Who Are You People, Anyway?

I've noticed a pretty steady upward trend in my stats over the last few months. Maybe it was the link from Salon to my post about Campbell's soup ads. Maybe it was because I said some resonant things about brunettes or about transmedia. Or maybe you met me on the Andrea Phillips Self-Promotional Tour 2010 uh, at SXSW or MIT or on Twitter or something. 

The thing is, I don't know. And if there's something I can't stand, it's knowing that there is something specific I do not know.

So hey, introduce yourself in comments. Let me know who you are, how you got here, and what's on your mind lately. Please, don't be shy!

Comments

[Chuck]

I am Little Chucky Wendig, age 8 and a half.

DIY Days.

You threw bricks at my head. Bricks rolled in glue and then rolled in glass.

It's true. It's on video.

-- c.

[Andrea]

I am so calling you "Little Chucky" from now on.

[GUESS!]

Me: Chubby and occasionally fuzzy Canadian radical athiest scofflaw gardener & sociable über-techie type reaching for Nerdvana.

You: Happy sassy staggeringly clever puzzle maker and universal problem solver with a side of "Mom", looking to share your quirky outlook on the world.

Us: Old friends through an increasingly arcane communication method that we cling to for the few friends who still use it. Met on many occasions, in many places, for a variety of reasons, ate, laughed, and otherwise had scandalous quantities of fun... and have been trying to destroy the embarrassing photo evidence ever since. :)

[Andrea]

Funny guy. I know who you are. ^_^

But hey, my stats are telling me a lot of people are looking at this post and then slinking away again. Come back! Introduce yourself, especially if you think I won't know who you were already! It will be awesome, I promise!

[Rachel]

helloooooooo from across the Atlantic. I'm not new, just get dragged from the RSS reader when you make me.

And now an observation. Tomorrow (Thurs) is apparently the National Day of Prayer in the US. In the UK, we're calling it a general election, where we're all praying we actually get a government ;-)

[Andrea]

Hi, Rachel! Thanks for chiming in. (Oh, and thank you to Little Chucky and to Justin, too. Look at me and my bad manners!)

Good luck to you and your government tomorrow. May it all work out for the best... whatever that could possibly mean, in this case... since it's my understanding that there is basically no condition under which the people of the UK will come out on top, no matter how the votes may fall. >_<

[chrisbean]

I think it was probably the Campbell's soup post for me; that was all over feministing, jezebel, and salon where I often am.

But back in January I was also doing ground-laying work for my masters thesis; researching on terms like future storytelling, interactive narrative, digital books, and transmedia. So deus ex was a phenomenal, serendipitous find.

And I just fell in love with the blog; I'm a comp sci/digital media person, and as I get deeper into it am amazed by how many other and amazing women are in this part of the field.

[Andres]

I'm Andres, the ARGer from ARGentina

[Michael]

Like Rachel, I'm not new but have probably been clicking through on the RSS more often lately because of the increasingly compelling content. And thank goodness for RSS, because so far every time I've tried to get here using your domain name I've mangled it one way or another.

Mostly I keep trying to make your blog about macchiatos.

[Andrea]

Welcome, chrisbean! I'm so glad that you've stuck around. I would really love to hear more about your master's thesis, if you're willing to gab about it a bit. And I'm so glad you like the blog. ^_^ It is really amazing how many awe-inspiring women there are in this corner of the woods, isn't it? (Er, I mean, not me specifically. Er. You know what I mean.)

Andres, nice to hear from you. ^_^

Michael, here's a secret: You get to the same place as here by typing in http://www.aaphillips.com -- go on, try it. ^_^ I'm glad you think I've had interesting stuff to say, lately. I dunno how long I can keep up being interesting, but I'll do my best! Anyway, I'm glad you're here.

THANK YOU everybody so far for commenting. ^_^ I'm getting the feeling I know more of my readers than I thought I did!

[Karen]

Ah, I remember it well! We met over a quaint old ARG, almost ten years ago, and have continued to stalk each other on IRC ever since. We are on-and-off writing buddies. Occasionally we meet up and one of your daughters drafts me into arts&crafts or video game activities. Generally she is better at whatever it is than me.

[Corvus Elrod]

Corvus here! Of course, I normally read you via RSS, so I don't show as site traffic. ;-})

[Andrea]

Hi, Karen. I didn't know you actually read my blog! Funny! Thanks for saying hi. ^_^

Corvus, I suspect I have more readers via RSS than direct traffic. Or so Feedburner would have me believe. Nice to know that you read, too! ^_^

[Ashleysramblings.wordpress.com]

I'm Ashley, we started chatting after I saw you on Remix Fiction, we talked about the new Katamari game via Twitter. Then we played Treasure Madness on Facebook until we both tired of it.

Currently I still follow you on Twitter and try to keep up with what you post on here.

I have my own blog(two actually, but one is private) where I just rant about my life, it is more of a journal really.

I play Dance Dance Revolution( used to play a lot before I quit working for an arcade) and Pump It Up. I am an avid gamer and I love reading. My new guilty pleasure is a MMO from Korea called Seal Online Evolution( it is free, so it fits my budget.)

[Andrea]

Hi, Ashley. I know you! I'm glad you're here. ^_^

You know I'm a pretty serious DDR player, right? Like, just-bought-my-second-metal=pad-because-the-first-one-died-after-seven-years serious. Not that I'm particularly good, just i like to spend a lot of money on it or something. >_<

I'll have to take a look at the Seal MMO. The recommendation of a like mind is like gold!

[Sheri Rubin]

Here. IGDA. RSS subscriber. Then when I try to comment I spend 5 minutes trying to get the post button to post my and getting told "We're sorry, we cannot accept this data"

[Ashleysramblings.wordpress.com]

I've been playing DDR since I was about 15, I am pretty serious about it. I want to sell my car to buy my own machine. I know how to set them up and repair them from my 4 years as an arcade attendant.

I have to say when it comes to metal pads, the Cobalt Flux is the best, well worth the high prices. If I had anything besides the Wii, I would play DDR more often( and if I weren't on the second floor of my apartment complex.)

Seal Online has this very manga/ anime character style. I've been playing for a week now and I love it. The whole concept is rather cute.

If you ever come down to either Biloxi,MS or Baton Rouge, LA( the Beau Rivage casino in Biloxi has Supernova, and there are several places in BR that have DDR ranging from old mixes up to X) I would gladly play you in DDR.

[John Evans]

I'm John Evans, the guy who keeps dreaming up web media projects that are beyond his budget (that's money and time budget).

I also got into DDR again recently...I'm terrible at it (I can do 2 songs on Standard without failing! yay!), but it's a fun way to get exercise!

[Andrea]

Hi, Sheri! Nice to hear from you. ^_^ I wonder why it is you have commenting problems? I'm just using a Typepad blog with an out-of-the-box Typepad theme, so I don't even know where I'd begin troubleshooting. >_<

Ashley, a Cobalt Flux is what I just bought! I sometimes take a midday break to play and re-energize. (Though one of my knees is bugging me.) If we're ever in the same city, let's play.

Hi, John! I'm with you on the resource-consuming projects. I'm working to make some of 'em come true, eventually...

In my heyday, I could clear an 8-foot song with a little practice, and a 6-footer on sight. ^_^ Nowadays, the brain can parse the steps but the flesh can't keep up. D'oh!

[TC Conway]

Hey Andrea!I'm TC. I met you at the "Andrea Phillips Self-Promotional Tour 2010" AKA SxSW

T'was a pleasure meeting you and hope we get to work together on a project in the future.

[Andrea]

Hi, TC! I remember you. We should hang out again one day. ^_^ (Also, it turns out you're friends with one of my very best friends from high school. The world is *OMG SO SMALL.*)

[Jim Gramze]

As an update, I have pushed composing to the side and have been brushing up on my classical piano performance technique. Just two days ago I performed Bach's 2-Part Invention in D minor and Gershwin's second prelude (Blue Lullaby) at an open mic night. Currently I am learning Chopin's Scherzo #2 in Bb Minor which is my favorite all-time piece of music.

Here's hoping the real music will brush off somehow on my writing.

[Andrea]

Jim, you know, in writing circles, they recommend actually copying -- like typing out -- a book (or chapters of a book) that you admire, so you get a new view of how it all fits together?

[rhiamom]

I have known you all your life. I always expected Big Things from you, I just wasn't ever sure what those things would be. I follow you on Twitter, here, and anyplace else I can stalk you. It's obligatory, I am your *mother*.

[Andrea]

Ah, yes, my mother. Also known as "totally where I got it all from."

Nice to see you, mom. Thanks for posting. ^_^