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.

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

Alex Art

No my friend!
I'm just getting close to the good stuff.
:03:

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

Hi, my best friend.
 

:D

To the sixtieth birthday?

:yeah: :salute:

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.)... :har:

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

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

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

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.
:haha:

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.
:03:

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.

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!
:)

I never cared to much for the 1st person shooter type Games.
Sure, I did some mods for Doom 1, 2, and even 3.
But I never played them much. Mostly made ideas others had come to life.
Or tried to push things to the limits.
(sound familar?)

Somewhere along the way I had played Silent Hunter 1 and decided to re-visit it.

What I found was Silent Hunter 2. WTH? U-Boats? I played the heck out of that! Sitting in the basement for hours reading as I mostly failed at every attack I tried!

And loving every minute of it!
I didn't know I was becoming an addict at the time.

I'd be at work putting up a new house but my mind would be on the Game.
How did I go wrong here or there? Why do those destroyers keep seeing or hearing me?

I was soon to go on the 'Net and look for answers.
I'll give you a guess where I found those answers.

My Construction work had turned into a full time business of my own and I traveled the country doing jobs.
I was also doing a lot of Custom Triumph MotorCycle work on the side.
So my time on the computer and SH Games were set aside for a time.

In the early days of 2005?
I bought the Wife a 2004 Triumph and sold all my old Triumphs.
Not working on them anymore? I had time on my hands again.

I got back to the computer and wanted to play Silent Hunter 2 again.
To steal a quote from Nightmare before Christmas?
"What's this? What's this?"
Silent Hunter 3 had come out and I had missed it somehow!

It took little time to fix that oversight.

I decided to use privateer as my screen name since I'd been calling myself a Privateer in my Construction business.
And it seemed fitting for SubSim.
:03:

I started out just reading and looking at things as a lurker. As many of us do.

I was quick to download every tool I could find. Like the tweak files and such. I was also quick to contact the people that had knowledge of the files. Those that responded? I became friends with. Those that did not?
Well. My attitude at the time would bite me in the aft area soon enough.

SH3 had the dreaded StarForce at the time. One thing I never told anyone?
I had broken that long before the release of the one you'll find today.
That version breaks things! My version didn't.
I no longer have my version and there is no need for the other version.
Buy the newest releases as they have the files un-altered by StarForce.

I started tinkering to learn. At that time? I hadn't come into contact with the VERY best. So I did stupid things to learn.
A Santa suit in the control room and such.
I wanted to be someone that created something not in the SH3 Game so I carried on with things.
Not knowing I was being watched.