Is Matt real?

“Today, while talking to TownDawg on the phone, I posed a question to him: "Who is Matt, the webmaster?" and "Does he backpack?"

TD wasn't sure if anyone ever met Matt. Also, there is no indication if Matt is a bp'er. Not that it matters, mind you. But, Matt appears to be like "Charlie" on "Charlie's Angels". He pops up every now and then with a post.

He leaves mysterious clues but no real information.

Has anyone met Matt? Has he been on a hike?

I know he is from Tennessee and I think in the Nashville area.

Anyone else with any information that we can use to create a composite? He looks like he is about 20 in his pic (if it is really Matt), but he has been running this website for a while so appearances must be misleading or he is a child prodigy.

Who has experienced a "Matt sighting"?”

“Read some of the articles. He's definitely a backpacker. He tells alot about himself in those. Check it out.”

“Is it really real out there?

Do objects, you, me, and matt really exist outside our minds?

Are objects, or even our thoughts an illusion?”

“I think TownDawg is hiding something.

Ever notice how you never see TD and Matt together at the same time?

Hmmmmm.”

“TownDawg = Matt???”

“http://www.thebackpacker.com/articles/tipsandhow/art33.php "target="_blank">’ Packing a Pack by Matt Johnston

http://www.thebackpacker.com/articles/reflect/art35.php"target="_blank">Timelessness of Backpacking by Matt Johnston”

“scary ehh?”

“hMMm.. I talked to his answering machine.. prolly arrest me for stalking now.

:)”

“A word to the wise: never hold discussions with the monkey when the organ grinder is in the room. Know what I mean?”

“heh.. think about it.. TD is miffed over Backpacker Magazine not publishing his articles.. so TD sets up THEbackpacker to get back at Rodale, and sets up his OWN article publishing, and get even BETTER partnerships with REI and Amazon.. and steals everyone AWAY from THEIR site..

hehe.. plausible?”

“You know.. I bet all the folks at REI and Blue Ridge Mountain sports know him.. *snicker*”

“Ever notice how the published picture on TT looks like a couple of hollywood movie stars from the 60's”

“(I hope you have a sense of humor, Matt!)”

“LMAO! Where's Marvin Gardens? We have a perfectly good conspiracy theory going here!

Marvin Gardens, we need your perspective please.”

“ This is the corporate website of the entity know as Matt. Didn't realize he ran another outdoor site. Pretty nifty design.”

“So we were his first!”

“hey.. more than one.. theoutdoors.net?”

“oh my gosh.. we are GUINEA pigs!”

“Ever notice how TD sometimes talks to himself.


"heh.. think about it.. TD is miffed over Backpacker Magazine not publishing his articles.. so TD sets up THEbackpacker to get back at Rodale, and sets up his OWN article publishing, and get even BETTER partnerships with REI and Amazon.. and steals everyone AWAY from THEIR site..

hehe.. plausible?"
TownDawg
01:46:59 PM
01/30/02



"You know.. I bet all the folks at REI and Blue Ridge Mountain sports know him.. *snicker*"
TownDawg
01:48:42 PM
01/30/02



"Ever notice how the published picture on TT looks like a couple of hollywood movie stars from the 60's"
TownDawg
01:53:09 PM
01/30/02



"(I hope you have a sense of humor, Matt!)"
TownDawg
01:56:04 PM
01/30/02


Could be a multiple personality.”

“Multiple personality?.. that's stupid, HPM!

What do you mean stupid.. sounds like he finally figured you out!

Ah come on, that's not funny guys!

Funny?.. I will give you funny. Bring you little weak punk self over here, and I will show you funny!

C'mon now, they are going to think I am weird!

You ARe weird, TD. Geez, give it a rest!

Naw, HPM, no multiple personalities here!”

“thebackpacker.com is "visually appealing"? i think others would beg to differ! where's mel?”

“Ok, so we know that Matt has a company, is located in Tennessee (I gathered that in the newgirl thread), he bought this site (date is in another Matt thread, I will have to look it up), and he at least knows something about bp'ing (or he took the material from a technical manual). The articles show that Matt is either good at research or he is a good writer.

Does anyone know of any more information from the threads? Inquiring minds want to know!”

“Well I sent him an email, and left him a message on his answering machine. Maybe he will not be 'Charlie' and make his presence known to us.

"Step away from the curtain! The powerful wizard of OZ has spoken!"”

“"Well, I bought the thebackpacker.com domain name on October 9, 1996. I had already been running the site for about a year then, but I use January 1996 as the birthday of the website. As for my DOB, there have been clues given periodically. Can anyone remember my graduation date? I gave that out a while back. Now was that high school, college, grad school, or kindergarten graduation? I guess we will just have to see how resourceful everyone is."
matt, the webmaster
02:55:06 PM
01/29/02


"Thanks Buddur, you are only three months late." [for his birthday]
matt, the webmaster
11:57:17 AM
01/29/02


"Not Scorpio, try Libra."
matt, the webmaster
02:56:36 PM
01/29/02


I know we are resourceful enough to ID the elusive Matt.”

“As a youth, Matt was a force to be reckoned with.”

“Here is the old site.”

“RE: Who Have You Met??
"Add these to my list:
(go back to the start of the thread to see my original list - I'm too lazy to start over)

Tex
bpBaby
Baume
Hiker Tom
Matt the Webmaster -
(psych!)"
gojo
07:44:05 PM
10/29/01


Alright!! A contact! Speak up gojo.”

“From the old website, it would appear that we can establish that Matt is a Virginia Tech grad.

No wonder he never participates in the College Football thread. LOL.”

“I might have to do some more searching.. I live close enough to do surveillance and PI work.. :)”

“Maybe Matt would autograph some ECT shirts?”

“There is a Matt Johnston listed as a member of Sigma Gamma Tau (aerospace engineering Frat at VT). Could it be that Matt is not in Nashville (I was uncertain about that) but lives in Chattanooga (location of the Ocoee YMCA) and is an engineer at Arnold AFB??

I guess we could call the Ocoee YMCA and ask, Matt was on the board there from '90 to '96.

I am growing suspicious over Matt's picture.”

“Hokie, Hokie, Hokie, High, Tech, Tech, VPI

So you got the school, but what about my major and grad year? Where did I go to high school? What is my mother's maiden name? How many times have I moved? What's my favorite color (ok, that may be obvious with a little thinking about the the past visual designs of the website)? What is my shoe size? And finally, how many weddings have a crashed?”

“LOL... Matt!!.. heh.. bad boy!.. you getting a good laugh out of this?”

“I am not sure of those Matt, but I guess the girl in the picture is the former Kimbra Gregg,,,now Mrs. Johnston.”

“Coming in and posting as Matt and putting on a whole different personality. We know it's really you!”

“wait a minute!.. did you say Kimbra?.. then I DID call his phone today!!”

“Lookout, TD's gettin' goosebumps. He has made contact with an actual celebrity.”

“Patty Foutz, Don Wilson.. hMMMm.. do I call them?.. naw.. too easy.. I want to do this the hard way..

:)”

“"The fact is that the word Hokie has nothing to do with a turkey at all. The word Hokie was made up by O.M. Stull (Class of 1896) during a spirit rally."

hMMM.. learned something.”

“"Sometimes the road trip can be as fun as the actual trip by Matt Johnston"

Sometimes the road trip to your trip can be just as exciting and memory filled as the actual trip...


Interestingly enough.. a little further down..

1) I was working as a summer camp counselor for my dad.

2) I flew from Chattanooga, TN, where I live, to Memphis, St. Paul, Winnipeg, Vancouver, and finally Whitehorse, the capitol of the Yukon territory.

3) Everyone was either drunk or getting there, so we thought why not.

4) I was in shorts, T-shirt and a baseball hat.”

“Of pictures, java applets and such...he'll speak to you personally! ;)”

“I have been asking for years which names Matt posts under. You know he never misses a thread. How could he read all this and not respond?

He is the biggest troll of all.”

“LOL....People...:p”

“Where's Phil? He should know!”

“HHHmmmmmm, Super Troll. Now that's interesting, bp .......

Could it be that The Super one is Matt??????”

“No.”

“Damn, I thought I was on to somethin'







SuperTroll is cool BTW”

“(in my best valley girl voice) "Oh my gawd.. I just got an email from Matt!.. Yes, him!!... (obvious signs of tingling and shivering) Oh he is so nice.. and d-r-e-a-m-y.. (lol.. a flashback from the 50's).. wanna read it?.. do you girls?.. do you?.. "

(hands you the email from Matt, the webmaster) "I feel like I just brushed shoulders with a GOD!"

==================================

* email transciption follows *

==================================

Yes, I am real. Unless I am just a troll created by TownDawg. I posted your AT article tonight. The address is http://www.thebackpacker.com/articles/reports/art63.php If you want to edit the byline text at the bottom of the article just tell me and I will change it.

I think you have a good start on your webpage. It all depends on what you want to do with your site. If you want to expand it a ton into something more business like, sure I can help. But if you want to just keep a hobby site, I think you could do a good job and learn a ton in the process by
yourself. I learned all my stuff by just plugging away for a good
while. Are there any specific things you want to add to your site? Just shoot your questions my way and I'll help you where I can.


Matt

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++”