until then enjoy your Slovaltine!

*Thanks to Meatball and Zort for the heads up on this.

Slovaltine Clues: Part 7 69

Here is final(?) Slovaltine Clue, number Seven. There is a LOST-related answer hidden in the image. Feel free to discuss it in the comments, but if you think you have the answer send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

Hopefully today is the big day we've all been waiting for! Thanks everyone for playing.

Hint #1

What is he staring at?

Hint #2

The book is labeled with 20 43 1 ti

Hint #3

Elementary! My dear Watson!

Hint #4

The man in the photo is Dmitri Mendeleev

Solution

The numbers and letters on the book - 20 43 1 ti - are elements in the periodic table.

Changing the atomic numbers to element symbols (and vice versa) gives you the answer - CATCH-22.

Slovaltine Clues: Part 6 113

Here is Slovaltine Clue, number Six. There is a LOST-related answer hidden in the image. Feel free to discuss it in the comments, but if you think you have the answer send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

BTW, you should not use anagrams to solve this one.

Hint #1

You should not use anagrams to solve this one.

Hint #2

I think I'm turning Japanese, I really think so.

Hint #3

This isn't Tic-Tac-Toe, what else has a pattern like that?

Hint #4

Looks like a Sudoku. If it helps, you might try changing the letters into numbers before you solve it.

Solution

Solving the Sudoku, the middle column, which is all blank in the original, will reveal the answer - JAMES FORD (aka Sawyer)

Slovaltine Clues: Part 5 264

Here is Slovaltine Clue, number five. There is a LOST-related answer hidden in the image. Feel free to discuss it in the comments, but if you think you have the answer send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

Hint #1

You can ignore the Aztec pattern on the board

Hint #2

You are moving in the right direction

Hint #3

Wikipedia is your friend

Hint #4

You sunk my battleship!

Hint #5

Notice something strange about the Dharma Logos?

Hint #6

Flipin' sweet, you're almost there.

Hint #7

The Chess notation for the pieces is d6, f6, b4, e4...

Hint #8

d6, f6, b4, e4 could be Hexidecimal... but something is not right...

Solution

Using chess notation, the pieces are are at d6, f6, b4, e4. The Dharma logos are flipped right to left, so if we flip each position d6 = 6d, f6 = 6f, b4 = 4b, e4 = 4e, we get 6d 6f 4b 4e. Convert this hex code to ASCII and you get MONK - like Desmond and Brother Campbell

Slovaltine Clues: Part 4 94

Here is Slovaltine Clue, number four. There is a LOST-related answer hidden in the image. Feel free to discuss it in the comments, but if you think you have the answer send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

Hints

Really? You need a hint for this one?

Solution

Each pictogram represents a category of Olympic sports. If you take the first letter from each picture, it spells out DHARMA.

• D - Diving
• H - Handball
• A - Archery
• R - Rowing
• M - Modern Pentathlon
• A - Athletics

Slovaltine Clues: Part 3 114

Here is Slovaltine Clue, number three, from Nick of Lostpedia. There is a LOST-related answer hidden in the image. Feel free to discuss it in the comments, but if you think you have the answer send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

Congratulations to Steff, Scoutpost, September Valentine, Josh, Codysmom, and Steve D. for solving Clue #2 first. Steff turned in a blistering time of 22 minutes. Nice work!

Hints

Maybe you need to take a closer look at the problem.

Solution

If you zoom in on the picture, say 400%, you will see gray pixels on some of the letter. Take all the letters with gray dots on them and it spells Libby Widmore.

Slovaltine Clues: Part 2 170

Presenting to you - Slovaltine Clue, number two. There is a LOST-related answer hidden
in the image. Feel free to discuss it in the comments, and if you think you have the answer
go ahead and send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

Hint #1

If you look at the file properties of the image, you will see the URL of a photo. This was the original photo used to make this clue (as discovered by Codysmom). Notice the order of the characters?

Hint #2

If you were to arrange the faces in that order (you don't need to do this to solve the puzzle), you would see something like this.

Hint #3

You would have to be blind to see what to do next.

Solution

The pattern made by the faces is Braille. Spelling out the answer from Hurley to Desmond, you get SMOKE MONSTER.

Slovaltine Clues: Part 1 259

To help relieve the boredom of waiting for Hans Van Eegen to get things running over at DharmaWantsYou.com, Nick from Lostpedia and I will be creating some ARG-ish clues for everyone to solve, which I am calling Slovaltine Clues.

Here is the the first clue from Nick. There is a LOST-related answer hidden in the image, which will in turn be the "key" to another puzzle.

Feel free to discuss it in the comments, and if you think you have the answer, send an email to slovaltine@lostargs.com.

* and special thanks to Takes A Village for inventing such a funny word!

Hint #1

There are a lot of "red herrings" in this photo, lets get rid of some the distractions.

Hint #2

PigPen is also the name of a Peanuts character (mentioned in the podcast), and the answer to the question on the envelope "Say What You See": Padlock, Eye (I), Green scribble, Pen (or Pen, Eraser, Necklace). PigPen is also is a type of cipher, however a normal Pigpan cipher doesn't have curved symbols...

Hint #3

The black symbol on the right is called a Chakana. You can ignore the letters and numbers inside the Chakana (another distraction).

Solution

Using the Chakana pattern instead of the normal Pigpen pattern (a dot denotes the back side), the cipher decodes to Ethan Rom.

The Lost ARGs Podcast #3 - Do Or Die Cast 16

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 they welcome LOSTARGS.com admin Dennis, to unlock the secrets of a goat named Rachel Blake and The Slovaltine "Uncle Remus" puzzles. Then marvel how they read your e-mails and laugh along the way.

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.

Dharma Wants You Confirms A Launch Date 40

Hans Van Eegan has sent out another e-mail, this time confirming that security is updated at Dharma Want You. It's pretty straight forward and there doesn't seem to be anything hidden in the source code. He also mentions that a start date for volunteer testing will be announced on the site, however I just get a blank screen.

Click here to read the full email text...

ATTENTION ALL RECRUITS
RE: CONFIRMATION OF LAUNCH DATE FOR VOLUNTEER TESTING

I am pleased to announce that, following an extensive security audit of all departments within the Dharma Initiative, I am totally satisfied that DharmaWantsYou.com is now secure. As a result I am able to confirm a date for the commencement of our latest volunteer testing program.

Visit www.dharmawantsyou.com to confirm the launch date.

I have heard from many of you in recent weeks via email asking what will be assessed in the program and what the nature of our latest research is. I have found your enthusiasm and relentless curiosity extremely endearing. However, in the interests of maintaining the integrity of the testing process, I cannot be forthcoming on these enquiries.

Despite this, I would like to affirm to you all that I am extremely optimistic about these upcoming evaluations and believe that they will yield recruits of the highest caliber.

Good luck to all applicants.

Together we can guide the world to a better tomorrow.

Namaste,

Hans Van Eeghen
Head of Recruiting
The Dharma Initiative

Thanks to Codysmom, for the image! Volunteer Assessment Commences 08.19.08.

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

Lost Book Club: Lord Of The Flies

The next Lost Community Book Club podcast will be LIVE on August 13 (this Wednesday!) at 6:00 PM EDT (-4:00 GMT).

The book being discussing will be William Golding's Lord of the Flies, and how it relates to the TV Show LOST.

To join the LIVE podcast, visit TheLostCommunity.com for more details.

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!

Official LOST Video Podcast from Comic-Con 111

The new Official Lost Video Podcast is now available at ABC.com. Kris White goes behind the scenes at Comic-Con 2008 with the Dharma recruiters and Matthew Fox.

And speaking of podcasts... we'd like to say thanks to Congested at DarkUFO for letting everyone over there know about our new podcast - The Lost ARGs Podcast!