Several websites present themselves as mysterious content nodes this weekend. They could be alternate reality games (ARGs), viral marketing, art projects, or something... other.
Here's the first one. Red Monday presents a countdown. They invite email, which might lead to something else. This could be religiously-themed, as the main site's password is Biblical (check the source code).
Mobilepodcast reports an encounter with a mystery man, who gave them an envelope pointing to the site.
Nothing by email so far.
(via SFFAudio)
well, if anything, the only stuff i could find about november 21, 2007 were that 1) it is World Hello Day and 2) it is the slated date for the limited release of I'm Not There, the new Bob Dylan biopic. also, if you enter an email address the script tells you that you shouldn't have told anyone else - if the wrong people find out, then whoever-it-is is dead. and then it redirects you to yahoo.com.
Posted by: Cayden | September 29, 2007 at 22:06
I tried the number sequence in the source for the page (looks like a phone #, I haven't called it).
It said
"Invalid entry.
I don't know who told you about me.
If you know Saul, you know the code.
Find the code."
Redirected to yahoo.
I tried the same # again, and got
"I told you not to come here again.
I won't let you in until I know I can trust you.
Without the code, I have no guarantees.
Saul is the key. Find him."
I then tried "Goodman" as the first Saul I thought of was the character in the Illuminatus Trilogy.
"Invalid entry.
ACCESS DENIED."
redirected to Yahoo.
Posted by: Steve B | September 29, 2007 at 23:10
Here is what I found in the code:
!-- delete when done, JC
delete when done --
JC? Jesus Christ? I'm going to try to snag the login screen when it pops up....
Posted by: peter naegele | September 30, 2007 at 08:02
weird...here are some other things I found out about red monday...
Historical Events
June 17, 1957...the end of the McCarthy Era.
Posted by: peter naegele | September 30, 2007 at 08:16
A few more things:
Post login screen: HERE.
A Whois of the IP on the post login screen returns an address in China: BOE Science Park 10 Jiuxianqiao Road Chaoyang District.
This address is somehow linked to flashget and aBitCool, a wifi sharing project in China much like FON.
That is all I can come up with!
Posted by: peter naegele | September 30, 2007 at 08:40
Great research, guys!
Steve B, that Saul link is fascinating. That leads me to a cluster of Biblical rerences: Samuel, David, etc.
Thanks for grabbing the login screen, Peter! I wonder about the Red and China angle. Is this an ad for a military action thriller?
For those who haven't gotten the password, here's the bit from the opening page's source code:
"code is gabriel
it's not the only one"
Other ones, eh?
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | September 30, 2007 at 08:57
if it's not the only one, i figured to try the names of the other archangels in the judeo-christian tradition (raphael and michael) but neither did anything.
Posted by: Cayden | September 30, 2007 at 12:18
Cayden, it responded "Invalid entry" to Uriel as well.
Posted by: Steve B | September 30, 2007 at 16:06
How did you find the code?
> ECHELON TAP IP Address:
Posted by: JC | October 02, 2007 at 16:14
I took a look at the source of the login page.. and looked at the number mentioned before.. its listed 3 times.. (206-279-1586)
I have a voice mail service that prefixes with 206, so I recognized this number right away. Calling it gives you a recording of a partial conversation that mentions Red Monday and the date (apparently)
Posted by: TWiG | October 02, 2007 at 20:57
oh yeah.. and this.. http://www.verysmalldoses.com/2007/09/is_the_fbi_spyi.php
Posted by: TWiG | October 02, 2007 at 21:13
When I called the phone# 206-279-1586 someone spoke in spanish, which means I doubt it.
Posted by: Sapphira | October 03, 2007 at 01:23
Anyone try e-mailing him back?
Posted by: Anon | October 04, 2007 at 02:50
Greetings and thank you, JC.
I called the number today, Sapphira and TWiG, and the emailed mp3 file played. There was a voicemail prompt, so I left a number.
Thank you for that discovery, TWiG. Is that the source, do you think?
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | October 04, 2007 at 11:57
A quick link on Echelon from the ACLU page:
http://www.aclu.org/safefree/nsaspying/23989res20060131.html
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | October 04, 2007 at 21:20
The IP adrress (211.99.196.166) listed in the 'bash' script that flashes briefly in the screen when you login goes to the web site for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China. This looks to be the real web site. Someone wants this to look real.
Posted by: Street | October 06, 2007 at 17:20
Street, perhaps "Red Monday" will be a Communist Chinese group or attack...?
Posted by: Bryan Alexander | October 08, 2007 at 10:07