The Boy who stole Half-Life 2

[iOverflow]

An Excellent read , link is below :

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-02-21-the-boy-who-stole-half-life-2-article

At 6am on 7th May 2004, Axel Gembe awoke in the small German town of Schönau im Schwarzwald to find his bed surrounded by police officers. Automatic weapons were pointing at his head and the words "Get out of bed. Do not touch the keyboard" were ringing in his ears.

Gembe knew why they were there. But, bleary-eyed, he asked anyway.

"You are being charged with hacking into Valve Corporation's network, stealing the videogame Half-Life 2, leaking it onto the internet and causing damages in excess of $250 million," came the reply. "Get dressed."

Seven months earlier, on 2nd October 2003, Valve Corporation director Gabe Newell awoke in the large American city of Seattle to find the source code for the game his company had been working on for almost five years had leaked onto the internet....

 

[James]

Interesting, nice post.

 

[Lycanthrope]

Nice read, although it's difficult not to view Valve as a bunch of lying bullies after that. So much for him jeopardising Half Life 2's success

 

[Crzwaco]

Nice read, although it's difficult not to view Valve as a bunch of lying bullies after that. So much for him jeopardising Half Life 2's success

Compare it to someone who stole your credit card and you don't have notification when its being used and then you will probably more or less feel the same way valve at the time. And of course blow everything out of preporsian. Or probably more like a key to your house would have been a better exampled but though of that only when I typed this

 

[Lycanthrope]

Compare it to someone who stole your credit card and you don't have notification when its being used and then you will probably more or less feel the same way valve at the time. And of course blow everything out of preporsian. Or probably more like a key to your house would have been a better exampled but though of that only when I typed this

*blink* Aside from the fact that it may have helped Half Life 2 become the success it was, somehow I don't think advertising my credit card (read: spending all the money on it) will in any way benefit me long-term or otherwise.

Your comparison doesn't work too well, I'm afraid.

Was he wrong for what he did? Sure, he hacked into their servers for crying out loud and publicised their work-in-progress IP. He came forward, apologised, pointed out the flaws in their security but regardless of that, they still tried to entrap him, get him onto their soil and prosecute him.

Valve lied to him, they wanted some sort of vengeance (read: "justice").

Maybe it's just me but the scale of this "zomg horrorifical" crime is rather on the petty and puny side. They would've destroyed this guy's life for, basically, a stupid and idiotic mistake he made and confesses to making and regretting.

As I said, it's difficult not to think of them as liars and bullies.

Have to give the German courts credit for seeing through the bullshittery the Americans would've tried to nail him for.

 

[Crzwaco]

*blink* Aside from the fact that it may have helped Half Life 2 become the success it was, somehow I don't think advertising my credit card (read: spending all the money on it) will in any way benefit me long-term or otherwise.

Your comparison doesn't work too well, I'm afraid.

Was he wrong for what he did? Sure, he hacked into their servers for crying out loud and publicised their work-in-progress IP. He came forward, apologised, pointed out the flaws in their security but regardless of that, they still tried to entrap him, get him onto their soil and prosecute him.

Valve lied to him, they wanted some sort of vengeance (read: "justice").

Maybe it's just me but the scale of this "zomg horrorifical" crime is rather on the petty and puny side. They would've destroyed this guy's life for, basically, a stupid and idiotic mistake he made and confesses to making and regretting.

As I said, it's difficult not to think of them as liars and bullies.

Have to give the German courts credit for seeing through the bullshittery the Americans would've tried to nail him for.

Yeah must say the German police was very nice for letting the guy take a smoke and something to eat/drink. And also he being so open made them go easy on him and I respect that sure he did something wrong but he changed when he got older.

As for the fact that valve lied to him for a interview and tried to get him to go to America, he was still a criminal in their view. So they set a trap just like sting operations.
So how do you view it when someone uses a "Sting operation" on you for a criminal offense like drugs?

 

[Dentar]

I think that that was a very stupid move by Valve.

No doubt that what he did was wrong, but I think it was even more wrong of Valve to try and trick him to come to them to prosecute him after his offer to help them improve their security.

This reminds me quite a bit about the current Sony and Geohot thing.

 

[Lycanthrope]

...I respect that sure he did something wrong but he changed when he got older.

I don't believe he ever "changed" as such. Even right from the start, he never wanted HL2 to find its way onto torrents. Even when it had, and he knew he would be in trouble for confessing, he approached Valve and told them the whole story. That takes some balls, if you ask me.

So while I wouldn't say he "changed" I just think he did the best with what he felt he had.

As for the fact that valve lied to him for a interview and tried to get him to go to America, he was still a criminal in their view. So they set a trap just like sting operations.
So how do you view it when someone uses a "Sting operation" on you for a criminal offense like drugs?

He was. He committed a crime, there's no arguing that. My point is that it's a petty crime that Valve would've happily prosecuted him under heavy and unreasonable sentencing for. I meant really, like the claim that he cost Valve $250,000,000. How stupid do they take us for? Goddamnit, I hate those thumb-suck numbers.

Comparing it to the drug trade is fairly extremist and sensationalistic; even suggesting that they have to go to such ridiculous lengths to entrap someone who, out of his own free will, confessed and apologised profusely... It's nothing short of bullying and luring a vulnerable individual into a trap by exploiting their sense of guilt to appease your sense of self-righteous indignation.

I firmly believe that Valve would've taken such a petty ordeal and ruined a guy's life over it if they had their say, instead of trying to make the best of it. The irony is that in spite of their fears and paranoia, HL2 went on to be a success. They would've ruined the life of someone who made a mistake regardless.

So, yes. I feel the German courts made the best and most prudent decision in all of this and our dear friend, Gembe went on to be a productive citizen, who learnt from his mistakes rather than the unabashed basement-dwelling criminal scum Valve would've liked the world to see him as.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I think that that was a very stupid move by Valve.

No doubt that what he did was wrong, but I think it was even more wrong of Valve to try and trick him to come to them to prosecute him after his offer to help them improve their security.

This reminds me quite a bit about the current Sony and Geohot thing.

The difference is that dear Georgie deliberately publicised his endeavour with no remorse, regret or guilt. While you may agree or disagree with what Georgie did and his stance on an ethical level, I'm considering Gembe's ordeal under the idea that he felt genuine remorse and was apologetic for what he had done but, despite this, Valve felt the need to wreak their tubby fat-fingered judgement upon him, mostly for what can be considered a victimless (and lossless) crime, making it pretty petty from my stance.

The GeoHotz debacle is different in the sense that he hacked his own equipment (fine) and then publicised how he had done it (ethically debatable). Gembe hacked another company's servers (very, very stupid and very, very not fine) and then went on to unwittingly spread the HL2 source code he found and compiled (accident, arguably an innocent mistake, ultimately still stupid) but felt regret, confessed to what he had done and apologised (he wins brownie points for this aspect ).

 

[Dentar]

The difference is that dear Georgie deliberately publicised his endeavour with no remorse, regret or guilt. While you may agree or disagree with what Georgie did and his stance on an ethical level, I'm considering Gembe's ordeal under the idea that he felt genuine remorse and was apologetic for what he had done but, despite this, Valve felt the need to wreak their tubby fat-fingered judgement upon him, mostly for what can be considered a victimless (and lossless) crime, making it pretty petty from my stance.

The GeoHotz debacle is different in the sense that he hacked his own equipment (fine) and then publicised how he had done it (ethically debatable). Gembe hacked another company's servers (very, very stupid and very, very not fine) and then went on to unwittingly spread the HL2 source code he found and compiled (accident, arguably an innocent mistake, ultimately still stupid) but felt regret, confessed to what he had done and apologised (he wins brownie points for this aspect ).

I apologise, I wasn't very clear about what I meant. I merely meant that he offered to help Sony to improve their product as well and was then sued.

I agree now though that there is difference between the two things, I think that both companies have been stupid though, but that's for another discussion.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I apologise, I wasn't very clear about what I meant. I merely meant that he offered to help Sony to improve their product as well and was then sued.

Meh... Sony are also bullies of note, second only to Activision. Actually thought they'd calmed down over the years but nope, they're still DRM-lauding pigs. Wonder how much money Sony has already wasted on trying to sustain their failing security measures. I guess it creates jobs

I agree now though that there is difference between the two things, I think that both companies have been stupid though, but that's for another discussion.

It's fine, I still love you <3