------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I/W WITH SWAMPER A BBS CURRY ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ü Interview with Swamper BBS Courier from Amnesia/DOD/PSG Û By: Exodis Û Û ßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßßß ÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄÄ Anemia: Please state your name, Afils, and position. Swamper: Swamp Thing, Amnesia/DOD/PSG.. BBS Courier in all... Anemia: How would say Amnesia/DOD/PSG are handling the recent FBI actions Swamper: Well in my opinion people are overreacting to what CNN posted about what the FBI is doing.. I mean, it's possible that they could be monitoring IRC conversations but that's something very complex.. I suspect all the boards were ratted out, and with the exception of Malevolence all the other boards were Telnet boards, which means they get high exposure. Swamper: Some siteops are taking down their sites for a while for this to to blow over, I would do the same if I were them.. But then again, it's hard to know the scale of this operation, but it's clear that piracy is too much in the mainstream now, the underground element is gone, and that's why things like this happen so easily. Anemia: Has the FBI slowed the courier scene and your couriering in general? Swamper: Well my couriering has been less and less over the past 6 months.. university does that to a guy.. But I'd say many couriers got a little shock this week, now they know someone is watching.. Places become vulnerable when they advertise their telnet addresses and get a ton of users, when nobody can be sure it isn't just some lamer from #exceed wanting an account or a fed.. The scene has just become too big to manage.. I've been in the scene (IBM/Commodore 64) for about 12 years.. And the changes that have happened as a result of the internet have resulted in a situation where boards are vulnerable once they become popular..because everyone talks about them. Everyone wants on them.. And it isn't too hard to get the phone #.. not to mention all the people using fake/stolen cc's to call that #. Anemia: Have you seen any major changes in how the seniors of Amnesia/DOD/PSG run their groups? Swamper: As a result of the FBI stuff? Nothing major.. We aren't all hiding out in shoe boxes or watching what we say because the FBI might be monitoring us.. what might be of note is whether or not someone in the scene is a narc, or whether it's just someone with a beef with certain certain people. Anemia: Has Amnesia/DOD/PSG thought about tighter security to filter out narcs, lamers, etc. Swamper: Well all groups generally have a process that a certain user has to go through, but needless to say if you courier, know a few people, and basically don't act like an ass you can get into a group.. identity is pretty much anonymous..so that's something that's hard to manage. Anemia: Any major happenings past/present/future for Amnesia/DOD/PSG? Swamper: Well.. needless to say PSG is pretty much in a weird state.. with lots of members leaving to Class and the loss of our WHQ and Tower of Sorcery who knows.. This is a blow to DOD as well since we lost a kickass WHQ.. this is just a very bad week for anyone in the scene ;( Anemia: Any allies/enemies past or present? Swamper: Well the scene is so huge now that it's hard to tell.. Those who we think are our allies may indeed be our enemies, it's hard to tell.. Just be careful what you say, and never give out real info, because there's few people you can trust, and if you don't believe that then you're leaving yourself vulnerable. Anemia: Any people you miss who have left the scene? Swamper: Darkhosis, Blitzkrg, Zigfreid (Sysop of Terrordome %PC%), Stingray, Phalon (Second Sight), Hi.T.Moonweed (THG), Cyndre, Fallen Angel, Always Dangerous, Savage Steel, Berserker, and the group MiNDCRASH ;) Anemia: Any greetz to go out? Swamper: Greetz to Elemental, Juice, Suspicious Image, ArchVile, Dynamite, Sendog, Caserd, Two, Darkman, Lunatic Genius, Everclear, Studster, Blackened, _HR_, Cybphreak, ranger and pr0zac and of course all the other people I kinda missed ;) Anemia: This concludes our interview, thank you for your time.