dumblemop | i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?

An interesting thing has apparently been going around...a relay bot mines LJ for AIM screen names and connects two random users with the phrase "i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?" Each person thinks the other person sent the first IM, and IMs to the masking screenname of the bot are sent on to the connected person.

[20:14] hatticusqfinch: i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?
[20:14] hatticusqfinch: i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?
[20:14] Rob: eh?
[20:18] hatticusqfinch: i haven't seen your hat
[20:18] Rob: do I know you?
[20:18] hatticusqfinch: you im'ed me first
[20:18] hatticusqfinch: and i don't believe i know you
[20:19] Rob: [20:14] hatticusqfinch: i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?

first I've heard of you?
[20:20] hatticusqfinch: okay, for real, do i know you or not? i am not about wasting time on assinine games.
[20:21] Rob: I don't recognize your screen name. that doesn't necessarily mean you don't know me. *shrug* I stalked a lot of old friends on Facebook this week.
[20:22] hatticusqfinch: okay, well telling me your name would be a good first step.
[20:23] Rob: does Robin ring a bell?
[20:23] hatticusqfinch: no....i don't think i know anybody named robin
[20:26] Rob: ah--according to the internet, we have been randomly connected by a bot.
[20:26] hatticusqfinch: ....? what does that mean?
[20:27] hatticusqfinch: so when you said keecollie (6:03:32 PM): i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?
you got a message saying i said it?
[20:27] Rob: yes.
[20:27] hatticusqfinch: that is effed up
[20:28] Rob: yep.
[20:31] Rob: this is like some kind of huge 6 degrees set-up with relay bots connecting random people. there's a whole "Hatmaster" community.
[20:32] hatticusqfinch: why would they do that?
[20:34] Rob: I have no idea.
[20:34] Rob: it doesn't seem to spread viruses, only be bizarre.
[20:39] Rob: it apparently trolls Livejournal and possibly Myspace for screennames and connects random users.
[20:44] hatticusqfinch: i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?
[20:45] hatticusqfinch: yes! I found it while frolicking in the garden
[20:50] Rob: I haven't seen yours, but thank you for locating mine!
[20:59] hatticusqfinch: i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?
[20:59] *** Auto-response sent to hatticusqfinch: I want a girl with a mind like a diamond
I want a girl who knows what's best
I want a girl with shoes that cut
And eyes that burn like cigarettes
[21:04] hatticusqfinch: haha! what song is that?
[23:59] Rob: "Short Skirt, Long Jacket" by Cake.
[00:11] hatticusqfinch: i say, old bean, have you seen my hat?
[00:11] Rob: again? that's the fourth time.

It's pretty crazy. There's a whole community for people've been tagged by this hat guy, the so-called "HatMaster." I have no idea whether each query about the hat connected me to a different person or the same each time.

There's apparently another bot going around as well...and some people have even replied to things they said themselves in previous conversations with the bot. It's a little freaky.

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