First Day of Spring Break: I Hack Mainframes for Fun and Profit

It's been just about perfect.

Coming down from stress of exams and my hopes that I've pulled the grades which make me feel good about myself and the future I hope to earn (I have high standards for myself) I didn't sleep as much as I'd like last night. I did rest enough to get up and ride the motorcycle around town and through some of the scenic hills near where I live. I throughly enjoyed the sun, signs of spring and the enthusiastic waves from fellow motorists who know that this is perfect riding weather. Sad though, when I think of those in the US midwest struggling with horrendous weather - poor Fargo. (My full sympathies for all and my wishes for a warm sun and light breeze to head their way).

Came home and decided to play, but instead of succumbing to my Fallout 3 addiction, (where I am a shining beacon of hope via my shotgun/laser rifle and high speech skills) I felt the need to be "bad." Not shooting pixelated people into mush bad, but taking down corrupt corporations bad. Diverting funds from those companies and helping other agents get over type of bad. The bad that makes one feel like he or she is a liberator of money if not information. Perhaps this was spurred by the news reports I've watched this week of people who have worked so hard and lost so much to those companies and individuals who lack the ethical or moral capacity to follow the golden rule (which in this day in age can be argued has it's limits but...another conversation for a less sunny day).

Anyway, I cranked up the laptop and started a new game of the immersive rpgish classic Uplink by Ambrosia Software. Perhaps you've always harboured a secret (or not so secret) desire in the rebellious part of your heart to be a "Robin hood" and steal data from corrupt companies or get creative and create bogus identities or just want to get destructive and destroy or sabotage accounts, identitites and data for corporations -- well this game can satisfy some of those desires. Beyond the random agent provocateur tasks you take on as your skill and reputation/noteriety increases, there is a very cyberpunk overarching RPGish storyline that makes this super fun. It has a plethora of visual and game mods made by a passionate community, so I'd say dated as it may be in terms of technology and how we use our computers to get things done (modems and gateway computers are featured here), the game is still a good investment. Using the mods you can modify it to have a more modern feel and look. You can download the game for free and play it in trial mode for 30 days before they ask you to purchase it for $25. Best of all, it runs on both PCs and Macs. If you check it out and feel intimidated, I reccomend you try the tutorial and maybe check out one of the many guides offered online.

Is it realistic to hacking? Hmmm no, or rather only in the loosest sense of what you might need to do to be a successful infiltrator agent (don't ask how I know that! ;)). But it makes it fun to pretend, especially when you are in a time sensitive situation with a trace agentbreathing down your neck as you try to hack or steal data all while security measures are nearly caught up with you which promise dire if not HIGHLY expensive punishment. If you've played this and liked it or not - let me know. If you can recommend something with this type of feel for any system I'd love to hear about it!

Yes indeed, first day of spring break and I'm typing this in the backyard, in the lounge chair, under the sun, drinking something fruity while music plays and getting ready to go hack into some bank and appropriate funds so I can upgrade my computer and stick it to the bad corporate masses.

Yep, I'm a total bad girl. On vacation.

:P