Luke Ryland, the Internet killer

Do you wanna hear a freaky story?

I don't think i've told this story here before. I've been involved, business-wise, with the internet in different ways for over a decade.

In any case, about a decade i was involved with an insider-ish mailing-list (i can't remember even what we called them back then) of internet strategists (my specialty) and web designers and such.

in any case, i'd been participating in the group for a year or so, and then someone announces on the list that they have a new plot-line show on a tv (Homicide: Life on the Street) - and they have this cyber-stalker guy and he has this thing where he meets women on line with webcams, and then he goes over to her place and they get online - in front of the web cam and all - and then he slices their throat live online. And they announce that they are gonna name the guy "Luke Ryland."

That's kinda freaky right. I certainly got freaked out - cos I can only guess that they 'borrowed' my name from that mailing group.

They did a bunch of episodes about it - so if you search for "Luke Ryland" - and 'internet killer" turns up, now you know the backstory. In fact, AFAIK, there just me and internet killer guy - we're the only two people on the internet planet with that name. Which means I know that the internet-killer-creator-person got my name off that list. I used to hate them for it - now i'm not so sure.

Apparently i get killed off:

"Sheppard and Bayliss await the trial of Luke Ryland, the Internet killer. A number of delays keep the hearing from being held; the last time it is because Danvers can't make it due to being held up in another trial. Because of a technicality in the law, Ryland is set free. Bayliss is outraged and winds up pushing Danvers, who later threatens to put Bayliss up on charges. Gee's daughter Teresa arrives, to help with the celebration of her father's promotion. Gee asks Bayliss to apologize to Danvers and Bayliss declines. Lewis and Falsone look into the murder of a drug addict whose husband looks like the most probable suspect. The victim's mother-in-law isn't very cooperative and her sister is a nun who thinks her brother-in-law is an architect. Gee worries about whether or not he will be able to perform in his new role as Captain of the property crimes division, later he turns down the promotion. Bayliss and Lewis have words about the way each other handle their memories of the past. Munch and Billie Lou get married, with Gee and Ballard as the witnesses; however, Munch's six weeks of celibacy result in a "premature" end to the wedding night activities. The drug addict's husband is found, questioned and charged; the nun asks to see her brother-in-law, so that she may forgive him for his actions. Lewis reconsiders his position on Sheppard, when his comment about the nun's ability for forgiveness and Falsone's response gets him thinking. Bayliss warns Luke Ryland that he'll be watching him. Ryland says he is leaving town, but Bayliss can always find him on the Internet. Bayliss talks with Munch about Gordon Pratt (the man who shot Bolander, Howard and Felton) and confesses to Munch that he once suspected that Munch might have been the one to kill Pratt. Bayliss also goes to visit Danvers and apologizes. Lewis asks Sheppard to partner with him on a case. Bayliss packs up his things and quietly leaves the Homicide unit. The body found is Luke Ryland's."