After a year of unemployment and a year of prison

[ZiUL]

First of all, good luck in your job interview. :)

Just a quick question? After they released you they told you something like "you can't use computers" or stuff like that?

[Erich]

Thanks for all the games you've supplied to me over the years :D

***Disclaimer***

And yes, I buy games, but only if I know I'm gonna get use of it besides the initial wow factor, eg. gta 3, sc, cs:s, bf1942, others, but I'm not much of a gamer anymore anyways... I've owned windwaker for over a year and still haven't beat it, and it consumes more of my time than every other game I play combined, so do the math.

Besides, being the leader of a well known tech group of any kind like that should be a plus for things like security groups and such, even if you did do time.

*I think* your a modern day robin hood of sorts, but of course, it would be moronic to go back to anything illigitimate after doing time for it. They probably are watching everything you do on the net. So to conclude, g'luck with your interview dude, I wish the best for you and your future.

[Quickstrike]

See This is what I never understand... why do prisons even have weight rooms? i'm like WTF.... shouldn't that be a privlige of being "on the outside"?? Why would you want  the people you are spose to look after to work out and get all big and strong?? It's one of the stupidest things i've ever heard

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Because it actually makes ppl more mellow when they are tired from working out. If they didn't have the weight room (more) ppl would take out their anger on other ppl instead of the weights.

Haven't you ever gone w/o excercise for multiple days at a time? I am very quick to anger if I am restless.

[Raditz]

Oh, and are any of the Razor team still around? It'd be interresting to know if there are. And if you still keep in touch with them.

I'd assume not, because you'd be too scared to. I would too.

Thanks :)

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I would like to know too :D Shane, what were your feelings the first time you were released after you were locked up for so long? And, whet did your father tell you when he found out you were busted and sent to the slammer? I'm just curious, because I haven't met anyone like you before :p

And, oh, good luck for the interview (Y)

[Argote]

I think I've played a few Razor games before  :whistle:  .....oh, good luck with the job thing.

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yeah thta was on my mind too

anyways.... good luck mate

[Axel]

See This is what I never understand... why do prisons even have weight rooms? i'm like WTF.... shouldn't that be a privlige of being "on the outside"?? Why would you want  the people you are spose to look after to work out and get all big and strong?? It's one of the stupidest things i've ever heard

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Gives em something to do. If I was kept inside for however many years doing sod all.. I'd be pretty ****ed when I came out.

[Raples]

I hope the job interview goes well, Ill think of you monday. It would be nice if you keep updating us on how it goes, I sure like to know.

[rkv]

are going to expose the way u used do "stuff" back in the day or are there many restrictions put on u by the FBI etc?

disclaimer: i did not specifically say where he's gonna do it ;)

edit: so after 10 years how long do u think it'll take before u "catch up" with new technologies?

[Shane Pitman]

I don't see why people are almost admiring you for what you did, but nevertheless good luck with the job hunt. federal prison sounds like a harsh punishment for copyright infringment, but do you think you would have stopped if they had just gave you probation?

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I'm pretty sure that I'd have stopped with just probation, yes. Having the feds raid your house, confiscate all your gear, and put you through the hell of their investigations for a year was enough of a wake up call for me. Truth be told, I was on the way out myself anyway. I'd done all I could do, reached the top so to speak, and it was getting old. I'd have given myself another year, two at the most and I'd have bowed out gracefully and disappeared into oblivion. I guess they just facilitated my exit a little sooner.

Hi Shane..

Didn't really have a great understanding of the warez scene, although I do remember the Razor thing from a few games and the like. It's just how games went around. There wasn't anywhere to legally purchase them where I am.

When you talked about how you'd like to write a book, but you're not sure on how to get it going. You should just collect a bunch of questions, like the stuff on here.

Then answer the questions, and just blab on. I know it sounds stupid, but whenever you ramble, you actually get something across. The best stories are the unscripted ones.

Oh... and if you plan on doing this, don't tell me where you've got some of the writings stashed. I want to be able to buy the book, and be interrested. :p

Good luck on the job.

Oh, and are any of the Razor team still around? It'd be interresting to know if there are. And if you still keep in touch with them.

I'd assume not, because you'd be too scared to. I would too.

Thanks :)

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I'm sure Razor 1911 is still in existence in some form. To be honest, I can't say 100% because I don't know. When all of the busts started happenng everyone pretty much vanished. Nobody talked, nobody called, we all just ceased to exist online. Of course for me and the others who got nailed, we'd already come into the governments crosshairs, we just didn't know it. Since then, I haven't talked to anyone. I couldn't honestly tell you if the group is still alive and if it is who's involved with it. I know I'll never be involved again. It's just not worth everything that I've gone through. For copying some computer games and apps? No way.

you cracked quake and released it before its release date?

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Razor 1911 released Quake on the 23rd of July 1996. That is historical fact, and I won't say any more about it than that, as I don't want to violate the Neowin ToS.

First of all, good luck in your job interview. :)

Just a quick question? After they released you they told you something like "you can't use computers" or stuff like that?

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No, I don't have any restrictions, computer, internet, or otherwise.

I would like to know too :D Shane, what were your feelings the first time you were released after you were locked up for so long? And, whet did your father tell you when he found out you were busted and sent to the slammer? I'm just curious, because I haven't met anyone like you before :p

And, oh, good luck for the interview (Y)

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You know, when my wife and my dad came to pick me up, I walked out the same front door that I'd been brought to the hole through. The same front door, that when I arrived, I was handcuffed with a waist chain and leg shackles and guarded by a man holding a shotgun on me... it was a strange feeling. Even now my hands are shaking trying to type. I walked out that front door and it was almost unreal, like a dream. when we got in the car and pulled out on to the road, I started crying. I couldn't stop. I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe it was joy, maybe it was relief, I think part of it was understanding what I'd just been through, I'm not sure.

As for what my father said when he found out, he actually knew the feds were at my house before I did. He'd gone to the bank that morning and was on his way home, which required him to pass by my house. he saw all the cars there and pulled in to see what was going on. They told him who they were and why they were there. He gave them my work number, left and called me as soon as he got to his house. Of course when he called I had just gotten off the phone with the FBI. He met me back over at my house. My dad is great. He and I are very close and he loves me no matter what. He & I both know that what I was doing was illegal, but, like a lot of people, he feels that I got a lot more in terms of punishment than I should have.

are going to expose the way u used do "stuff" back in the day or are there many restrictions put on u by the FBI etc?

disclaimer: i did not specifically say where he's gonna do it ;)

edit: so after 10 years how long do u think it'll take before u "catch up" with new technologies?

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I'm not going to divulge anything here that would violate the Neowin ToS, not without the consent of the Neowin management. I have no restrictions on what I can talk about placed on me by the FBI or anyone else. 10 years? I was only gone for a year, and I read every tech related piece of journalism that I could get sent to me while I was in just so I wouldn't fall behind on current issues.

[uniacid]

Glad your finally out Shane :) and I hope you get that job, also if you plan on writing a book, just write down everything in bullets first to get a whole idea of what you want to write.

Just keep on moving and you'll get what you deserve ;)

[gasto]

gosh razor1911 is a legend...

best of luck with your new job, you deserve it...

[theresiststance2003]

I think this is the only thread that I've actually spent the time reading all of the pages before posting. What you've said is unreal, and I definitely agree with everyone's suggestion to write a book about your experiences. Best of luck with the new job dude. (Y)

[Gowcra]

Good luck bro!

[rkv]

wow for some reason i thought it was 10 and not one year wierd ? writing a nice free ebook would be nice :D. maybe u could write a page about your self and stuff in wikipedia.org they have a page for Razer 1911 u know ;)

[dior_addict]

good luck with teh job interview. looking forward to hearing more responses. :)

[Cable_Tec]

Shane,

I have just finished reading this entire thread - and I must say, your story amazes me, as it clearly does so many others. It is a story that needs to be told.....perhaps you can get in touch with some news affiliates - i.e. 20/20 or Dateline NBC, etc. A book might be ideal as well, and not just because so many of us in the computer world would devour it, but as perhaps a form of catharsis for you to utilize. I am tremendously thankful for you to possibly be getting a chance to start anew with a new job. Thank God (or whomever you wish) that you had some sort of support system back in the world that stood by you - your wife, family, and father sound quite remarkable, as do you. Of course, I was a follower of Razor911, so I have read about your plight (as much of it that was made public anyway); but I think that the time for asking you personal questions about that period of your life should be over - beyond anything you want to share of your own free will. To ask you to dredge up painful memories is not fair or just. You have been punished in excess already by our legal system. You strike me as a talented man, and certainly a man with a new perspective. Yes, you made a mistake, a big one, but there are many of us who are guilty of various things - some of us get caught and some of us don't. You paid and then some. Best of luck to you and your family in the future. Please update us with your progress. There are many that will be cheering for your success.

[Raditz]

http://www.razor1911.com/

huh? what's this?

[sin-ergy]

http://www.razor1911.com/

huh? what's this?

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dunno, downloaded a zip file.....wtf. o_O

[Shane Pitman]

Wow, this thread has gone way beyond what I expected it to. Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement. I guess when you've lived through the things that I've talked about, they don't seem as remarkable, and it flatters me that you folks are interested in hearing about it.

Shane,

I have just finished reading this entire thread - and I must say, your story amazes me, as it clearly does so many others. It is a story that needs to be told.....perhaps you can get in touch with some news affiliates - i.e. 20/20 or Dateline NBC, etc. A book might be ideal as well, and not just because so many of us in the computer world would devour it, but as perhaps a form of catharsis for you to utilize. I am tremendously thankful for you to possibly be getting a chance to start anew with a new job. Thank God (or whomever you wish) that you had some sort of support system back in the world that stood by you - your wife, family, and father sound quite remarkable, as do you. Of course, I was a follower of Razor911, so I have read about your plight (as much of it that was made public anyway); but I think that the time for asking you personal questions about that period of your life should be over - beyond anything you want to share of your own free will. To ask you to dredge up painful memories is not fair or just. You have been punished in excess already by our legal system. You strike me as a  talented man, and certainly a man with a new perspective. Yes, you made a mistake, a big one, but there are many of us who are guilty of various things - some of us get caught and some of us don't. You paid and then some. Best of luck to you and your family in the future. Please update us with your progress. There are many that will be cheering for your success.

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I wouldn't even know where to begin contacting any news agencies. I always figured if they wanted to hear about me they'd have come asking. As for the questions and whatnot, I don't mind answering them really. I know people are curious, and I guess I would be too.

http://www.razor1911.com/

huh? what's this?

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I had someone check it out for me. They tell me it's a new demo from the demo crew. Razor 1911 was a demo group long before the "warez scene" existed.

[David Scaife]

I don't usually reply to these kinds of threads (read: landmark or acheivement threads; I usually just read them), but an exceptional story calls for an exception in posting habits ;]

First of all, really, congratulations on the job interview. I know this has been said a thousand times already but, from what I've read, you really do deserve a fair go after all that's happened. I don't presume to know or comprehend what you or your family have been through, but even the snippets of what you've told us here are capable of moving anybody who has even a mild appreciation of family life or the law and such.

I guess, after saying that, I'd have to ask you if you felt that your sentence was fair? I mean, did the time in jail actually do anything for you, as opposed to, say, if they had decided to put you on probation for a while? I see you just admitted that you were planning to leave the scene relatively soon and that raises one more question I have, and that is, was this fact mentioned in your trial, and do you think it had any effect on your sentence?

Of course, you don't have to feel obliged to answer these if you don't want to, especially if they've already been asked (sorry if that's the case; I read the first few pages a while ago, and just now came back to reply). I just do legal studies at school, and while we don't generally cover or discuss overseas cases, it's a topic I'm very interested in.

Anyhow, I wish you the best of luck with the interview, and I sincerely hope everything turns out right for you and your family. (Y)

[saxondale.]

i didnt have the internet when all this happened, i dont have a clue who you are, but i have read through most of the pages on this and see that you want to lead a good life, let the past go, enjoy the rest of your life and live comfortably. A book sounds like a good idea, or maybe create a website about it, im not sure, but i think your story should get across. A question, what is your views on illegal software? i know its a big thing to talk about, but i simple answer would do me.

Hope you kick ass at your job interview. Try and act like you are really interested, ask many questions, talk about their retirement programms, anything which sounds like you are wanting this job baddly and not another person wanting the same job as a load of people.

[Andrew Lyle Global Moderator]

truely amazing prision story :D read and enjoyed every word. i just hope i dont end up in prision for doing something dumb.

after your in prision, employers don't look for that sorta thing.. and can never ever trust you. so i wanna be trusted by employeers and friends. :)

[digitalslacker]

Great story Shane, I really enjoyed reading it and like everyong else I agree you should look into a book deal and some kind of media attention.

There is one thing that I think some people are missing. And I say it knowing it'll probably start flames from other users but hey...i love rocking the boat

Keep in mind that Shane commited a crime and while many feel his punishment was harsh and unnecessary the entire situation could have been avoided if he didn't knowingly crack and/or post warez.

Bottom line is that intellectual property was stolen.

Shane I think you have turned things around, honestly if I had a position opened at the company i work for right now I'd offer you a job over this thread and I really mean that.

I just don't think it's right for people to glorify what you did, because it was wrong, even if you did pay a harsh price for it.

Good luck though, i wish you the best of luck.

[Cero]

You know I think you're the first person to pick up the origination of that line from Inu Yasha.

The short version, I got comfortable and thus got lazy. The feds busted an ftp site that I used. I connected to it from home without using a shell or a proxy, and they had my IP. I knew better, I'd just done it for so long, it was old hat to me. Isn't that how it always goes though. You get comfortable and start taking shortcuts only to end up screwing yourself. And yes, some of it is hard to talk about, but it's probably therapeutic on some level as well. I haven't really talked about my experiences with anyone. I haven't even talked about my prison experiences to my family that much. It's hard.

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I'm still baffled on how they found out you were the leader, aside from just catching you on an ftp.

Btw, honor to meet you, I know I've come across your releases a lot in the past 5 years or so. :whistle:

and wish you luck on getting that job!

[Shane Pitman]

I don't usually reply to these kinds of threads (read: landmark or acheivement threads; I usually just read them), but an exceptional story calls for an exception in posting habits ;]

First of all, really, congratulations on the job interview. I know this has been said a thousand times already but, from what I've read, you really do deserve a fair go after all that's happened. I don't presume to know or comprehend what you or your family have been through, but even the snippets of what you've told us here are capable of moving anybody who has even a mild appreciation of family life or the law and such.

I guess, after saying that, I'd have to ask you if you felt that your sentence was fair? I mean, did the time in jail actually do anything for you, as opposed to, say, if they had decided to put you on probation for a while? I see you just admitted that you were planning to leave the scene relatively soon and that raises one more question I have, and that is, was this fact mentioned in your trial, and do you think it had any effect on your sentence?

Of course, you don't have to feel obliged to answer these if you don't want to, especially if they've already been asked (sorry if that's the case; I read the first few pages a while ago, and just now came back to reply). I just do legal studies at school, and while we don't generally cover or discuss overseas cases, it's a topic I'm very interested in.

Anyhow, I wish you the best of luck with the interview, and I sincerely hope everything turns out right for you and your family. (Y)

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To be honest, this entire ordeal has tainted my respect for the federal governmet and our legal system. I mean, when I get sent to prison for violating copyright laws, and while I'm in prison I see the Associate Warden swapping copies of DVD movies with her secretary.... *sigh*

No, the fact that I was planning to retire from the scene was never brought up, and it wouldn't have done any good really. I mean as far as the law is concerned it's like saying "I was only going to rob one more bank" or "I would have only killed one more person".

Do I think my sentence was fair? No, I don't. I've never had any charges against me in my life other than a speeding ticket when I was a teenager. Prior to going to prison ( I mean up to the very week before I left) I was an Assistant Scoutmaster for the Boy Scout troop that I had been in since I was 10 years old. I coached tee-ball and flag football for the local Optimist Club. None of that mattered. Nothing good that you do matters, has any merit or carries any weight.

i didnt have the internet when all this happened, i dont have a clue who you are, but i have read through most of the pages on this and see that you want to lead a good life, let the past go, enjoy the rest of your life and live comfortably.  A book sounds like a good idea, or maybe create a website about it, im not sure, but i think your story should get across.  A question, what is your views on illegal software? i know its a big thing to talk about, but i simple answer would do me.

Hope you kick ass at your job interview.  Try and act like you are really interested, ask many questions, talk about their retirement programms, anything which sounds like you are wanting this job baddly and not another person wanting the same job as a load of people.

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My take on pirated software is this. Yes, I know that eventualy pirated software makes it's way to the streets of various countries where it's sold on CD's for a fraction fo the cost. BUT, if release groups ceased to exist, those who sell pirated software would do so anyway. They'd wait until it went on sale, buy one copy, and pick right up selling copies. I, nor anyone that I associated with in the scene, never made a penny off of the scene. Matter of fact, it cost me to do what I did. The bottom line, what I did violated the laws governing copyrights. I don't agree with those laws 100%, but they were designed by people with lots of money in their pockets to keep lots of money in their pockets, so I doubt they're going to change for the better any time soon. This is why I'm a huge advocate for the open source community.