[Discussion] - Who is Walter & What is The Cure

[janesalteredstates]

*pretends to be a Siren calling Walter to Boston*

[lg15panda]

*pretends to be a Siren calling Walter to Boston*

I agree, Walter should make a drop in Boston. But hopefully he'll wait until the weather gets warmer first!

[Ziola]

Well, if you want to see the contents of the package (if it ever arrives ) let me know. I'm in NH

[deagol]

I asked Walter why he gave out his full name online. He said - it's the internet. You can't lie about who you are on the internet.

Anyone else thought that was an odd thing to say? I think most people would say anyone can and does lie about who they are on the internet... on the other hand you have subpoenas and other things that can break through the anonymity curtain of the internet, although I suspect there are places you could use where it would be practically impossible to track you down. Either way, it's an interesting statement from Walter.

Perhaps he was being sarcastic, with the implication that he did lie about who he was?

[TOSG]

I asked Walter why he gave out his full name online. He said - it's the internet. You can't lie about who you are on the internet.

Anyone else thought that was an odd thing to say? I think most people would say anyone can and does lie about who they are on the internet... on the other hand you have subpoenas and other things that can break through the anonymity curtain of the internet, although I suspect there are places you could use where it would be practically impossible to track you down. Either way, it's an interesting statement from Walter.

Perhaps he was being sarcastic, with the implication that he did lie about who he was?

I had that thought too. I think that it's obviously sarcastic...whether he's being facetious simply for the sake of making a joke, or for the reason that you suggested has yet to be seen.

[Luminous]

I asked Walter why he gave out his full name online. He said - it's the internet. You can't lie about who you are on the internet.

Anyone else thought that was an odd thing to say? I think most people would say anyone can and does lie about who they are on the internet... on the other hand you have subpoenas and other things that can break through the anonymity curtain of the internet, although I suspect there are places you could use where it would be practically impossible to track you down. Either way, it's an interesting statement from Walter.

Perhaps he was being sarcastic, with the implication that he did lie about who he was?

I had that thought too. I think that it's obviously sarcastic...whether he's being facetious simply for the sake of making a joke, or for the reason that you suggested has yet to be seen.

Actually, I took it a different direction. It seems that Walter was actively employed in the science industry (facility J) during the advent of ARPANET

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ARPANET

No doubt, Facility J was a node, and Walter was one of the early users. To have access to ARPANET, the precurser to what we now know as the Internet, was a prestigious privilege that only an elite few had access to. To lie about one's identity while accessing the net was unthinkable in that time. I see Walter as old school - very set in his ways. I can see where concealing his identity on the internet would seem unethical. He might not even think to do it. If he did, it might seem so distasteful to him he wouldn't be able to bring himself to do it.

BTW: Welcome back Deagol!