forums can cause death

A WEST NYACK, N.Y. MAN was found dead at his computer apparently the victim of trying to keep up with too many professional forums. Childress H. Wanamaker, 54, an account executive at a New York-based new media company, died of starvation according to the West Nyack coroner's office. Wanamaker's emaciated body was found by Loraine, his wife of 26 years, who told MediaPost she had been bringing her husband meals on plastic trays for weeks, but that he never took the time to eat them.
"He was glued to his computer 24/7," she said tearfully. "He was so afraid he was going to miss an opportunity to contribute a comment or start a discussion, that he just stopped eating." She added that Wanamaker's last words were "OK Picard, stick that in your pipe and smoke it..."

Computer forensic specialists from SUNY at Cortland discovered that Wanamaker was subscribed to 48 different forums and networking communities including one apparently having to do with the elderly called "oldtimers" and another apparently limited to just 100 people. They also found that he posted a comment into one forum or another on an average of two per minute every hour of the day for the past seven weeks.

"He felt under terrible pressure to be part of the online community," said his son, Lucian, who says he tried several times to get his father's attention and lure him away from the computer. "The only time he even looked up was when I told him I had seen Dane Madsen trying to steal his car out of the driveway."

Police found what appeared to be an organization chart taped to the wall of Wanamaker's den with lines linking small photos of people unknown to the police including a Tom Hespos and an Adam Boettiger. Neither is considered a suspect in Wanamaker's death.

"Once, I thought I had him," said Lucian Wanamaker, "when I said that mom had made cookies, but half out of his chair, he just sat back down mumbling something about two Roman gods; I believe it was Jupiter and Atlas having some sort of titanic battle. 'Let them eat PIE,' he bellowed banging on his keyboard."

Computer forensic specialists reported that there was no order or continuity to Wanamaker's forum postings. "It looks like he just sort of randomly commented on whatever was in the discussion string at the time," said Stephen Hall, CUNY-Cortland adjunct professor of intemperate and impulsive behavior. "He let nothing go by unchallenged by his own point of view, nor failed to respond to any other community member asking for advice or a new job. This consumed not only 24 hours a day, but also, apparently, his physical health."

In what must be a record, Wanamaker was linked into to over 15,250 other community members, many of whom he exchanged notes with daily. He also contributed to 375 blogs and was expected to start an online column about the impact of interactive communications on health, when he died.

A virtual memorial service will be held online at a date to be determined.

http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=29415

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:01 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

I love how the media always has their way with things. They like to make something bigger and they fabricate this twine of bullshit. This man obviously had some issues to deal with and maybe his wife of 26 years should have been a little more conserned.

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:40 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

im soo gullible, i wud believe anything!!!! altho i put it down to some w/ who can tell a gud 'believable' story

Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2005 9:52 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

lol I read this story months ago Tongue

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:28 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

dude, i seriously believed this....-.-

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 12:35 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Although it may be true, there are serious issues that need to be brought up before forums are to blame. No one forced him to sit there, someone should have been a hell of a lot more concerned about him than his family was. If he really spent that much time posting(aparently twice a minute) He had a serious serious problem. I feel sorry for his family but maybe not, since they really didn't do as much as maybe they should have. I don't really know the whole story so I shouldn't pass judgement on them, but this is tragic.

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:33 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Jholic -- ya still here right dude?? Unsure

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:47 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:48 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 2:48 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

i just thought this story was kinda funny... Unsure

am i a bad person?

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:02 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Sat Aug 20, 2005 3:17 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

hmmm.. i say he had an untapped talent!

or maybe he was just sad.. (and pathetic).

weird stuff happens and even weirder stories are thought up.

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 9:16 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 11:20 pm Post subject: Post Rating: 0

Forums are addictive though. Just look at the title of this one! Some people might just have a really, really hard time controlling their addictions Tongue