Tom found out that life on the road wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.
- Tom discovered that life on the road wasn't as easy as he thought it would be.
I heard that footprints of an abominable snowman were found in the Himalayan mountains.
- I heard that footprints of an abominable snowman have been discovered in the Himalayas.
... discovered and chosen to tell each other in all of this ...
... public, and subject to scrutiny so that defects can be discovered, so that hidden features ...