This topic has 249 replies, 67 voices, and was last updated 7 years, 5 months ago by 
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“Your bff, just a survey away…”
“We help people with the single most important thing in the world: Finding your own Confidant. At a success rate of 99.7% IConfidant is working nonstop to make this a happier and more united world. Sign up today.”
Sure thing, sounds like a great idea. Sign me up.
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Here’s the website… Megan helped me figure it out.
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Lol @nothenrygale I was dying as well. @coryphella talks about cats often
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I think we need to combine threads I had posted this in Morgan’s thread just not the FB page. @thegilded
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Who needs humans when you have cats?
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I fully expect to be replaced by a robot for @nothenrygale’s needs.
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I just received a phone call from Stacey.
She asked me if I was in love. And asked me how Annette (my wife) and I were doing?
She asked me if something was holding back from something I wanted and what that was. I told her honestly: Happiness.
She then told me about iConfidant and that they would be studying me to determine a “match” for me….a friend, a lover, etc. “In order to do this, we have to start following you around. Is that OK?”
I’m no stranger to being followed around thanks to the OOA, so I replied with a very enthusiastic “YES!”
She said she hoped they could give me a good time…
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So obvious question is how much connection is there between iConfidant and The System. Obviously it appears The System is how they collect the data for these confidants, but are they the same organization? Does Stacey know about the shadiness we’ve been seeing from Sarah? Would Stacey still work with The System if she knew how they collected the data?
SO MANY QUESTIONS.
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@kasch – Hey! Maybe they’ll get some more use out of… The Blue Car, was it? Or was it red…?
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@thegilded It was a blue car! Now my eyes will be peeled everywhere…
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Emailed and interested to see if they can do what okcupid, match, tinder, and hanging out in alleyways has failed to do.
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Emailed and interested to see if they can do what okcupid, match, tinder, and hanging out in alleyways has failed to do.
I don’t know how we didn’t run into each other in some of these dark alleyways.
But never mind…you know that I am here for you. Always.
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“Your new best friend is just a survey away.” Talk about managing expectations. How awesome would that be though…
Makes one question what a best friend is: One who always props you up? Or one who constantly questions and challenges you? One who keeps you out of jail or one who goes to jail with you?
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@nothenrygale a dick logo animation is always a good idea.
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@meghanmayhem 11/10 would hang out in alleyway with.
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I emailed Stacey and just retrieved a response. She scheduled a call with me tomorrow at 1 pm. This is so exciting!
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@taysavestheday – interesting, I was also told I would be called at 1pm tomorrow.
Were we all told the same time?
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So while they’re reaching out to some of us for questions, I’m curious if some of us already have “confidants” working their way into our lives. For some who went through the full Tension run, obviously enough data would have been collected by this point that additional questioning may not be needed. Anyone make any new friends recently that just seem a little… TOO perfect?
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@nothenrygale Well @kasch and I have always been perfect for each other.
I’d laugh my ass off if we matched up.
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Oh hey, have some (empty) shadow html code…
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I sent an email and attempted vulnerability. I don’t do vulnerability well.
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@nothenrygale uhm no I made like twenty.
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Um…from the iconfidant fb page
“I was sceptical at first but it works!! It really does. I found my partner in crime. IConfidant truly helped me live a better, happier and more social life.” – Cecilia S.
@thebuz you told me earlier that I sound like I’m lusting for a partner in crime…SUS…I’ve got my eye on you ?
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ok…posting from tech now. Surreptitiously. 🙂
I got the call as I was on my way out the door. Also from Stacy. She asked me if I was in love, and I said yes, and she said “Travis is a lucky guy.” I was sitting next to him so I said “well I don’t know, Travis do you think you’re a lucky guy?” (this is part of an ongoing OTHER conversation he & I are having). He says yes. And basically from there it was mostly the same stuff but she did say that the way that it worked was that they would be watching me in order to find me the perfect companion. I don’t know if the other calls got that?
The cat thing…Michelle read that part to me while I was driving. I turned the same shade of purple as my car. Whatever, I’m 40 and I’m embracing my identity.
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Oh, thank fuck. I’ve been looking to replace @meghanmayhem for a while now.
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Didn’t take but 10 minutes for that shadow-root code to disappear. I see you.
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@mikim Well… if you’re the new me, then I can be the new @meghanmayhem.
I’ll have to pick up drinking again.
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@coryphella same call. They said they would be watching me as well
@pandace88 @thebuz has to be used to being called a plant by now -
@mikim @kipsie
As you are both painfully aware, anyone attempting to be my perfect match better have access to a couple spare livers. -
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Personalized technology. Sounds like a distraction to the ever present. Put your phones in the drawer, here’s a BFF.
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@kipsie How’s your liver? I suggest having some LFTs done before embarking on your new life as @meghanmayhem. Just to get a baseline of how much being her ruins your ability to sustain your ongoing viability.
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@pandace88 Perhaps I’m just good at guessing which way the wind is blowing!
Or I’m just a plant like always. ?
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I wonder if they have anything to offer for someone like me who isn’t at all interested in a relationship? First, The System and their lust for power. Now iconfidant and their lust for companionship/love. I wonder what’s next?
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@izryn on my call, they offered someone who could help me fulfill my desire for more professional accomplishment. So it was leaning more towards life help than relationship help. So I think they can find something to offer you
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Alright gang, not to rain on our “new friend” parade, but been thinking about the possibilities of this given some things we already know.
We know we’re going to have our hearts broken. This is a recurring theme in early interviews regarding this experience. We also know that The System seems to have a way to control people into their ideal image of a person. Case in point, Noah.
So we all have our calls with Stacey and we get our new best friends / lovers. iConfidant winds up being exceptionally good at what they do, and we all hit it off with our confidants. We have real, strong connections with them. Not just in a game sense, but we come to really care for these people.
Then things start going a little haywire. Little glitches, things not lining up, our confidant starts acting differently.
What if our confidants are other humans, being controlled to act like our ideal person? We find out they had another life before they became our confidant. Then we’re left with a very, very tough choice. Do we give up the person we’ve grown so close to, so that this stranger can live their own life? Or do we let them continue to be controlled in order to keep our partner, while living with the guilt that inside is a person being forced against their will to live this lie?
Fuck guys, I really hope I’m wrong on this.
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Oooh! Mail order plants!
I can’t wait to deprogram mine.
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Just got an email back from Stacey. Wants to call me tomorrow but didn’t give a specific time. She seems very pleasant.
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w o w This is great! I’d love to have a new companion because clearly my BFF is already moved on and looking
(I see you @electrichippo smfh).I sent in an email and hopefully will get a response, I’d love to meet a new friend!
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Apparently I got a phonecall from an unidentified number while my phone decoded to update. I did get an email from Stacey though.
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@nothenrygale – Interesting. At this stage, we don’t know if our Confidants will be friends within the Lust experience, people we’ve never met, employees being paid to simulate friendship, AI cleverbots, etc. At least, we have our suspicions, but I’m not sure what the service intends for us to believe. Hopefully more will come to light soon.
I had concerns that we might be betrayed by our iConfidant, especially given the website’s emphasis on how this won’t work unless you completely trust and confide in your match. “The important thing is that your iConfidant must have your complete trust and honesty in order to work as effectively as possible.” My fear was that we’d ultimately share confidential information with our iConfidant, who would then betray us, or get hacked. But you have a point, it will be interesting if we are the ones faced with the choice whether or not to betray. What sorts of confidences could iConfidants share with us? What could ever motivate us to share that information?
(Not to get ahead of myself…who knows if Stacey will accept me into the Beta at all.)
(But Stacey, if you ever read this…I’m very good with secrets. My hypothetical iConfidant could place complete trust in me. You’ll see.)
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@nothenrygale ooh your theory gave me a very Get Out vibe and that movie was terrifying!! A whole new kind of creepy..
@daela being betrayed was exactly what I thought too when I read all the “share everything” stuff. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is! But I don’t care..I want a perfect playmate ? I’ll take my chances!! *waiting for Stacey to reply* -
Per Stacey’s response email asking if we can do a call tomorrow it does appear like she’s setting up conference calls between multiple participants. Just to add a wrinkle. ?
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@wanda102 I’d take a conference call with you any day. 😉
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How does one sign up?
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Got a reply from Stacey:
“First off, thank you so much for reaching out to iConfidant and expressing interest in our service. Currently we are in Beta, and short staffed. We encourage to follow up on Facebook, and continue to check the official website for updates. We look forward to helping you find your missing piece.
Respectfully,
Stacey Erikson” -
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I got all excited that she replied but she didn’t set up a call for me so I’m taking it that maybe I didn’t reply in time for the beta test and it’s all full ? I’ll keep checking for updates like she said…
First off, thank you so much for reaching out to iConfidant and expressing interest in our service.
Currently we are in Beta, and short staffed. We encourage to follow up on Facebook, and continue to check the official website for updates.
We look forward to helping you find your missing piece.
Respectfully,
Stacey Erikson
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Got the same message as @izryn. Guessing that message is more of a copy/paste job at this point.
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@pandace88 I just got the same email. Womp, fucking womp.
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@izryn @pandace88 I just got the same response from Stacey.
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I have to admit, I’m curious to see where this is going. This can’t be as simple as a dating/matchmaking thing.
Stacey’s first question to me was “are you in love?” Given that the next thing she said was “Travis must be a lucky guy,” she knew I was married, so is she questioning my marriage? Is this going to be an attempt to “destroy my heart” that involves Travis?
@kingkill33 – Michelle mentioned to me on the phone that Stacey said something to you about your new baby being a “burden?” That, combined with what I’m positive she knows happened to Travis recently…makes me think that absolutely nothing is sacred or off-limits here. So everyone be warned, this might get very ugly.-
@coryphella I missed the references to Travis and the baby. Can you link or repost?
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I got the same message. So, moving into my place (same as given by Noah/Sarah). I get the message. Sit back, watch the show be grateful for that.
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@ziegenbart, oh man. I know how you feel, after putting a lot of time into this…but I hope some of us aren’t going to have to just “sit back and watch the show”. I hope…
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Same reply as @izryn and @mumumusings. I will not be deterred! I feel like after whatever happens tomorrow with @lilmsfancpants, I may really need a new confidant.
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@sfire8 ya seriously, I always seem to look away from the forums at the perfect moment to miss all the good stuff ?
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My first reply from Stacey seems to be different from both the acceptances and rejections. Not expecting another response tonight (especially since I am not sure whether or not the phone call with the bad voicemail was from her or not). I’ll post on here to see if anyone else got a similar response.
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@nothenrygale If your theory of broken hearts and confidants reigns true, it will be a gut wrenching twist to this community. Needless to say, I think you are onto something that could potentially play out and be devastating. I know I would not recover so well, as I have dealt with a lot of heartbreak and disappointment. I’m sure I’m not the only one in this group either lol I don’t want to believe that this could turn true, but I am glad that you brought it to light. An ugly scenario that no one wants to think of happening, could very well be the outcome!
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@shankfx22 Oh absolutely. I’ve got a fair share of heartbreak stories, including a relationship with a girl that seemed to be perfect… only to find out I was the “other guy” and she had another boyfriend THE ENTIRE TIME.
Yeah, usually I’m actually excited when I’m wrong about stuff, cause it means I learned something new.
Really hoping I’m wrong about this.
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Actually, I realized I can’t upload, so I will type verbatim what was written:
Stacey: Sarah, I understand.
Believe me when I tell you I understand.
Don’t worry about making a commitment. Think about it. Follow us. Then in time, when you are ready, IF/ you are ready email me again.
I’m not going anywhere!
All the best,
~SE
I had titled the original email “The Prospect of Having a BFF Scares the Living Snot Out of Me”. Just in case anyone is wondering why I may not be ready.
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@nothenrygale My stories range from best friend betrayal, to being in love and being taken advantage of in some of the worst ways. And yet, I am still willing to be vulnerable enough to a certain extent, knowing that this all could happen again. The unknown is scary but also exciting, which is the one thing I took away from Tension the most.
I have to wonder, is iConfidant another way of tricking us into a trap? Playing into another aspect of what we long for and desire the most, only to use it against us and really make us painfully raw.
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Emailed about 20 minutes ago and nothing. Either I missed out, I’m doing something wrong, or they just don’t like my email.
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@jared It took an hour before I got a response. A lot of people are flooding it. Give it time.
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Yeah that’s what I figured, but it’s pretty common for me to get no response from immersive theater things. Hopefully I’m wrong this time.
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@larry – in my call it was just exactly what I said – when I answered, the first thing she asked was “are you in love?” I said yes, and then she said “Travis must be a lucky guy.” She knows I’m married, but asked if I was in love anyway.
Beyond that…Travis had a heart attack on Thanksgiving, and that’s fairly public knowledge & anyone who is “watching” me will find that and all the crap that came with it. I am certainly not a delicate flower and neither is my marriage, but it is telling if they’re going to question that commitment now.
The baby – I may have spoken out of turn, that was told to me over the phone from @kingkill33’s phone call, so if I have that wrong Mike, I’m sorry.
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@lukasrl I’m counting on you to find out just how tied in with The System they are!
Question to the general floor, was anyone told they’d get a phone call tomorrow, but without a specific time? My response was that she’d like to have a call tomorrow and asked for my phone number. No time or anything, just “afternoon”.
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@lukasrl Looks like you’ve got yourself some potential temptation 😉 WATCH OUT!
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@lukasrl Yesssss! Time to get some popcorn!
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@nothenrygale Yes. Call tomorrow but no time.
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Got the same, generic, rejection response.
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You’re not wrong @coryphella, Stacey did mention my newborn and her being a burden. I wonder why she would’ve said that, because everyone that knows my baby, knows that she is an absolute angel. I don’t put it past them to be checking all of our social media accounts to get as much information possible on us all. Data gathering, I wonder where we’ve seen that before lol.
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@kingkill33 @coryphella The two biggest things/commitments people can have: marriage and children.
They are ongoing challenges even when they don’t seem to be. There are many spots that can be poked at… -
So, is there a chance that the rejected,(twice, for some of us) may be the final chosen that will save the helmet club?
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Marriage and children… hmmm. No. I like spending on fun things for myself. Spare me the fuck trophies. Give me the adventures.
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I am not applying.
Why? If I had to choose between the two I’d take The System. Not sure if they’re putting us in buckets or not (maybe more to come?) But the last thing I need is more friends. I’d rather kick some ass.
Now the problem is I haven’t been picked for The System. But spots will open up…
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Alright gang, not to rain on our “new friend” parade, but been thinking about the possibilities of this given some things we already know.
We know we’re going to have our hearts broken. This is a recurring theme in early interviews regarding this experience. We also know that The System seems to have a way to control people into their ideal image of a person. Case in point, Noah.
So we all have our calls with Stacey and we get our new best friends / lovers. iConfidant winds up being exceptionally good at what they do, and we all hit it off with our confidants. We have real, strong connections with them. Not just in a game sense, but we come to really care for these people.
Then things start going a little haywire. Little glitches, things not lining up, our confidant starts acting differently.
What if our confidants are other humans, being controlled to act like our ideal person? We find out they had another life before they became our confidant. Then we’re left with a very, very tough choice. Do we give up the person we’ve grown so close to, so that this stranger can live their own life? Or do we let them continue to be controlled in order to keep our partner, while living with the guilt that inside is a person being forced against their will to live this lie?
Fuck guys, I really hope I’m wrong on this.
Can I option this for a movie?
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@bruinbown Only if I get to help on the actual creation of the film and not just the marketing for it #UnsatisfiedMovieAdvertiserProblems
Oh and only if we get that Darren Lynn Bousmann guy to direct it. I hear he’s done some cool things.
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@shinobi – one might argue that marriage and children are themselves pretty huge adventures. And even if you don’t…I still have a fuckton of adventures of other types.
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@nothenrygale I have no issue with that whatsoever.
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Anybody else still have no response??
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My wife has a kitten. She would burn me and my children in a fire of poo and nightmares for one day of stroking that kitty. Don’t trust a woman with a kitty.
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@jared I haven’t received a response yet…then again I did only write to her about ten minutes ago hahahaha #notpatient #tooexcited
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I’m too impatient I guess… This is a common occurrence for me though. Always missing out on stuff.
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Just sent my email!
Hello!
I’ve been looking for a true match and partner for a very long time. I’ve tried Tinder and other online sights but I hate the disconnection online dating sights creates.
And with my hectic work schedule I don’t get out to meet people as much as a 24 year old male should.
I’m hoping your program can help me with what I’m looking for. Someone that I can talk to, share with, laugh with and who has similar interests to me.
Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Andrew Kowalski
Cinematographer -
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Okay sorry guys, I’m officially too impatient and need to learn how to stop and relax…
This is what i just got:
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@jared sounds like you got bumped up the list a bit! That’s great! I do feel for her over those 300 sum odd emails…that would drive me NUTS
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@jared no response from iConfidant for me.
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Just a reminder for everyone to be patient. As mentioned, they’ve gotten hundreds of emails today. Sorting through and responding to them takes TIME. Those who reached out right away got an instant response. Those who emailed later will take longer.
Patience everyone. It’s April. There’s plenty of time for us to have an interaction.
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I didn’t think I’d get one, so just keep waiting patiently… I have been too impatient most of my life, so I’m learning to relax more through this experience. Maybe the fact that i was vocal here about getting no response, caused Stacey to bump me up a little.
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I was also impatient and was reminded by a couple people to wait for my time to come lol sure enough…
Hannah, your email is a breath of fresh air.
Thank you for your honesty and willingness to share.
Let us find a time in the very near future to speak on the phone.
Would love to tell you more about us, and hear more about you.
Nite,
StaceyI replied with my schedule and my phone number… WE SHALL SEEEEE!!!
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I’m hoping they take the path of “not even a system created to find the perfect match could find love for you” for some of us. My heart would break.
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@sfire8 Probably so. Not quite sure where this could be headed. I don’t know which thought is more heart breaking – in order to find a companion so to speak we must rely on something like iconfidant; Or, that something like iconfidant just wouldn’t work for some people. Unlike a lot of people, I guess the hope of a little heartache makes me feel more alive.
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https://i.imgur.com/gallery/emWre.jpg
It’s a .Com, not to be Confused with the .Net site but it still made me chuckle.
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Stacey invited me to share a phone chat with her tomorrow afternoon. She’s amazingly charming and relatable. It’s almost as if she was designed to please.
@rizzzoooooo, we have a bond built on truth, loyalty, pie, and a lot of random shenanigans. That sort of bond can’t be broken. You know this ?. -
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Will be speaking with Stacey tomorrow at 1:30pm. Excited.
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I agree with the earlier comments that this is a perfect form of data gathering. Promise someone you can give them what society and media as a whole stress we SHOULD be looking for in this lifetime. (Maybe even if it is not what you really, really want deep down inside.) Make yourself vulnerable by revealing what you feel you lack in this world? That’s gold in the hands of someone wanting to manipulate.
However, I do find it very interesting that they use the word “companion.”
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Now, now @russell. There’s nothing to be concerned about. Everyone wants a buddy! A companion is a friend and nothing bad can come of making new friends!
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Well played, @meghanmayhem haha!
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I’m just going to be honest and vulnerable for a second. Seeing everyone’s personalized emails from Stacey compared to my copy/paste reply makes me sad. I’m not even worth an actual human response?! Is this what rejection feels like?!
(Lol jk I know rejection, I used to be an actor! This feeling sucks ?)
*chin up guys* we don’t need anyone to validate our worth. Who needs robot friends anyway…not me…*kicks rocks*
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@pandace88, yeah me too! I’m mean what is the criteria here?? I try to be active but not working so much. 🙁
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Just got my response!
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Ah Andrew, your email made my heart smile!! I could not agree with you more. Tinder, Bumble, Raya, all these things are not what we are or aspire to be. We seek REAL connections. TRUE friendship. Which is exactly what we will help you find dear Andrew. Please do keep in touch and expect more info on how to register very soon.
Thank you
Stacey”
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Also, the OSDM is totally using this as a tactic to lure in those turned off by The System.
Think about it – its the total opposite:
They help you find someone (no taking or aggression required, ) the figure head is this seemingly very sweet woman, etc etc.
Its almost as if the two services were, dare I say, shadows of one another?
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Very good point @anakindrew. I had a similar thought when I read through the website. I’ve never felt a connection to The System, Sarah, or Noah, but I like Stacey and hope to speak with her more and learn what I can about iConfidant. My email to her was pretty generic, so I hope I can open up a little more to her soon.
There are definitely alternate ways for Lust to collect data from us, and they are finding ways to connect with different personalities, which is very interesting.
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Stacey is a fucking gem ??? she is so sweet. I don’t care if she’s a lie. She makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside! & I love this whole idea and do believe it could help people if used correctly *see attached email* (Also, judging by her response, we may all get a chance to register in the future. Let’s stay hopeful ?)
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I’m going to send a mail, although I don’t think they’ll see me as active enough to get more than a copy/paste response, but heck, wouldn’t hurt to try.
I wish it just wasn’t so hard to be active with the time difference what it is. I go to bed around 2/3pm LA side, so unless something is happening online in the morning I usually only get to it when I wake up (which is between 11 and 12 pm LA time when most of you are off to bed), and by then everything is usually over already. That’s just life I guess, nothing I can do about it, just wish South Africa wasn’t so backwards that we don’t even have more than one or two normal theatre shows running at a time, never mind having anything immersive or even your standard haunted house over halloween, just nothing!!!
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@pandace88 You got a great response! I also sent a reply to Stacey’s copy/paste response but it’s ok if she doesn’t have time to send one back. Hopefully we’ll all have a chance to find our perfect friends 🙂
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@anakindrew oh I totally agree The System/iconfidant Sarah/Stacey are shadows of each other. The OSDM knows what they’re doing. They’re not stupid. They will play us all. We are mere moths to a flame.
I suspect this will all go up in flames and yet I am happy and this momentary bliss makes it all worthwhile for me. I feel excited and that is what I live for ?
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Got mine back
“Hi Chloe,
Ah don’t we all want to just share everything with someone who cares and where it’s safe? You will be able to soon!!
Stacey”
This is what I sent
“Hi Stacey,
I would love a new confidant to share everything with. Let me know if I can join your membership!
Thanks so much!”
So, it’s not a copy/paste response. Hoping to hear more soon!
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@summoningdark my dream is that we get on the call and it’s just a chorus of “have you tried turning it off and on again?”
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@wanda102 I will gladly tell Stacey that she broke the internet.
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In the interest of *attempting* to be Never Silent, I thought I’d share my response, too. As someone who got tumbleweeds from the Sinclairs (rightfully so), I thought it might also encourage those who haven’t seen much yet:
(note: In my initial message, I talked about the middle between personal life and business life, and how I would love to have someone in the middle to confide in.)
Hello there David,
“Thank you for your kind email. Ah yes and that middle is so important though isn’t it? I remember the times where that was missing in my life and you can’t compare my happiness then to now. It’s such a difference. Right now we just need a little more time to go over all of our emails and calling lists but be assured that no man or woman will be left behind. Expect to hear from us soon David!”
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I got a really sweet reply!
Good morning Lenize,
thank you so much for your wonderful words. Don’t worry about where you live – to find a true companion it never matters how close or far you are. Your story really touched my heart Lenize and it pains me to know that so many people go through similar things every day, which is exactly why I founded this company. I can’t wait to help you on the road to a happier and more fulfilled life. We will be in touch again as we near registration.
Have a great day Lenize!
So I just sent her back:
Thank you for the sweet reply, I know you must be very busy, so I appreciate it.
I will wait to hear from you and wishing you well with the great task you have in running this wonderful company
Lenize
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I completely agree that the ODSM created Stacey and iConfidant for the people who didn’t feel a connection with The System and Noah and Sarah. Stacey wrote back to me and I was just so happy! Her reply was:
“Dear Claire,
There is no such thing as being too late at iConfidant. There is room for everyone who is eligible. To me, you already seem like you are. And I know, LA is a tough city to find real friends. Ugh. But don’t worry. We are here to help! Stay tuned and await another email soon.
Nite,
Stacey”
Now I think the real reason this email connected with me is actually in the way she replied. I’ve been noticing the way she responds to everyone is a little bit different, almost somewhat mirroring how we speak.
Regardless, robot or clone or no, I will DEFINITELY have my heart broken by this one at some point I’m sure. Stacey has my full attention. -
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This was my response, I think I got lucky with the timing, I was busy and stopped everything I was doing to send an email. Ah, The things we do for “Lust”…
Brian,
It is great to E-meet you.
Maybe tomorrow we could jump on a call?
Is there a number I could reach you on?
So, I responded call anytime after 10am. I also had my phone number attached to this email, but they did not call. So maybe they want to make sure people are around. I’ll follow up if I hear from Stacey today.
NeverSilent
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I actually hadn’t realized this until @clairebuch noticed “I’ve been noticing the way she responds to everyone is a little bit different, almost somewhat mirroring how we speak.”
Did some reviewing and she’s right, the mood seems to match the sender’s. I wrote mine while I was still at work so I was still in business-mode and hers was very much the same. Not NEARLY as warm and kind as the responses you all have been getting. See below for mine:
From: Sean
I am interested in registering, please consider me for placement within v1.4’s beta.With Regards,
Sean RichFrom: Stacey
Hello Sean,It is a pleasure to hear from you. Would you like to speak on the phone sometime tomorrow?
Maybe sometime after 1pm?
Do let me know.
Respectfully,
~SEOnly a few minutes later she’s warmly reacting to some others and outright flirting with others. The idea that this could be a mirror or shadow matching service is… interesting.
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DadDude, my email to Stacey:Hello,
First and foremost, very interesting concept! BFF by survey—color me intrigued. 🙂 I’m a married lady and plan to stay that way but I’m always open to meeting new people that have the same interests. I do understand that your beta stage is at capacity? If so, no worries, perhaps if there is a vacancy consider my name in the wait list?
Best,
MelissaStacey’s response:
Melissa,
First and foremost, thank you for the compliment Melissa 🙂 and secondly, we are absolutely not looking to break up any marriages!! We support love & friendship equally. I’m sure we can find you a perfect – strictly platonic – friend. Yes we are indeed swamped at the moment but not to worry, I will be in touch as soon as we near registration.
Nite,
Stacey
The “first and foremost”, the smiley emoji, the four letter goodbye at the end???
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Well, I e-mailed Stacey last night and am eagerly awaiting a reply. I am really excited about a potential direction that does not involve Noah (no offense to the followers, he’s simply not my cup of tea). I’ve been excited about Lust for months now, waiting for a window of opportunity to jump in and get involved. This feels like something I could really be into. I guess we shall see how it all plays out. Good luck to all the other hopefuls out there looking for their companion 🙂
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Another email exchange to dissect.
Subject: Re: I need better friends.
Though people are all around me, I feel like I’m walking the Earth alone. I don’t need pity. I just need somebody who understands. I have endless empathy – even for most cats.
Tim
From: Stacey Erikson <[email protected]>
Date: April 12, 2017 at 11:35:52 PM PDT
To: Tim Redman
Subject: Re: I need better friends.Tim – you are such a poetic dude I love it. And I can assure you, you are not walking this Earth alone. Just wait until we contact you again and iConfidant will find you someone who understands.
Best,
Stacey
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Piggybacking on what @clairebuch was noticing, I found it very interesting that she referred to me as Dr. Winters from the start. Not Taylor, not Mr. Winters, which are what I usually get. She went straight for a sign of respect that she knew would resonate with me and get me to like her right away.
She’s clever. I’m keeping note of that.
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Interesting article that just came out about AI and how it becomes biased based on input, similar to the idea of a possibly AI Stacey mirroring the way we’re speaking – http://www.theverge.com/2017/4/13/15287678/machine-learning-language-processing-artificial-intelligence-race-gender-bias
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She’s on to all of us for sure, but oddly I’m more than ok with it. But yea, seeing all of the newer responses it is really clear that she is trying to hook all of us by mirroring our email energies if you will.
It’s much like what they teach you in different sales seminars when they literally tell you to physically mirror the other person with our own body language to match theirs. A tactic that totally works and mostly goes unnoticed.
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I completely agree this is what’s happening, @mkarrett’s reply is by far the most damning. But then I have to wonder: if Stacey is an AI and not a physical person needing to type out replies to her “311” emails, then why did some of us get copy and paste responses? I know that my inquiry was honest, introspective, and detailed, and I sent it at 5pm yesterday, yet I received the same kiss off reply as many others. How is the Stacey AI determining who is or is not worth its time, when theoretically a personalized response should require no effort at all.
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@macbethinabathtub – Perhaps it’s an AI that has a boilerplate response for when it hasn’t received enough data on the person yet. It can respond to others because it’s gathered enough to know how they sound but it defaults back to a copy/pasted response for those that it’s still gathering on.
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So, @anakindrew, I am in agreement with what you said earlier about this being almost a “shadow” approach to stuff we have seen so far and like I said in an earlier post, this is such a logical way of gathering intimate information on anyone participating in the Iconfidant program.
I did get a response. It is brief, but I think it does fall into the concept (I think @thegilded is the one who mentioned it recently) that the response is written with similar tone to the message / voice we display in our initial emails. Interesting idea.
I got no concrete info, but Stacey did make mention of a specific point I made in their attempts to distance themselves from the “dating site” concept. She also did make reference to me being “registered” in the future.
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@summoningdark “Flash flash flash….doubleflash!”
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@wanda102 now I’m imagining my iconfidant as Richmond and am suddenly more invested in this.
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@summoningdark you just spend long hours together, staring off into the Void. ?
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@wanda102 He really would be the ideal companion.
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I received a response! For those of you who know about my struggles/angst/desperation with respect to Noah, this has been a triumph. It’s still more or less a stay tuned email, but I think a response at all is amazeballs. So ready for you to break me, Stacey.
Dear La Salle,
Of course you can call me Stacey!! And I smiled so much reading your email. I love people who are honest and speak right from the heart. I agree with you too – a partner shouldn’t and CAN’T be everything. And to expect that is madness. Which is why a confidant, a companion is so important and can actually help your relationship get even better. You seem great and I am already looking forward to see where iConfidant will take you. Stay tuned for more emails soon!
Nite for now,
Stacey
I agree with what everyone has been saying about her being a shadow of The System. I feel like Noah would laugh us out of a room for trying to speak from the heart.
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So… I was very hesitant about contacting iConfidant, for several reasons. But I decided to bite the bullet and wrote a very personal and heartfelt e-mail that I will admit broke me a little.
Today, I received the following response:
Dear Vicki,
thank you so much for your open and honest email. I absolutely loved reading your words and I can relate on so many levels. I think my eyes started leaking a bit too reading this…But here’s the good news „blondie“ – we at iConfidant are determined to help you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t know exactly what it is you are looking for..in fact to be honest with you I don’t think that many people ever truly know what they want or don’t want. But iConfidant will find it out for you. Please expect to hear from us again very soon.
Thank you and kind regards,
StaceyShe’s a good egg, that Stacey…
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I tried to post earlier, but it didn’t post. I am so excited that I finally got a reply from Stacey! I really thought that I wouldn’t get a response since I’m not very active on the boards due to work, school, kids, etc… Although it was a “we’ll be in touch” at least it was something!
Response:
Stacey Erikson
8:19 PM
Hi Alecia,Thank you for your interest. Yes energy can be a powerful thing .. Well we are working through a lot of applications right now but will get back to you as soon as we reach our next phase! It shouldn’t be too long!
Keep your head up
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I’m late to the party, but here’s my exchange with Stacey…
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Me:
Stacey,
It seems you have a lot to offer the world. New relationships and deeper trust with iConfidant. Greater happiness and fulfillment. Oh, and also your hypnotic eyes…
You’re getting a huge influx of responses, and it must be a lot to take on, so let me ask: what can I do for you, Stacey?
I’ll be around. Probably.
Chad
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Stacey’s response:
Chad,
Thank you for your interest and thank you for the wonderful compliment. Hmmm as to what you can do for me, Chad? I don’t know..I’ll have to think about that one for a bit. But it never hurts to just give it a try and do SOMETHING, you know?
I hope you will Chad.
Stacey
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Now I guess I’ll need to come up with some grand gesture, hmm?
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@chadeschman, send her a box of her favorite chocolates. Maybe send a bouquet of her favorite flowers. Invite her out to her favorite restaurant. Make her a mix tape of music that remind you of her. Write her a poem or sing a song to her as loud as you can in the middle of your office. Make a scavenger hunt across LA, ending at the place where you first saw her hypnotic eyes.
The possibilities are endless!
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What’s this about mirroring what people say? That’s empathy, of course. It also brings to mind the myth of Narcissus and Echo.
http://myths.e2bn.org/mythsandlegends/userstory948-story-of-echo-and-narcissus.html
The best relationships are when both people are “Echoes”, listening and empathizing with each other.
Drop in a Narcissus — or worse, if both of them are — and the relationship will fail. -
@larry for me it also brings to mind the “Midnight” episode of Doctor Who. The Doctor genuinely loses a battle with a creature that succeds in mimicking him and then predicting him so accurately that his peers stop believing him, the smartest person in the room, and try to destroy him.
Was just discussing how much I loved this one the other day. It really does fit, forums.
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@wanda102, you’re so right! That’s pretty terrifying actually. The creature steals his voice and eggs all the passengers on to throw him out. It was so alarming because he was left looking like the creature’s shadow and was helpless to defend himself. The grossest part of that for me was when after everything comes to light, one of the biggest antagonists says something along the lines of “I said it was her (the creature)!” They’re so divided that they can’t even own up to the mistake of nearly killing the Doctor and instead continue to cling onto some empty need to appear right.
That’s a dark future I’m very much hoping to avoid. *looks nervously over her shoulder*
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@thebuz @lasalle
“That’s how he does it.
He makes you fight.
Creeps into your head.
And whispers.
Listen.
Just listen.
That’s him.
Inside.” -
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A clip for reference.
Suck it Moffat. Davies created a monster 10x cooler and we never even see it. Nor does it fuck up the continuity of the show (Looking at you Angels/Silence).
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Angels in New York is one of the shows worst episodes and it brings me nothing but joy that it’s the Ponds last episode. They go out with a fucking wimper and it makes me cackle.
I’m a Donna or Bust kind of fella.
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I agree with @thebuz. Angels in New York sucked. The plot holes wound me.
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Moffat should just stick to Sherlock.
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@lasalle there is no way Buz doesn’t cry for River during Silence in the Library/Forest of the Dead he’s not an actual monster…?
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@thebuz @birdiesrunamok yeah totally….I definitely did not sob uucontrollably when they wrote off the Ponds…
…or basically any time I see River (only you get me, @wanda102)
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@lasalle I once heard if you whisper Rory’s name three times and listen really hard, somewhere in the distance you’ll hear @thebuz scream “CUCKOLD!”
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@wanda102 @thebuz
*whispers, “Rory…Rory…….Rory.” -
@taysavestheday these are awesome ideas, but I was thinking maybe something like this…
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Haha, @taysavestheday I’ll have to start a new business. But the first consultation will be complimentary for all Lust forum members.
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@wanda102 I love River Song, just wish she had more chemistry with Matt Smith.
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@wanda102 @thebuz @genghistwan
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Awww you made me look so tall, @lasalle.
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@wanda102 I’ve been catching up on DOCTOR WHO with my elder daughter and we’ve been watching the seasons all out of order. So of course you mention an episode from season 4 — the one season we haven’t seen yet.
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@larry season four! Many (@thebuz) would argue it’s the new series’ finest hour.
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Bless you @larry! It’s because they’re an amazing pair! Fezzes are cool! But I have a lot of love for David Tennant too.
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@larry Your hot take makes sense for someone who doesn’t watch the show in story order. You’d be far more forgiving of Moffats terrible long form story arcs that way.
Also come talk to me about Tennant when you’ve watched Series 4.
Also also, you’re wrong.
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I’m pretty sure this is a coincidence/OOG, but, hey… “The Works” (the company at which SE “launched her career”) actually exists: The Works Consulting
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@superstar Good eye! It’s coincidence for sure, the domain has been registered to the same owner since 2000.
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Also I don’t know if iConfidant is gonna pair us up with other members but if so I call dibs on Tiffany. Just putting that out there.
Disagree with me and I’ll just delete your comment.
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Dibs on @wanda102 – we’re going to give World’s Cutest Tag Team a run for their money. I’m practicing the YouPorn Plex right now!
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@thegilded Eyyyyyyy *fingerguns* (Sorry to make it boring with wrestling stuff, though.)
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@thegilded don’t worry it’s just a pro wrestler flipping another man by using his incredibly strong penis in a move literally sponsored by YouPorn. @kipsie and I are meant to be.
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@izryn like I said on the fb post itself, I have been through way more friends and the number that are still around are far less. (Except right now because of LUST my number of friends has sky-rocketed again).
EDIT: OK well, no, if I’m being honest with myself they are probably referring to REAL friends. I tend to use that term very loosely so maybe their definition is different than what I’m thinking.
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I always found it difficult to contribute to any of these threads as I am constantly playing a game of catch-up, so I apologize if I do so incorrectly, but I sent an email at around midnight last night and have recently received a non-canned response from Stacey:
Hi [VOX CHAOTICA], thank you so much for your email. I am so sorry that you have been bullied and still are. There is no excuse for bullying ever and you must stand up for yourself.
I am certain we will find you a perfect confidant here. Will get back to you soon.
Stacey
If this is the incorrect formatting, I’ll re-arrange it – should I also post the email I initially sent as well? Stripped of a bit of my personal information, of course. Would images work better? I’m genuinely not entirely sure.
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@voxchaotica share whatever is comfortable for you. What you posted was enough for me to get the idea of your email to her. 🙂 thanks for sharing
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All of that is great, @voxchaotica, you did it perfectly! It is entirely your call if you would like to share all, some of, or none of your original communication to Stacey. I personally chose not to, other people shared the whole thread, it all depends on what you’re comfortable with. @electrichippo has been having a fascinating and deep correspondence with Stacey and she’s been updating us periodically, but I would never expect her to share everything that happens because so much of it is personal, and we trust that she has the good judgement to share what she believes might have specific bearing on the larger story. When in doubt, follow your gut.
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@izryn There’s something disturbing to me about the phrasing of today’s post (that we “go through 396 friends but only 36 last.”). Wouldn’t most say we “make friends” or “develop friendships” rather than “go through” them. As though IConfidant is implying that friendships are disposable commodities.
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@superstar Good point. The phrasing is off.
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So, I too have been exchanging emails with Stacey that I am hesitant to share, because they are deeply personal in nature and so far nothing in them feels relevant to the larger narrative. If for whatever reason that changes I will absolutely share.
One thing I have noticed though: she has responded to every email of mine except one – the one I sent after our phone conversation, in which I asked for clarification on certain things, including methods, and asking “are you really following me?” and other sorts of questions. That one went unanswered. Emails that showed vulnerability – all answered.
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@nothenrygale They were saying that some exciting news is going to come up soon. Maybe they’re going out of beta so everyone that wants to can join up now?
@coryphella Of course, share whenever you feel like you want/need to, especially if it’s personal.
I’m pretty sure Stacey is preying on people’s insecurities and vulnerabilities to get her data, or whatever it is she wants. She’s really comfortable to talk to, you feel like you can share anything with her, and she encourages you to. She offers an ear to talk to, no holdbacks, no repercussions. But anything questioning her methods, or giving out too much info on her and her company, and she suddenly clams up. I haven’t talked with her since the first email, and a few Facebook comments, but I’m looking forward to learning more about what exactly she’s up to. -
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Is it plausible that the 396/36 thing has to do with active users here? It seems like too many people to be the number of beta email applicants they received. That said, I could see it as a hint to the coming size of their test group. The numbers, like previously stated, seem too unique to be arbitrary.
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@wanda102 It sppears to be based on an actual study done on MSN Messenger. The number I saw were 396 and 33. But I’m trying to find a good source for the actual study. Just finding other places citing it as well. Like here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-202987/Friends-lifetime.html
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@bruinbown so I think the real question here is will the potential iConfidant meet ups also take place in 1999? ?
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Post from the Facebook Page – Article titled “The Importance of Friendship”
– Noted that they say virtual friendships are completely valid
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@kortneydarling The iConfidant page says that it isn’t a dating site and does emphasize that people will “embark on a friendship that transcends physical boundaries.”
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@kevin Yeah I’m still not sure about that though. The line to me there seems blurry, but I get what you’re getting at.
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I looked into some recent oog studies on that after iConfidant came on line. It’s really interesting what they found. “Real” friendships vs virtual ones. Virtual comes out pretty high as impacting people’s real lives in a positive manner. Especially when we take into consideration how we use social media to connect with the real people in our lives. The line gets fuzzy. I use myself as an example. In real life I live half way across the country away from all my family and any friends other than my wife and kids. I only connect with them electronically. There is only one person in this experience that I have ever met and “know” isn’t a bot (she’s really rough on herself but super sweet and I’m glad to know her) and yet I honestly value every interaction I have here.
So. A virtual friend that knows me and wants to share my bs?
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@ziegenbartsr – I’ve been called lots of things, but I’m not sure sweet is one. 🙂
Lots of times in my life virtual friendships have become real friendships. I still have friends I met on Livejournal over ten years ago and of course the friends I met here. In these cases these are people I met in person. Even if that doesn’t happen though, what defines a friendship as “real?”
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@coryphella This is my experience so I get to choose the adjectives. ?
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@jlam84 I’m still hoping Stacey pulls through with a beta test of her original code so I’d say there is some chance. But iConfidant as we all knew it isn’t currently running.
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