If you spent any time on the internet during the golden era of building blocks and physics sandboxes, you know the name. John Shedletsky. Or maybe you know him as Telamon. He’s the guy who basically helped build the foundation of the modern gaming metaverse. But lately, people have been obsessing over a weirdly specific detail: how tall is John Shedletsky in real life?
It sounds like a trivial thing to care about. Honestly, though, when someone becomes a digital legend, fans start wanting to know the "human" stats.
The Long and Short of It: Shedletsky's Height
Let’s get the number out of the way. John Shedletsky is approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall. That’s roughly 185 cm for those of you who prefer the metric system.
He’s definitely on the taller side, especially when you see him in old office photos or at gaming conventions. If you’ve ever watched his classic YouTube uploads—where he’s often seen towering over a desk filled with mechanical keyboards and RGB-lit setups—his lanky frame is pretty hard to miss.
There’s actually a funny bit of trivia floating around the community regarding a 24cm plush toy modeled after a character he's associated with. While the plush is tiny (obviously), it’s often joked about as a "symbolic" representation of his presence. But no, the man himself is not 24 centimeters tall. He’s a full 6'1".
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Why People Keep Asking
Why does this even matter? Well, in the world of early internet developers, most fans only ever saw avatars. Shedletsky was unique because he was so public. He was the face of the "Creative Director" role from 2006 to 2014. Seeing a 6'1" guy with glasses and a penchant for "trolling" made him feel more like a real person and less like a corporate entity.
More Than Just a Tall Guy in a Yellow Shirt
Shedletsky isn't just a height statistic. He was the fourth engineer ever hired at Roblox. Think about that for a second. Before the billions of dollars and the massive corporate offices, there was just a small group of guys in Silicon Valley trying to make physics work in a browser.
John graduated from Stanford University in 2006. He didn't just study computer science, though. He had focuses in biology and classical literature. You can actually see that weird mix of interests in the games he built.
- Sword Fight on the Heights IV: This is arguably his masterpiece. It’s a simple game, but the level design was iconic.
- Nuke the Whales: A perfect example of his early, slightly chaotic sense of humor.
- The LOL Group: He basically pioneered the idea of community groups and social layers within the platform.
He basically defined the "vibe" of early gaming communities. It was a bit messy, very experimental, and always felt like it was being run by people who actually liked to play games.
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The Mystery of Telamon
Before he was Shedletsky, he was Telamon. The name change was actually a big deal back in the day. He literally swapped user IDs to keep his assets while transitioning to his real-name brand.
People used to think he was some sort of mythical figure. There were rumors he was fired every April Fools' Day. In 2010, they even removed his admin badge as a joke, which sent the forums into a total meltdown. But through it all, he remained a core part of the tech stack and the creative vision.
Life After the Big Exit
In May 2014, John stepped down from his full-time role. He wanted to do his own thing—new business ventures, more art, more personal projects. He’s still married to BrightEyes (Christina Shedletsky), another legendary admin from that era.
Even though he's "retired" from the day-to-day grind, he still pops up. He’s active on X (formerly Twitter) and occasionally drops a video on his YouTube channel, which has over 150,000 subscribers. It’s mostly art and tech demos now, but the legacy of the "fried" aesthetic and the sword-fighting physics remains.
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Misconceptions and Internet Hoaxes
Because the name "Shedletsky" is so famous in certain circles, it’s been targeted by some pretty dark hoaxes. You might see names like "Jacob" or "Jadon" Shedletsky pop up in news reports about bad actors online.
It’s important to be clear: these were people faking an association with John to gain clout. The real John Shedletsky has no connection to those incidents. It’s one of the downsides of being an internet pioneer—people will use your name for all the wrong reasons.
How to Verify These Stats Yourself
If you’re still skeptical about the 6'1" figure, your best bet is to look at old convention footage. When John stands next to other developers or fans, his height is pretty obvious. He has a naturally elongated, slightly hunched posture—the "gamer lean"—that makes him look even more like a tall, lanky engineer from a 90s tech startup.
You can also check out his Quora profile. He hasn't posted much recently, but his answers from about a decade ago give a great look into how he thinks. He’s someone who deeply cares about things like Moore’s Law, machine vision, and AI.
Actionable Next Steps
If you're a fan of gaming history or just curious about the architects of the modern web, here is what you should do next:
- Watch the "Sword Fight on the Heights" trailers on his official YouTube channel. It’s a masterclass in early 2000s internet marketing.
- Follow his current art projects. He’s transitioned from pure code to more visual mediums, and it’s a fascinating evolution to watch.
- Research the "Builderman" lore. If you want to see how John's "tall" persona fits into the wider community myths, look into the fan-made stories where he’s often depicted as the chaotic counterpart to the more serious founders.
Knowing how tall someone is might be a small detail, but for a community that grew up with him, it’s one more piece of the puzzle that makes a digital legend feel human.