Styles by Author
The Operator
Writes in generally lucid English, with good grammar and syntax, but often stream-of-consciousness. In general, the Operator communicates via text overlaid on webpages on the ilovebees.com website. In terms of the Widow's Journey, the Operator is likely associated with the Queen (based on the remarks about being probed scattered through the Operator's writings.)The military conversation text is attributed to the Operator because of the references surrounding the SPDR probe blocks, including "a fragment of conversation, two crew members in an illicit /// alliance whispering in a corridor".
The "Melissa Story" from the links.html puzzle is also attributed to the Operator. The Operator text reads "Widow stuck in her pin and I threw up a memory: only I retched it out through the network tentacle. " From the earlier description the network tentacle seems to be a low-volume connection to the Internet. So the Melissa story is this memory, but garbled into Google search strings instead of normal prose. Additionally, the Operator is a nickname, and the Melissa story explicitly says "he never used my nickname".
More explanation of the Operator text can be found at TheOperatorsMonologue.
Sample operator writing (phase2 conversation):
-
This is not a field-expedient body yet. I look at the wreckage of my delirium, bits spilled from old days, old loves, old books: none of it matters if I die, and die I surely will unless I can teach myself to move again, to hide, to fight. The first rule is always survive everything else comes second.
UPDATE - While this is explained in the TheCharacters page, it has been confirmed (with the 8/13 email from ladybee777@hotmail.com PhaseEmailsFromLadybee, that the Operator IS Melissa IS the Queen. Therefore all attributes of the Operator can be applied to Melissa/Queen as well. We also have reference in the same 8/13 email that the Queen may be writing in SPDR/type dialogue now that the Spider has been "dispatched"
SPDR
Writes in single short sentences or command dumps. SPDR-authored text is either overlaid on the webpages (in which case they are command logs consisting of short lines of command-response dialogue), or messages overlaid on the page in white text on a black background. SPDR is likely associated with the Widow in the Widow's Journey, based on SPDR's role as repairer of the Operator.UPDATE - SPDR has been killed off. In fact, any future (located 8/12 or beyond) text in this style is now likely to originate from the Queen. This new information became clear after reading the Email from the Princess 8/13:PhaseEmailsFromLadybee--UserDorkmaster 11:53, 13 Aug 2004 (PDT)
Sample SPDR writing (command log):
-
net:
!attach
act | drop
!attach
act | drop
!attach
act | drop
!route
proc attach proc net
!route
proc attach proc grope
!route
proc attach proc sur
ladybee777 at hotmail.com
Writes in broken English formed from phrases sent to this email address. Speaks in mostly coherent half-formed sentences. This entity communicates either through email (only one instance known) or by embedding text into images. ladybee is likely associated with the Sleeping Princess in the Widows' Journey. The responses received up till the start of Phase 2 were ambiguous enough to allow either the Sleeping Princess or the Pious Flea - however, PhaseEmailsFromLadybeeAugustRd confirm the Sleeping Princess as the author. In addition, ladybee may also be the author of the Widow's Journey, as that text is embedded in the same manner.The green 'problem quite interesting' text on contactme.html also appears to be from the same entity. 'Problem quite interesting' is a snippet from the emails receieved from ladybee777 and is spliced just above the ladybee777 email address on the 'Contact Me' page. This GreenText seems to be the only text from ladybee777 that is not either inside an image or sent via email.
**It's possible that the text "I was looking at your site a little awry and have found an innocent bystander. Can you (?)" from about.html (which is not from inside an image nor via email) also came from the same entity, especially due to the (?) syntax.** --UserChulo 00:41, 29 Jul 2004 (PDT)
Ladybee also seems to use (?) as an interrogative mark - this behavior derives from a statement about how to write questions in an email sent to her.
Sample ladybee writing (killer.jpg text):
-
Before I woke up I dreamed what the Widow said in processing mode
More direct communication with me
What happens when I woke up
I have been trying hard to talk
How should we talk
I'm not enough of a nerd
UPDATE - Unfortunately this information is quickly changing also. Please note the newest communication from ladybee777@hotmail.com, PhaseEmailsFromLadybee, as it has only the green text as a commonality. Essentially, the learning curve of the author is staggering, and we cannot rely on "quality" of English as an identifying element. It appears that the Sleeping Princess (not so asleep anymore) is the author.--UserDorkmaster 12:02, 13 Aug 2004 (PDT)
The Sleeping Princess
Seems to be more 'human-like': While Melissa refers to the network she lives in in technical terms, the Princess refers to things as real places and objects (The 'tower' is where Melissa/The Queen lives, the 'kitchen' refers to the recipe pages, etc.) and translates the Flea's codelike rambles to more anthropomorphized terms. (Apparently the Flea is trying to !attach/"kiss" her.) She carefully explains every emoticon she uses: Maybe she caught that quirk from one of the emails sent to ladybee777?
Attributions by Text
Phase 1 | |
Warning messages | SPDR |
Command logs | SPDR |
MAYDAY Text | Operator |
Widow's Journey | Unknown (potentially ladybee) |
'seek the truth/behold the truth' | Unknown (possibly multiple) |
'problem quite interesting' | probably ladybee777 (spliced just above email address) |
Phase 2 | |
Monologue | Operator |
Castaway story | Operator |
Military conversations | Operator |
killer.jpg embedded text | ladybee |
Phase 3 | |
Monologue | Operator |
black-on-white console text | SPDR |
white italic text | Flea |
Military conversations | Operator |
Embedded text/haiku | ladybee (Princess) |
Axon Phases | |
white italic text, codelike | Flea |
Cold, military | Operator |
Talkative, uses emoticons | Princess |