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[cheesegrater]

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.

Source: http://publications.mediapost.com/?fuseact...e&art_aid=29415

This man is my hero. I want to attend the virtual memorial service in his honour.

[konfliktPL]

That sounds as a joke, but at the same time it is a warning - people, don't take Internet forums too seriously! There are much more interesting things to do, for example

RIP.

[Iron_Scarecrow]

So that's what happened to wormpaul, I wondered why he hasn't been around for a while. :angel:

[Quintopotere]

what a sad life!

If someone of you notice that i start staying 24 hours connected, please :help: send me a super virus to burn my PC! I don't want to die in such way!!

[samtam90]

I hope it's a joke. It's ridiculous that someone die only because he wants to answer to a topic in a forum.

[omg]

i heard about a chinees kid who died cuz he spent weeks playin fps online with just coffe for sustanance. just shows the nature of addiction, some people have addictive personalitys an can become addicted to anything. maybe he will be reincarnated as a chatroom bot. maybe this guy was on this forum 2? R.I.P strange forum dude (if the whole thing aint a joke)

[Tom Henrik]

Sounds like a joke to me.

And if not... uhm, good riddance.
Anyone that addicted to something is better off resting in peace.

[Danny252]

*me likey* I wanna be like him! if I aren't already...

[Unknown Hero]

Originally posted by cheesegrater@May 18 2005, 05:53 PM
This man is my hero. I want to attend the virtual memorial service in his honour.

This man is a complete idiot to me. k:

If you want to became one, you are on the good way.

[Sebatianos]

I guess his computer was at the toilet then. I can understand people not eating for several days (it's not recomended, but still possible) and if you go without sleep for long enough you start loosing it and don't really need sleep anymore - you get hyper active...
But to be without a toilet for more then 12 hours??? He had to either get up, or muck his pants (several times).