The Paxton Effect

So jem and I are in the chatroom babbling about God knows what when I observe the following exchange. Now I'm going to name one of the names without permission for what will become obvious reasons.

There was fool in the room who's entire conversational range appeared to be:

bore: Are you jacking off?
bore: Yeah, me too.

Now "Paxton" enters and the following exchange catches my eye:

bore: Hi Paxton, are you jacking off?
Paxton: Well Sir ... I'll have you know that I never. I've never been so insulted in my life!

Or something like that. I swoop in to let Paxton know (since he appears to be a newbie) that this sort of crap happens. Not to sweat it and just go on with his life. He begins some sort of Happy Babble about just trying to do his study and continue his research work. I start to press him because I think I've heard of this guy. But he's squirming and being elusive.

Billy: What study? Are you the guy I've heard about that's studying us in the chatroom for some sort of research project?

Paxton: Billy, might I inquire as to whom told you that?

I'm having none of that noise ...

Billy: everybody, everybody told me that Paxton!!!

He starts yapping about some sort of project and that he's only doing it to help us or something like that and my hackles are way way up now.

Billy: Paxton I don't come here to be studied, to be observed. I come here to relax and chat with my friends.

He starts trying to convince me that it's OK that the study really doesn't have to do with that and that he doesn't even know my name.

Billy: How do you know that Paxton? How do you know that Billy isn't my real name? What you don't know is my full name.

We're going back and forth at this time on the "rightness" of the project how it will better us pervs or some sort of shit and I'm questioning his data at this point. I mention something like, "You don't even want me in the chatroom Paxton I'll fuck up your statistical analysis." I'm trying to explain that fundamentally this room is quite similar to any chatroom in the world with regards to its social dynamic but the bottom line is:

Billy doesn't like being observed, particularly without his permission. Billy is somewhat private.

:: glares at ace and jem who are frantically jotting notes ::

I mean what the fuck? I imagine one of his entries to read, "The tufted tit-mouse Billy preens before the Mistresses who show no interest until he flashes his Visa. Then the females of the species begin preening and cooing back. The mating ritual has begun." Am I some sort of bird?

But where I'm pressing Paxton hard on is that what will this data accomplish, exactly what is this project and he's saying he "really can't say" because it will jeopardize his research and he's a "serious scientist" and that if I'm that uncomfortable maybe he should just leave.

I have him now :: wicked smile ::

Billy: I'm aware of you Paxton
Paxton: Yes, the Hawthorne effect ...
Billy: There it is

Now Paxton has a problem because the Hawthorne effect is all over his face and he can't wipe it off. Briefly the Hawthorne effect is, "the idea that the mere act of observing/studying something can alter it." Now in social interactions I'm not a believer of the Hawthorne effect, in fact I believe that it's largely discredited in general but Paxton doesn't.

I'm much more of the Hunter S. Thompson school of thought when it comes to social interactions and would point my gentle readers to the Billy Button post. How am I going to possibly understand denial if I don't experience it first hand? Read a book? That makes me laugh.

Paxton leaves but then ducks back in with some weepy story about his poor persecuted gay theater friends and that he was (or is - not sure) a drug addict. And studying Billy in the chatroom helps these folk, um, how? He simply wont spill his thesis. He leaves again.

So you've probably seen me mention Paxton in the chatroom, I'm mainly doing it to blow his study because of the Hawthorne effect. Also I find it funny as hell. If Paxton wants to understand even a little of what's going on in that room he's gonna have to expose a kink and call a Mistress (I can't imagine that call - LOL). Then he may get a clue, or at least understand whatever data he's collecting and how worthless the data is.

Then again maybe his kink is to be exposed in chat rooms as the serious researcher he is - LOL. Boy we guys are weird! :: big smile ::

Whatever, 'nuff said on Paxton.