I am Privateer. The inside story of an SH3 Modder

[Jeff-Groves]

I did my time and after discharge? I again connected with past contacts.
I was driving up and down the east coast at the time and We hatched a plan.
We started checking out some really big Companys and used old tactics.
It wasn't long that by dumpster diving we had floppy disks full of information!
Most floppies back then were of the 8 inch type and they'd cut them with scissors thinking they were destroyed!
We became experts at Data recovery with those disks. We also made alot of money to see that that data was never released!
Some of us ended up in the business of data recovery or data protection.

Still it wasn't enough for me.
I found an electronics surplus store near me that had rooms full of old computer stuff!
It was like walking into Fort Knoxs to me! The parts, on thier own, were worthless.
With all I knew and the years of manuals I had gathered?
It didn't take me long to assembly junk into working Units.
As nearly no one wiped drives back then? I soon had a data base that shamed a bunch of Companies out of some nice change.
Make it go away and I'll pay was easy money back then but we were smart enough to know that would never last forever.
I, like many others, retired from that sort of business as the ropes grew tighter.
Get out while the getting is good we decided.

[Rockin Robbins]

Originally Posted by Jeff-Groves

Thanks Guys.
As Jim stated I do plan to be more aggressive as I continue this story.
The past posts are kind of an intro to my whole story.

I'll try not to be harsh except for my own actions.
And I will protect some information to not cause hard feelings.
There's been far to much of that in the past.

In the middle of the not so great modding wars, Jeff reached out to me for friendship. I'll never forget that gesture and it was more than a gesture. It was and is real friendship.

He opened my eyes to the needless animosity between people of great accomplishments but with limited vision. I actually pulled back from Subsim for a couple of years rather than be a part of it, came back and found friends.

From that new beginning we've formed better relationships without the drama of the modding wars. And the result has been great growth and cooperation between all modders. Thank all of you for making Subsim a greater place than ever!

[Jeff-Groves]

Roughly in the late 80's I was doing some hacking work on the side from my full time jobs.
A Guy would try a free program and I'd fix it to be a full version for a few quick bucks.
The DRM we face today was non existent and programs were easy to 'adjust' in hex.
I also continued to build a home network out of old parts and pieces.
This was unheard of for the most part back then and many really thought I was a nut case!
I was just ahead of the times as everyone here reading now knows.
I had a big hand in pushing a friend to program in C and then onto C++ around the same time.
You may have tried his work. Ultimate Edition. He goes by TheeMahn.
I trusted Glenn as he understood and loved the tech as much as I did. He was to become a very valued asset to me in later years.

[Jeff-Groves]

I lived a pretty wild life sytle going into the 90's
Long hair, tattooes, leather, and wild chopped motorcycles.
All the while being a secret nerd. very few knew what I was capable of in the technical world.
I recall meeting Glenn and how proud he was with his programming on a Commadore!
I was working in a factory with his father at the time.
I don't think anyone aside from me knew what was going to happen.
I saw the same passion I had and just lit the fuse Glenn needed lit.
Lighting that kind of fuse had become my goal at that point!
Find the talent, lite the fuse, and blow on it if needed!
That turned into a partnership with an old friend. He had the money, I had the knowledge.
We became an internet service provider or ISP.
We were the first in our area to have dial up Internet! And we covered 2 counties!
Now the networking experience I had taught myself came into real world use!
That was in the mid 90's and Microsoft soon had me added as a Beta tester for many different things.
I was now legit! No official training, no schooling, but still legit!
after all the years underground?
It was a milestone to me.

[Jeff-Groves]

Having access to the World Wide Web at speeds I'd never had before?
It didn't take long to get greedy and go big.
you may recall Doom was the biggest thing to roll around back in the Mid 90's.
That is where I came into Gaming online in a Huge, Big, crazy out of my mind kind of stupid!
we set up several dedicated servers with different Mods created by myself or others!
Many knew the best as Tsavo.
Blending some others work and my work? Tsavo was a top server at that time.
My Gaming work had just begun when we were forced to sell out and shut it all down.
Glenn had been a tester for me on the side for other projects the whole time.
To this day he has no idea I allowed him free access to the network to cover what I was doing.

[Jeff-Groves]

I used Glenn as a cover for years. i was able to piggy back on him to hide my activities.
Talk about what the NSA and others are doing today? Sit on the data exchange point and you pretty much have a free ride if done right.
I had 7 different servers running my software. At that time? There was no hacking or cracking it!
I explored at my hearts whim. But i never left a trace nor did any damage.
As we built the business I became close friends with Judges, Lawyers, and most any so called important persons in our area.
Working on thier systems? I knew more about them then even thier wives knew. I always kept that trust between us and never judged.
I always found it funny to be able to walk through metal detectors at the Court Houses dressed like some killer Biker out of the movies and be greated like I was the King of England!
I was legit because I EARNED it.

[Anvart]

I hope this is not last your words and deeds.
Happy New Year!

Alex Art

[Jeff-Groves]

No my friend!
I'm just getting close to the good stuff.


I think it's important to lay the back ground for what is to come.

[Anvart]

To the sixtieth birthday?

[propbeanie]

He's probably right on top of that milestone, eh? - if it hasn't already smacked him in the face (and back and feet and ankles, etc.)...

[Jeff-Groves]

21 more days and I'll be 60 years old!!!


Where the heck did all that time go?
Oh. Yea. SH modding!!

[Anvart]

I remember about it, my friend, and wish good luck you in everything.

[Jeff-Groves]

I spent a couple years doing the System Up grades on many Lawyers and Judges systems. At their homes and offices. Hardware, software, networks, etc.
I also hand my hands in the local court and county systems.
I NEVER planted any back doors nor took any data.
Oh I did read a few peoples files in the Lawyers offices.


I only ever used info like that against one person I'm not ashamed to say!
Some of my so called friends and I had been planning to start a Motorcycle Club.
It turned into something I'd have no part of. The Guy that was the President of the club when it actually came about tried to cross paths with me because I would have no part of it all. I actually stood in a Bar and crumpled up his 'Rules' and threw them in his face.
Right in front of everyone of those Biker Club Members and Most of the soon to become Ex-friends.

Being very good friends with the owner of said Bar I took tough Guy into the office and told him what I knew about him.

I was allowed to visit the Club house forever afterwards and was NEVER messed with again.

[Jeff-Groves]

I grew tired of all the computer work to make a living and had been doing Construction work kind of part time for years.

I decided to go full time Construction and part time computers.
Now the money was not as good but I was much, MUCH happier!

Busy hands and mind make a happy heart or something like that, they say.
In my case? It is true.
I can also still see the work I put into places 20 years ago where none of my work from the same time with computers is there.

Kind of a nice feeling to be able to point to a building I put up years ago.
Or to do a presentation to a Historical Society about my work on a project to save an old building, covered bridge, or what have you.

I still work in the Construction business to this day and I still think it's the best thing I have committed myself to right up to today.

Only difference is now I do the demolition part of the trade.
Probably the most dangerous part of Construction work.

[Jeff-Groves]

That is the gist of where I came from. I hope it gives you an idea of who I am in a way and I hope you can understand the back ground I came from.

Tighten up your seat belts for the roller coaster to come!