Can anybody tell me who this is?

Reginald Dwight wrote:

 > "If a pirated serial number is entered, the software erases the user's
 > Home directory. Yes, you heard it right - the software completely erases
 > it, beyond repair. This means all of the user's documents, settings,
 > music, movies and whatnot are suddenly gone."

Check with WiseWeasel. Maybe he/she/it can explain how any software
developer could be that stupid. Personally I don't believe it. And
they wouldn't have deleted the original article if they didn't believe
it was false (and therefore libellous).<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

Reginald Dwight <regdwight.DeleteThis@verizon.net> wrote:

 > Does anybody know who is being referring to in this article?
 >
 > <http://www.unsanity.org/archives/000361.php>
 > Specifically, this text:
 >
 > "If a pirated serial number is entered, the software erases the user's
 > Home directory. Yes, you heard it right - the software completely erases
 > it, beyond repair. This means all of the user's documents, settings,
 > music, movies and whatnot are suddenly gone."
 >
 > TIA

How far down did you go?

If you check the thread further down you will see that the software in
question was only released for a few hours.

--
Andy Hewitt ** FAF#1, (Ex-OSOS#5) - FJ1200 ABS
Honda Civic 16v: Windows free zone (Mac G5 Dual Processor)
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.thehewitts.plus.com" target="_blank">http://www.thehewitts.plus.com</a> - now online<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

Andy Hewitt <hairy.biker.TakeThisOut@spamcop.net> wrote:

 > Reginald Dwight <regdwight.TakeThisOut@verizon.net> wrote:
 >
  > > Does anybody know who is being referring to in this article?
  > >
  > > <http://www.unsanity.org/archives/000361.php>
  > > Specifically, this text:
  > >
  > > "If a pirated serial number is entered, the software erases the user's
  > > Home directory. Yes, you heard it right - the software completely erases
  > > it, beyond repair. This means all of the user's documents, settings,
  > > music, movies and whatnot are suddenly gone."
  > >
  > > TIA
 >
 > How far down did you go?
 >
 > If you check the thread further down you will see that the software in
 > question was only released for a few hours.

There's also an update that says the software in question was changed so
it doesn't delete anything in that circumstance.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

 > "If a pirated serial number is entered, the software erases the user's
 > Home directory. Yes, you heard it right - the software completely erases
 > it, beyond repair. This means all of the user's documents, settings,
 > music, movies and whatnot are suddenly gone."
 >
 > TIA

I've never heard of it happening. I don't think any legitimate software
developer would be so bold.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

In article <chqb5v$32pc$1@netnews.upenn.edu>,
"David Besack" <daveREMOVEbesack.DeleteThis@mac.com> wrote:

  > > "If a pirated serial number is entered, the software erases the user's
  > > Home directory. Yes, you heard it right - the software completely erases
  > > it, beyond repair. This means all of the user's documents, settings,
  > > music, movies and whatnot are suddenly gone."
  > >
  > > TIA
 >
 > I've never heard of it happening. I don't think any legitimate software
 > developer would be so bold.

I only skimmed the responses on the web page, but at least one of them
indicated he knew which developer this was. So I think it could be
legit.

But the developer also undid this after all the negative response to his
choice.

--
Barry Margolin, barmar.DeleteThis@alum.mit.edu
Arlington, MA
*** PLEASE post questions in newsgroups, not directly to me ***<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

In article <1gjv1az.ijuea515xumh3N%hairy.biker@spamcop.net>,
hairy.biker.DeleteThis@spamcop.net (Andy Hewitt) wrote:

 > How far down did you go?
 >
 > If you check the thread further down you will see that the software in
 > question was only released for a few hours.

And? How does that answer my original question?<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

In article <barmar-3CE2F3.19375909092004.DeleteThis@comcast.dca.giganews.com>,
Barry Margolin <barmar.DeleteThis@alum.mit.edu> wrote:

 > I only skimmed the responses on the web page, but at least one of them
 > indicated he knew which developer this was. So I think it could be
 > legit.
 >
 > But the developer also undid this after all the negative response to his
 > choice.

So perhaps a little detective work is in order? Maybe checking
macupdate and versiontracker to see which things were released
yesterday? Then again, I get the feeling from the posts that it maybe
wasn't a public build, but a nightly or something...

There are also some hints amongst the comments at unsanity:
<http://www.unsanity.org/archives/000361.php>

"...the app is geared towards technical users..."
Posted by: WiseWeasel on September 7, 2004 05:04 AM

"Still, its an ironic choice for the application's NAME, doncha think?
I'm just sayin'.
Posted by: JohnDoe on September 7, 2004 11:46 AM"

"[xxx] is the program is question..."
Posted by: on September 7, 2004 02:23 PM

(It look like someone posted the name, but the unsanity people censored
it)

"...a young novice coder (and he's both)..."
Posted by: JackHandy on September 7, 2004 03:13 PM

I too would like to know.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

Reginald Dwight <regdwight.DeleteThis@verizon.net> wrote:

 > Does anybody know who is being referring to in this article?

The program was Echelon.

--
Jeremy | jeremy.DeleteThis@exit109.com<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

Sean McBride wrote:

 > I too would like to know.

Maybe if enough people pummel WiseWeasel mercilessly,
he will spill the beans. Is there actually some hacker
who would do this, or is it just another hoax? Since it
would be necessary to warn people to avoid the hacker's
software in the future, the only reason they would pull
the story is that it's false and libellous.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

Reginald Dwight <regdwight DeleteThis @verizon.net> wrote:

 > In article <1gjv1az.ijuea515xumh3N%hairy.biker@spamcop.net>,
 > hairy.biker DeleteThis @spamcop.net (Andy Hewitt) wrote:
 >
  > > How far down did you go?
  > >
  > > If you check the thread further down you will see that the software in
  > > question was only released for a few hours.
 >
 > And? How does that answer my original question?

It doesn,'t. But it does show that the issue has become moot.

--
Andy Hewitt ** FAF#1, (Ex-OSOS#5) - FJ1200 ABS
Honda Civic 16v: Windows free zone (Mac G5 Dual Processor)
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.thehewitts.plus.com" target="_blank">http://www.thehewitts.plus.com</a> - now online<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

Jeremy Nixon wrote:
 >
 > Reginald Dwight <regdwight.TakeThisOut@verizon.net> wrote:
 >
  > > Does anybody know who is being referring to in this article?
 >
 > The program was Echelon.

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15835" target="_blank">http://www.macupdate.com/info.php/id/15835</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

In article <4141EFD9.4FAF1E75 DeleteThis @mac.com>,
George Williams <nyar1ath0tep DeleteThis @mac.com> wrote:

 > Sean McBride wrote:
 >
  > > I too would like to know.
 >
 > Maybe if enough people pummel WiseWeasel mercilessly,
 > he will spill the beans. Is there actually some hacker
 > who would do this, or is it just another hoax? Since it
 > would be necessary to warn people to avoid the hacker's
 > software in the future, the only reason they would pull
 > the story is that it's false and libellous.

If you read the comments that were posted, it wasn't "some hacker." It
was "some developer who spent a great deal of time and effort working on
a useful product only to see unassigned-but-valid license codes for it
show up almost immediately online and in a fit of frustration decided to
punish anyone using those (never-assigned) codes and then within fairly
short order thinking better of it either as a result of calming himself
down or listening to reasonable input from associates."

The key thing here is that while the action he took may have been
ill-advised, it was also very specifically aimed at people who had gone
out of their way to benefit from the application without purchasing a
reasonably priced license. On the one hand, I don't approve of what he
did, but on the other I have exactly zero spare sympathy units for
anyone that got zapped.

G

--
Standard output is like your butt. Everyone has one. When using a bathroom,
they all default to going into a toilet. However, a person can redirect his
"standard output" to somewhere else, if he so chooses. - Jeremy Nixon<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is? 

In article <1gjwvla.ekk75j1tlv4krN%hairy.biker@spamcop.net>,
hairy.biker.RemoveThis@spamcop.net (Andy Hewitt) wrote:

 > Reginald Dwight <regdwight.RemoveThis@verizon.net> wrote:
 >
  > > In article <1gjv1az.ijuea515xumh3N%hairy.biker@spamcop.net>,
  > > hairy.biker.RemoveThis@spamcop.net (Andy Hewitt) wrote:
  > >
   > > > How far down did you go?
   > > >
   > > > If you check the thread further down you will see that the software in
   > > > question was only released for a few hours.
  > >
  > > And? How does that answer my original question?
 >
 > It doesn,'t. But it does show that the issue has become moot.

To whom? Not me. I was very curious as to who thought this type of
behavior was acceptable in spite of it only affecting a jerk-off pirate.<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Can anybody tell me who this is?