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Sleep Mailing

Doctors have reported the first case of someone using the internet while asleep, when a sleeping woman sent emails to people asking them over for drinks and caviar. The 44-year-old woman found out what she had done after a would be guest phoned her about it the next day. While asleep the woman turned on her computer, logged on by typing her username and password then composed and sent three emails. Each mail was in a random mix of upper and lower cases, unformatted and written in strange language. One read: "Come tomorrow and sort this hell hole out. Dinner and drinks, 4.pm,. Bring wine and caviar only." Another said simply, "What the......." If I had known that researchers were interested in unformatted, rambling email I would have let them read my inbox. They could start a whole new school of medicine.

31 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. Idle? by Kagura · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Wow. They even used a pic like Idle. Why is this filtering into my regular slashdot now?

    1. Re:Idle? by eln · · Score: 5, Insightful

      It's all part of Slashdot's master plan to become just another digg/fark clone.

      Think about it: First they create the Politics section to get people used to the idea that they aren't just "News for Nerds" anymore, then they replace their perfectly good interface with a godawful Web 2.0 mess. Then, they introduce the "Idle" section for so-called "humorous" links (man, I was just thinking to myself: there just aren't enough sites out there dedicated to posting "funny" news stories). Now, content that should be in Idle starts bleeding out into other sections.

      Next steps: Creation of "Boobies" tag, site name change to "Rob Malda's Slashdot.org", removal of "Boobies" tag in effort to become a more "serious" funny links aggregator. I can hardly wait.

    2. Re:Idle? by ipX · · Score: 5, Funny

      'Jumping the shark' has jumped the shark.

    3. Re:Idle? by ChromeAeonium · · Score: 5, Funny

      Why is this filtering into my regular slashdot now?

      The second case of someone using the internet while asleep?

    4. Re:Idle? by Kagura · · Score: 5, Insightful

      replace their perfectly good interface with a godawful Web 2.0 mess.

      I didn't mind any changes they made in the least, except for the silly changes to the user page! Now it takes two clicks and page loads in between to get to my comment page, whereas before it was only one simple click from the main page. This is the only change I've minded, and I mind considerably.

      First they came for my easy-to-read Slashdot color scheme, but I did not speak out...

    5. Re:Idle? by eln · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I'm with you 100% on the user page. What we have now is uglier and provides less information than the old one. The only reason I go to my own user page is to see if anyone has replied to my comments, and now I have to navigate two (slower) pages to do it. I don't understand what they were thinking on that one. There seems to be no benefit at all to the new page.

    6. Re:Idle? by LandDolphin · · Score: 4, Informative

      Yes, I beleive the new term is "Nuked the Fridge"

      --
      Spelling and Grammar errors have been added to this post for your enjoyment
    7. Re:Idle? by MRe_nl · · Score: 5, Funny

      Come in tomorrow and sort this godawful Web 2.0 hell hole out.
      Bring wine and caviar only.

      Sincerly yours
      Cmdr. Taco

      --
      "Kill 'em all and let Root sort 'em out"
    8. Re:Idle? by owlnation · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The best thing to do is not comment on this kind of article -- other than to register protest.

      I note the really lame article "The Year of 2008 In Cybercrime" from Networkworld got only 42 comments -- many of which were complaints about the low quality of Networkworld. That's the way to show the editors the failure of their new direction and their sell-out.

      The slow idle-creep has to stop. If they want to have a Digg-type site then let them create a new site altogether. Call it Idle and keep it off Slashdot. The audience for Idle is NOT the same as Slashdot. At this rate someone will have to create a new site to cater for the core Slashdot audience, because it seems that Taco and the boys have stopped caring about their regular readers.

    9. Re:Idle? by Culture20 · · Score: 5, Informative

      You might have blocked out idle, so you might not know that the bleed has gone both ways. There have been serious science stories that some editor decided "Hmm, that sounds funny" and put into the idle section.

    10. Re:Idle? by PCM2 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Thirded. I don't even understand what the new user page is trying to achieve. Slashdot is the only site I know that keeps the same fugly color scheme and design but expends extra effort to mess up the UI on a regular basis. If I could roll back to the design from 2000, I would.

      --
      Breakfast served all day!
    11. Re:Idle? by Bill,+Shooter+of+Bul · · Score: 5, Funny

      Yeah, I'm seriously considering creating a mashup website that just interfaces with slashdot, and then cleans up the interface. Idle will not exist at all. Attempting to manipulate the url to goto idle, will result in the user's death, or possibly a just redirect them to digg, which ever is not considered a felony in more places.

      --
      Well.. maybe. Or Maybe not. But Definitely not sort of.
    12. Re:Idle? by Jesus_666 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      As for this story: With more background links (such as a discussion in a medical journal) this would be a bona fide geeky news story. While it's been knwn for a while that people can act in their sleep (even to the point of semi-intelligent conversation), something as abstract as writing mails is new.

      I think sleep and sleep disorders are a very interesting and discussion-worthy subject (even though I can't offer any medical/biological insight, I'd be interested in such posts from others with more knowledge than me). The story is just not presented that well.

      So in essence my verdict is "Where's the beef?" and not "/. is the wrong place to post something like that".

      --
      USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    13. Re:Idle? by freeweed · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Seriously folks, this is getting to the point of horseshit. I have yet to hear anyone actually DEFEND these changes; the best comes down to "it's not the end of the world". Akin to "hey, modern Windows is good, it doesn't crash very often anymore". ie: a backhanded compliment.

      Time for a new meme. I'm fucking sick of the trashing of Slashdot, and the user page was the last straw. Let's raise this issue on every single story thread. There ain't enough compliant mods to handle us, and we always talk about what the Slash community could do with its numbers...

      As this clearly isn't Rob et al's decision, let's fight fire with fire. Trash this site folks, because the site operators are doing it anyway. Let's make sure every single story has pointless offtopic threads like this until something fucking changes.

      Honestly, for a while I thought I was the only one. I'm not in the "Slash has gone downhill re: comment quality crowd", but for fuck's sake - STOP TURNING THIS INTO FARK.

      --
      Endless arguments over trivial contradictions in books written by ignorant savages to explain thunder in the dark.
  2. Yah right by eln · · Score: 5, Funny

    Look lady, I show up to your house with wine and caviar and you make up some lame excuse about "sleep emailing". If you didn't want the second date, you should have just said so! I'm a Slashdotter, I'm used to rejection, there's no need to lead me on and come up with lame excuses at the last minute.

    1. Re:Yah right by msu320 · · Score: 3, Funny

      Look lady, I show up to your house with wine and caviar and you make up some lame excuse about "sleep emailing". If you didn't want the second date, you should have just said so! I'm a Slashdotter, I'm used to rejection, there's no need to lead me on and come up with lame excuses at the last minute.

      Your a self admitted slashdotter. You were Doomed the moment she opened her eyes!

      --
      New slashdot layout sucks.
  3. not uncommon by ILuvRamen · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Now that there's ambien and those other zombie drugs, people are sleep driving, jogging, typing, cooking, and eating. I wish I was making those up but every single one has reportedly happened. Maybe drugs that screw with your brain that much that yo go into a semi-conscious zombie haze should be taken off the market. I'm not saying this lady necessarily took them, but that sort of thing has been known to happen on some sleep aids.

    --
    Google's Super Secret Search Algorithm: SELECT @search_results FROM internet WHERE @search_results = 'good'
    1. Re:not uncommon by badasscat · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Now that there's ambien and those other zombie drugs, people are sleep driving, jogging, typing, cooking, and eating.

      Well I hate to tell you this but those things were all reported before sleep aids even existed.

      I'm not saying this lady necessarily took them, but that sort of thing has been known to happen on some sleep aids.

      I think it's more likely that it happens to people taking sleep aids because they are overtired to begin with... which is why they're taking sleep aids.

      In other words, correlation != causality.

      Now, as for this, I found the summary both interesting and hilarious. I would be both freaked out and amused if I woke to find the stream of my subconscious having been typed out into a series of emails. Of course, I'd put a lock on my computer that would require complex thought to unlock shortly after...

    2. Re:not uncommon by Architect_sasyr · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Of course, I'd put a lock on my computer that would require complex thought to unlock shortly after...

      It doesn't help. It takes three rather complex passwords and a USB fob to unlock my computer, and yet every now and then I wake up in the morning to find a bucket load of C on the screen and no idea how it got there.

      What scares me is that "doctors" have "just" discovered this - when I'm sure hundreds (if not thousands) of slashdotters can claim to have done it years ago.

      --
      Me failed English...
      FreeBSD over Linux. If my comments seem odd, this may explain...
    3. Re:not uncommon by TheLostSamurai · · Score: 3, Funny

      I used to take Ambien, but was lucky enough to not have any of those things happen to me while I was sleeping. I did however suffer another side effect, Sexsomnia. Not a bad way to wake up, having sex with someone, but after a few times my girlfriend just starting slapping me in the face to wake me up.

      Also, none of my friends seemed to want to go camping with me.

      --
      I am Jack's complete lack of surprise.
  4. Sounds like the work of Ambien or some other drug. by puto · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Actually,

    Many people take sleeping pills, pain pills, mix them with booze. And these all cloud or fog the memory, and bring out bizarre behavior.

    I went through a period of sleeplessness and my doctor gave me a Ambien(a hypnotic) to put me down at night.

    However, having spend a better part of my teens and 20s "experimenting" was able to evidently ride the drug out and function. I just did not remember it. My girlfriend has stories of me cooking dinner, calling my parents, and moving around the house very slowly.

    I am going with she was high.

    --
    The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
  5. Seems like a good excuse as any by rolfwind · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Recently, a guy sleepwalked to death from his hotel room balcony:
    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/3727373/Briton-sleepwalks-to-his-death-off-hotel-balcony.html

    and another guy was acquitted of rape because of sleepwalking:
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1085927/How-man-raped-cleared-sleepwalking.html

  6. Oblig. by robinsonne · · Score: 4, Funny
  7. Missing something? by dexmachina · · Score: 4, Insightful

    From the summary and TFA, it sounds like she found out emails that she didn't recall writing had been sent from her computer, so she went to a doctor and they concluded she was sleep walking. No where does it say anything about observational studies being conducted, or anything that suggests anyone actually saw her do this. So...why exactly was the possibility of her account being hacked/pranked by a friend ruled out?

  8. Sleep Posting by Joe+the+Lesser · · Score: 4, Funny

    iN SovIET RUsia, U must BE New OVERlordS, PROFit1!

    --
    "I only speak the truth"
    Karma: null(Mostly affected by an unassigned variable)
  9. Re:Not buying it by Cochonou · · Score: 3, Interesting

    You know, you can talk to sleepwalkers, and they will answer you. Sleepwalkers can also handwrite. Why wouldn't they be able to type in an e-mail ?
    A widely reported behaviour of sleepwalkers is to redo in their sleep movements and actions they are very used to, like dressing up. Typing in an URL and a password might be such a repetitive action. Of course, you may also be right. But it doesn't seem that far-fetched to me.

  10. Amazing what happens when you're asleep by syousef · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A few years ago in my mid 20s I was diagnosed with Sleep Apnea. I knew I wasn't well. I felt tired all the time, wasn't as sharp as I was because of the tiredness, was falling asleep at work even after weeks of early nights and was getting headaches. It even got to the point where I'd occasionally hallucinate or experience sleep paralysis. The kicker was falling asleep at my desk and in meetings at worked. I had to fix it or my life would very quickly end up in the toilet. It took weeks to work it out because doctors were doing blood tests etc. Once I video taped myself sleeping I knew exactly what it was and I didn't need a medical degree.

    That video was one of the most revolting things I'd ever seen, and to this day thinking of it literally makes me cringe. I looked like some sort of snorting pig. I would stop breathing for between one and two minutes, then take the most loud awful pig like snorting deep breath, take a couple more shallow breaths, then stop breathing for a minute or two again. I'd do this for the length of the video. It turns out no one who had heard me snore wanted to bring it up out of politeness. I think they assumed I knew. On the other hand I had NO idea. I didn't think it was possible to do that in your sleep without knowing, but not only was it possible, it had been going on for months (or possibly even years) before I worked out what was happening.

    Now I'm on a CPAP machine at night which opens up my airways so I don't stop breathing. I hate the damn thing - being hooked up to a mask blowing air into your nose just sucks badly - but just a couple of nights without it and the headaches return and I start feeling tired again. The change when I went on the CPAP was instant - mornings I felt so fresh and awake that it was surreal. I'd rather be dependant on a damn machine than constantly fall asleep, lose my job, walk around like a zombie moron, behave inappropriately or sluggishly because I'm half asleep, be unable to drive, and ultimately die of blood pressure related illness. I don't think I'd be alive today without it.

    Anyway the point is this experience has shattered any illusion of knowing what happens when I'm asleep.

    --
    These posts express my own personal views, not those of my employer
    1. Re:Amazing what happens when you're asleep by evanbd · · Score: 3, Insightful

      0.0005%? You've seen 200,000 patients? Impressive.

  11. Re:Sounds like the work of Ambien or some other dr by Canie · · Score: 3, Informative

    Ambien is definitely a likely culprit.

    I took it for a time and one night I emailed to a friend after taking it but before I went to bed. I had no recollection of it afterward. A couple of days later I wrote essentially the same thing to my friend, totally confusing her. That's how I found out about the first message.

    It also caused horrible, screaming nightmares that freaked out spouse and our 3 dogs.

    I adhere to what I've read elsewhere: If you're gonna take the stuff, take it immediately before going to bed. Don't take it and stick around online or in front of the TV. Do not pass GO and do not collect $200 (although I bet someone is already trying to collect a lot more from the drug company).

  12. I'll sleepwalk when I'm stressed by Skyshadow · · Score: 4, Funny
    I have a history of sleepwalking from time to time, usually when very stressed.

    Back in 2000 when I was trying to find a job before college ended, I got up, logged into my Linux box, sudo'ed to root and changed the root password -- to this day, I have no idea what I reset that sucker to.

    In 2002 when I was (rightly) worried I was about to be laid off, I crawled into our closet, started tossing my wife's shows out and screaming about needing to rewire to stop my idiot users. I have no idea.

    Anyhow, based on the few times I've woken up during this, it's like I'm acting in a way that makes perfect sense but obviously does not -- I'm operating from a completely made-up set of rules for my reality.

    --
    Every year during my review, I just pray the words "slashdot.org" aren't mentioned.
  13. easily explainable by CarpetShark · · Score: 4, Funny

    Actually, she's not lying to you. What many slashdotters fail to realise is that their boring effect on women also spreads back in time. So not only can we put women to sleep; we can put them to sleep right back to when they first contacted us.