Thursday, August 20, 2009

The Internet Strikes Again

This is pretty good: this morning the Seattle Times published a story about a man who woke up in a Seattle park and did not know who he was or how he got there, and he had only vague recollections about his past. The police, detectives, and journalists all believed he was genuine, but had gotten nowhere on the case.

Within a few hours a reader recognized the man's photograph and commented on his identity ("Edward Lightheart"), and shortly thereafter people began sending in links and other clues that pinned the man's identity down precisely. People are now sending pictures and other information from around the world.

He still doesn't know if this is really his name or how he got to Seattle or what happened to him. But this is a real coup (and also perhaps a statement that you can't really disappear in this world even if you try).

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