# Creating a mystery **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 15, 2006, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816 "2006-09-15T10:39:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/21 "2006-09-24T13:51:05Z")
I’d love to help! Email sent. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/22 "2006-09-24T14:45:17Z")
I think you should get some used prosthetic hooks and attach them to the car door handles of prominent people in your town. ---
**Author:** ![Emilio\_Lizardo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Emilio\_Lizardo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Emilio_Lizardo)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/23 "2006-09-24T14:56:29Z")
I’m in. I’ve sent you an email. ---
**Author:** ![Kat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b19c9b/32.png) [@Kat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kat)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/24 "2006-09-24T19:37:05Z")
Hell, I’m all intrigued and everything now. Email sent, if you still need accomplices. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/25 "2006-09-24T20:12:13Z")
Yay! I have actually run out of items to send now, but I can run up a new batch in a couple of days; you’re all in! Mwuuahahaha! ---
**Author:** ![Alice\_The\_Goon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Alice\_The\_Goon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alice_The_Goon)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/26 "2006-09-24T20:49:19Z")
I sent an email. I don’t think there are very many southwest dopers. ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Pageant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ab097/32.png) [@Silver\_Pageant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Pageant)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/27 "2006-09-24T20:49:38Z")
I’d love to help as well, e-mail me if more help is wanted. Some advice: Use your environment. Something like [David Shrigley’s](http://www.davidshrigley.com/photo_htmpgs/imagine%20_the_green.html) [photography](http://www.davidshrigley.com/images/photo_pics/ignore_this_building.jpg) but less playful could be seriously creepy. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/28 "2006-09-24T21:19:45Z")
**Mangetout** , I work in marketing. The average response rate for _targeted_ direct mail is usually 2%. If you get one hit after 10 untargeted random objects, you’re doing well (presuming it’s not Googlebot or whatever). So, I’m in to spread whatever-it-is to Oxford. Will mail you. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/29 "2006-09-24T22:22:45Z")
[QUOTE=jjimm] **Mangetout** , I work in marketing. The average response rate for _targeted_ direct mail is usually 2%. If you get one hit after 10 untargeted random objects, you’re doing well (presuming it’s not Googlebot or whatever). [/QUOTE] I’m sure you’re right. I feel certain that the items themselves are desirable enough that most people who find them will either keep them or pass them on to someone who would like them, but I rather suspect the tags (bearing the URL) might be just pulled off and discarded. Maybe I need to mark the URL indelibly on the objects somehow. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2006, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/30 "2006-09-24T22:27:53Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Pageant] Some advice: Use your environment. Something like [David Shrigley’s](http://www.davidshrigley.com/photo_htmpgs/imagine%20_the_green.html) [photography](http://www.davidshrigley.com/images/photo_pics/ignore_this_building.jpg) but less playful could be seriously creepy. [/QUOTE] Wow. Thanks for that link. I love his work. ---
**Author:** ![grimpixie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecb155/32.png) [@grimpixie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grimpixie)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/31 "2006-09-25T07:57:23Z")
[QUOTE=Silver Pageant] Some advice: Use your environment. Something like [David Shrigley’s](http://www.davidshrigley.com/photo_htmpgs/imagine%20_the_green.html) [photography](http://www.davidshrigley.com/images/photo_pics/ignore_this_building.jpg) but less playful could be seriously creepy. [/QUOTE] I think [this photo](http://www.davidshrigley.com/photo_htmpgs/lost_filofax.html) epitimises what you should be aiming for - tell people not to be interested and you’ll pique their curiosity 😉 Grim ---
**Author:** ![Phantom\_Dennis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/51bf81/32.png) [@Phantom\_Dennis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phantom_Dennis)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 8:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/32 "2006-09-25T08:35:41Z")
I can sort of picture what you’re doing, and it’s a neat idea. I think the reason you’re getting such a small number of responses is that our culture is saturated to the extreme with advertising, which causes most people to be skeptical about anything of potential value that appears to be free. They probably assume that your web site will just try to sell them something – or possibly witness to them. That’s the first thing I’d assume, anyway. Maybe you need to do something to reassure people that your project is not just another “clever” grassroots or viral advertisng campaign (or some sociology professor’s idea of an extra-credit assignment). In other words, it’s crucial that your found objects not appear to be some kind of bait connected with an agenda. You might need to resort to trickery of some sorts to accomplish this – perhaps you should address the items to a specific person and make the web site appear to contain a crucial, fascinating piece of information. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/33 "2006-09-25T09:16:19Z")
Thanks for all the responses and advice so far. There have only been 17 objects placed so far (plus three that I have specifically targeted - more on that when I post a link to the site). I suppose it’s not all that surprising that there hasn’t been any response yet; perhaps even out of the finders who are curious enough to check, nobody wants to be the first to post a comment. I think I will create a couple of fake finders. BTW, I have had a number of responses offering assistance in distribution and these were all welcome, but I think I will have to close the gate, for a while at least; I can make ten or so of these objects per free evening and I don’t want to overstretch myself too far. ---
**Author:** ![bundykala](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bundykala](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bundykala)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 10:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/34 "2006-09-25T10:18:49Z")
This is a really cool idea. I bet there are some people who are too paranoid it’s some sort of huge and complicated practical joke to go to the url though. People are strange that way. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2006, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/35 "2006-09-25T13:20:57Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] , nobody wants to be the first to post a comment. I think I will create a couple of fake finders. [/QUOTE] If you like, I’d be willing to post a comment. Email at SusanBeth at [Gmail.com](http://Gmail.com) with enough info to post a sensible comment. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/36 "2006-09-26T11:57:59Z")
Thanks, but for the moment, I am only divulging the URL of the website to people who have either found one of the objects, or are distributing them. I won’t keep everyone else in suspense for ever though, I promise. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2006, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/37 "2006-09-30T23:59:32Z")
Updates: -Everyone who volunteered to help distribute the objects has now been sent some (the last two packs will go out in the post on Monday. -If anyone else wants to join in, I have further (modest) supplies, so I can send some more out. -I had a response; I can’t say too much at the moment, but it appears to be a response to the exception I made of targeting a specific address and sending the objects there by post. More later, but the response, if genuine, looks really exciting. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/38 "2006-10-01T00:27:39Z")
How about writing the URL on money? ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/39 "2006-10-01T01:00:04Z")
I’m not sure that would be actually harmonious with the content of the site, but anyway, I hardly use paper money at all, so I would have little opportinuty. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2006, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816/40 "2006-10-01T09:42:56Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] -If anyone else wants to join in, I have further (modest) supplies, so I can send some more out. [/QUOTE] I’ve sent you an email… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/creating-a-mystery/372816.md?page=3)