Not only is Scola a rock star, he be a super sleuth too!

Googling failed to turn up an entity called "Wisconsin Radiological Oversight Department" nor anything with a similar name that would lead to a WROD acronym.

I understand the fear of dissent or conflict avoidance and especially upsetting Gus' family if this pans out true and the only thing I'm looking for in this is confirmation of the fact that Gus died.

At this point it matters little what he did for a living or whether or not he was bitten by a monkey.

I don't want to debate whether or not a harmless lie is truely harmless but for myself, it undermines what I tend to believe about EVERYONE I "know" online and have dealings with. I tend to need factual confirmation because if Gus wasn't who he said he was, and if he isn't dead then I'm going to wonder about everyone on this board.

I've been on the giving and receiving end of love, generous gifts and tangible assistance and I would hatehatehate to second guess when it rolls around the next time.

That's why I want to find out, rather than living and let living (or dying in this case).

Here is my thinking: at present, we have a Shroedinger's Buffista.

Further investigation could un-Shroedinger him, but could also get into the maniacal "And your little dog too!" headspace if pursued uncautiously. Not on the individual level, a la Inspector Javert, but on the group level, where one person's idea of reasonable investigation is another person's idea of little-dog-too. Dropping investigation totally would leave some with an okay feeling of ambiguity, but would drive others bananas with the not-knowing.

And there's always the danger of the perception of piling-on, which we combat every time something contentious comes up.

But this is the place to talk about it, and we do -- obviously -- need to talk. Better to work with the feelings of the people we know read the board than try to plan for the feelings of people who might never read the board. And, better to talk about it now, while everything is fresh and lumpy in the brain, than later, when resentments and perceptions have hardened and become difficult to knead.

Wait! I think I can mix at least one more metaphor if I try!!

My general response is to say, "Goodbye Gus: we hardly knew ye," and let the ambiguity stand; but I can understand the impulse to confirm all possible confirmable details too.

it undermines what I tend to believe about EVERYONE I "know" online and have dealings with.

Yeah, I feel this as well. Things like this just...fuck it up for everyone. I tend to be pretty trusting online, and I take people at face value, so it annoys me to discover things like this. Hell, it makes me question how others might perceive me. I AM REAL, DAMMIT.

But this is the place to talk about it, and we do -- obviously -- need to talk. Better to work with the feelings of the people we know read the board than try to plan for the feelings of people who might never read the board. And, better to talk about it now, while everything is fresh and lumpy in the brain, than later, when resentments and perceptions have hardened and become difficult to knead.

I could not agree more.

it undermines what I tend to believe about EVERYONE I "know" online and have dealings with.

Oh, this would be sad. It makes sense considering the variety of 'cues' we don't have...in terms of reality checking with tone of voice, expression, etc. But some cliches just aren't true. It does NOT take just one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch.

And please don't hear me calling Gus a bad apple. As difficult and potentially painful for some as this experience has been, it has caused people to express how much they care about certain things...clarity, community, etc. That can never be bad.

Better to work with the feelings of the people we know read the board than try to plan for the feelings of people who might never read the board. And, better to talk about it now, while everything is fresh and lumpy in the brain, than later, when resentments and perceptions have hardened and become difficult to knead.

Entirely parenthetical to the discussion at hand, but this is even more concise and elegant than your Cheesebutt Statement.

eta: not that it has anything to do with Cheesebutt, but it's an even better example of Nutty's Elegant Spicy Brains.

There is nothing TO do, the ship has sailed.

Everyone here is far more concerned with their needs than anyone elses. They're more concerned with past upsets on posting boards than actual upsets of actual family members. They're going to pick things apart and analyze and investigate discuss it to death.

If you cared to be respectful you'd respect the privacy and discretion he used with his personal life all along. If you cared about the feelings of his family you would make whatever inquiries you "need" for "closure" discretely. If any of your grieving family members came in here and saw picked apart everything you had ever said? They would wish to contribute to this discussion? The hubris in this crowd is STAGGERING.

There is a MONTH until the "wake" (which consists of voluntary discussion and a voluntary contribution to charity ). This oh so necessary thorough vetting of the facts could absolutely be dealt with in email and live journals and everywhere else we gossip about each other.

Regardless of any "findings" (besides the fact that a guy with that name lived at that address and I don't know why this conversation didn't end five minutes after it started), someone warm and funny won't be contributing anymore. If we don't put up a thread on the 17th I'll put up a Live Journal post at trudybooth. Anyone is welcome to contribute to the reminice. Anyone who acts like an ass will be deleted.

Trudy, please don't do this. Please don't call us disrespectful, when everyone is trying very hard to respect everyone else involved in this.

Gus could end up being our own Adena Watson, a question mark of a case that will always be in black on the big board.