The rear cover of the book, showing a Carmen Sandiego-style letter from the ACME Detective agency. The letter has a picture of a spazzing out kid wearing a Just Do It sweater.

The letter reads:

ACME Detective Agency

Dear Detective #0294,

As discussed, I have enclosed a hardcopy of VGA256's journals discussed at the departmental briefing. The journal entries are chronological, and document the suspect's computing and gaming activities from the early 1980s to late 1990s - his childhood and adolescent years.

Each vignette is an introspection into the suspect's self-described obsessions, including but not limited to:

* IBM PC, Amiga, Apple ][, Macintosh, Tandy 

* MS-DOS, MacOS, Windows 3.1 & 95, UNIX 

* NES, GameBoy, Sega Genesis, TI-85 

* Modems, BBSes, CompuServe, Prodigy, ISPs 

* Warez, FTP, Usenet, IRC, Shell Accounts 

* Origin Systems, LucasArts, and Sierra On-Line

... and so on. The stories are a treasure trove of immoral and illicit activities that made him the dysfunctional adult he is now. I hope these will be of value in building your dossier on this delinquent.  
I expect a report on my desk by Friday.

Deputy Chief Conover

Brat & Punk Division
The rear cover of the book, showing a Carmen Sandiego-style letter from the ACME Detective agency. The letter has a picture of a spazzing out kid wearing a Just Do It sweater. The letter reads: ACME Detective Agency Dear Detective #0294, As discussed, I have enclosed a hardcopy of VGA256's journals discussed at the departmental briefing. The journal entries are chronological, and document the suspect's computing and gaming activities from the early 1980s to late 1990s - his childhood and adolescent years. Each vignette is an introspection into the suspect's self-described obsessions, including but not limited to: * IBM PC, Amiga, Apple ][, Macintosh, Tandy * MS-DOS, MacOS, Windows 3.1 & 95, UNIX * NES, GameBoy, Sega Genesis, TI-85 * Modems, BBSes, CompuServe, Prodigy, ISPs * Warez, FTP, Usenet, IRC, Shell Accounts * Origin Systems, LucasArts, and Sierra On-Line ... and so on. The stories are a treasure trove of immoral and illicit activities that made him the dysfunctional adult he is now. I hope these will be of value in building your dossier on this delinquent. I expect a report on my desk by Friday. Deputy Chief Conover Brat & Punk Division
The front cover of Mages & Modems: A Childhood Well-Wasted in the Golden Age of Personal Computers, Games & Internet Piracy - a confessional by vga256.

It shows a collage of computer and tech paraphernalia stacked on top of each other like a junk pile: a bright red telephone handset, a pile of 5.25 and 3.5-inch floppy disks, a mouse, a cocktail napkin from lefty's bar, two RAM simms.
The front cover of Mages & Modems: A Childhood Well-Wasted in the Golden Age of Personal Computers, Games & Internet Piracy - a confessional by vga256. It shows a collage of computer and tech paraphernalia stacked on top of each other like a junk pile: a bright red telephone handset, a pile of 5.25 and 3.5-inch floppy disks, a mouse, a cocktail napkin from lefty's bar, two RAM simms.
The rear cover of the book, showing a Carmen Sandiego-style letter from the ACME Detective agency. The letter has a picture of a spazzing out kid wearing a Just Do It sweater.

The letter reads:

ACME Detective Agency

Dear Detective #0294,

As discussed, I have enclosed a hardcopy of VGA256's journals discussed at the departmental briefing. The journal entries are chronological, and document the suspect's computing and gaming activities from the early 1980s to late 1990s - his childhood and adolescent years.

Each vignette is an introspection into the suspect's self-described obsessions, including but not limited to:

* IBM PC, Amiga, Apple ][, Macintosh, Tandy 

* MS-DOS, MacOS, Windows 3.1 & 95, UNIX 

* NES, GameBoy, Sega Genesis, TI-85 

* Modems, BBSes, CompuServe, Prodigy, ISPs 

* Warez, FTP, Usenet, IRC, Shell Accounts 

* Origin Systems, LucasArts, and Sierra On-Line

... and so on. The stories are a treasure trove of immoral and illicit activities that made him the dysfunctional adult he is now. I hope these will be of value in building your dossier on this delinquent.  
I expect a report on my desk by Friday.

Deputy Chief Conover

Brat & Punk Division
The rear cover of the book, showing a Carmen Sandiego-style letter from the ACME Detective agency. The letter has a picture of a spazzing out kid wearing a Just Do It sweater. The letter reads: ACME Detective Agency Dear Detective #0294, As discussed, I have enclosed a hardcopy of VGA256's journals discussed at the departmental briefing. The journal entries are chronological, and document the suspect's computing and gaming activities from the early 1980s to late 1990s - his childhood and adolescent years. Each vignette is an introspection into the suspect's self-described obsessions, including but not limited to: * IBM PC, Amiga, Apple ][, Macintosh, Tandy * MS-DOS, MacOS, Windows 3.1 & 95, UNIX * NES, GameBoy, Sega Genesis, TI-85 * Modems, BBSes, CompuServe, Prodigy, ISPs * Warez, FTP, Usenet, IRC, Shell Accounts * Origin Systems, LucasArts, and Sierra On-Line ... and so on. The stories are a treasure trove of immoral and illicit activities that made him the dysfunctional adult he is now. I hope these will be of value in building your dossier on this delinquent. I expect a report on my desk by Friday. Deputy Chief Conover Brat & Punk Division
The front cover of Mages & Modems: A Childhood Well-Wasted in the Golden Age of Personal Computers, Games & Internet Piracy - a confessional by vga256.

It shows a collage of computer and tech paraphernalia stacked on top of each other like a junk pile: a bright red telephone handset, a pile of 5.25 and 3.5-inch floppy disks, a mouse, a cocktail napkin from lefty's bar, two RAM simms.
The front cover of Mages & Modems: A Childhood Well-Wasted in the Golden Age of Personal Computers, Games & Internet Piracy - a confessional by vga256. It shows a collage of computer and tech paraphernalia stacked on top of each other like a junk pile: a bright red telephone handset, a pile of 5.25 and 3.5-inch floppy disks, a mouse, a cocktail napkin from lefty's bar, two RAM simms.
clar fon boosted
Brian Marick and 3 others boosted
2
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves.

Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. 
The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves.

Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. 
The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
Cover art by Geoff Taylor shows a dragon smashing a tall ship to pieces far out to sea. In the foreground a man wrestles with the tiller of a small boat. A woman is trying to save an unconscious man about to fall into the foaming waves. Some opportunities ought to come labeled ‘too good to be true’. Of course, ten years of living by my wits should have taught me how to spot them. You would have thought so anyway; so would I. The night this particular opportunity came to wreak havoc in my life, I was sitting comfortably full of good dinner in front of a roaring fire, and listening to the wind tearing at the snug inn. I was wearing my usual nondescript traveling clothes and, with any luck, the other patrons in the tap-room would have been hard put to decide my age, sex or business. Being unremarkable is a talent I cultivate: middling height, middling build, nothing special— unless I choose differently. Feet up on a stool and hat over my eyes, I may have looked half-asleep, but mentally I was pacing the room and kicking the furniture. Where was Halice? We had been due to meet here four days ago and this unplanned stay was eating into my funds. It was unlike her to be late for a meet. On the few occasions it had happened before, she had always got a message through. What should I do?
2
Charlie Stross and 1 other boosted
1
2