Nobody knows what effect the NET act is going to have on the warez scene. Some people are certainly going to be arrested, but how many, how severely they will be prosecuted, and how this will effect other people in the scene is anyone's guess. That's why we've decided to present a series of short guesses from people in the scene instead of a single article that tries to explain exactly what's going to happen.

responses from people in the warez scene
A Certain Hoodlum Leader CLS/SGE
I think it will be business as usual for quite a while as information is gathered, and then there will be a big series of busts...
read their entire response
The Punisher Godfather/Leader RZR
Learn it, start stirring up some positive thought, and trying to exchange ideas with one another. The more minds that are involved...
read their entire response
Grudge Cracker CLS
I expect that US based groups will die, either from members retiring or being busted. European based groups will flourish...
read their entire response
Well Known Supplier.Courier.Role Model
Well it'll squeeze out the weak, and the ones who were planning to retire... Will it stop the people who have cd burners and make copies for thier friends? Not a chance...
read their entire response
Ionizer n/a Pres. of The Game Review
I REPEAT, DO NOT CALL UP THE SPA AND SAY "I PIRATE, COME ARREST ME"
read their entire response
Freddy Krueger Leader/Founder TRG
To me, its just a scare tactic and I don't think I'm the type of person they'd be after...
read their entire response
Sparc coder #RELEASES
those donut eating fat guys @ the fbi..arn't smart enough to bust anything more than a drug dealer yet alone a decently smart hacker...
read their entire response
n/a FTP Siteop n/a
Dont stop, just use your head... Use the resources you have available including encryption between sites. Dont be lazy. Change your ip address as much as possible, twice a month if possible.
read their entire response
Ipggi idler defacto 2 / sodom
The scene, especially in the USA will go very secretive. Only after some major busts though, places like #exceed maybe a thing of the past. Then again, maybe not.
read their entire response
Saint Tok Leader sodom / defacto 2
Don't waste your time too much
read their entire response



Choice of participants was made to illustrate the range of people who are going to be effected
If you haven't already, read the analysis of the NET act bill from last months issue.

 

ARTICLES
The future of the ISO scene - pass the soma
Isos are full cdrips. Often 600+ megs in size, and limited to those with cd burners and large bandwith, isos are still attracting a lot of interest. Razor and RiSC have both started iso divisions, but are isos really the next step? more
by DToxR

TRG's 'Games of the Year' Project
It may be TRG's project, but it won't be TRG's decision. Look in upcoming releases from RZR, CLS, PDM, and TRG for information on how you can cast your vote for game of the year. more
by MeAD



Twilight dies

One of the art scene's best groups passed away quietly this weekend. The news came suddenly to the scenelink offices, er, channel, so an article was unavailable by publication. The article should be up within a few days. Till then read Twilight's final words at www.twilightweb.com
DOD T-Shirt Contest
The Drink or Die T-Shirt Contest has been running for about 6 months now and will wrap up the first of the year. We have received over 50 submissions so far. The contest rules are simple. Anything goes. Color, B&W, whatever. We have a professional printing company lined up to do the actual shirts, so complexity / color depth is not an issue. Although, we would like a front/back design. The color of the actual t-shirts will be decided on when the winner is picked, so all background options are open. Making submissions is easy, just attach the graphic via email address t-shirt@drinkordie.com. The winner gets a free t-shirt. For further updates, check
www.drinkordie.com

The Evil Advisor

DOD Leader
 
UPDATES
MP3 group RabidNeurosis stops operations
RNS has been temporarily shut down for an undetermined period. No new releases, no offers, no new members. All public sites have been shut down too. This is obviously caused by the new NET act that become law last Wednesday. No RNS members or collaborators will pay for whatever "bad" we may have done even though we do not feel like the government officials really are going to track down thousands of so called "pirates" like you and us.

Space-Hog, Senior member
thugZsta, Founder
Update on the Hybrid/Razor Christmas EMag
The magazine will be a cooperative effort and should resemble Hybrid's issue from last year. Simmilar, but a little more serious. Articles were accepted from the general public so there will be a wide variety of issues discussed. ][ce will be in charge of Razor's end, while Mad Turnip is expected to return as Hybrid's magazine coordinator.
The magazine's engine is being kept a secret, but it would be safe to assume that it will look somewhat like Hybrid's previous issue.

MeAD, scenelink
Australian Callers Add 1831.....
To All the OZ doods out there, add 1831 to your numbers as caller-id is out there.... for anyone who cards ozemail they will check up now! Everyone in SA, we are the test state so watch out! So Just <statecode> 1831 <normalnumber> this stops the other end from seeing your number.

BlackDeath
, VICE
Update on Relativity EMag
I am killing the unproductive people among the group, and we need new writers ... so i am "changing the people" .... and although we have like 60 articles to issue 6... it was on delay because I set a minimum of 80 articles per issue, for quality controll and that didn't go well with school and slacking members, so i am making some drastic cuts. But the delay for issue 6 was due of me making a new game for relativity, which rox the ass of all other :), and I added voc support, increased the speed of the emag by 10 times (allmost). Anyway, my point is "WE NEED NEW BLOOD !!" For all the people out there : we want you, come join the relativity family, and get your voice on the scene without working your ass spreading warez or running sites, just WRITE FOR REV. Our issue is planned b4 the end of xmas, so be tuned to #relativity or http://www.mirage.org/relativity. For all of you outthere that know the program CHEAT MACHINE, I am (MuadDib) coding a new program for the company, the program called SGA "Sherlock The Game Analayzer" for analayzing your save games, but that is not the point, the point is that Relativity has an ad in Cheat Machine :).

MuadDib
     
Unethical unless there's money
THE WORLD'S REAL TOP 50 SITEZ is cracking down on intellectual copyright volations. They claim that "XXX Password trading hurts the adult entertainment industry" and they're probably right. more

Ethical unless there's money
An internet advertising agency notes that "there are certain kinds of sites that are not suitable for the Safe-Audit Network...
Host sites that contain pornograghy or pirated/illegal software. We cannot accept the following types of sites on the Safe-Audit Network but we are putting up a dedicated network for such sites. Please register your name here and we will inform you when that has happened."

Remmember, nobody minds if you break the law as long as they can somehow make money off of you.
visit them
 

FEATURES, monthly articles covering the scene and beyond, 12/22-1/31