But Hey I'm Not a "REAL" Hacker

A'ight people this article is a few days old but its something that bugs the hell out of me and I thought I would share it here (not that as many people read this as read wow.com....um if anybody is reading at all). First off before I spit my fury about this article I would like to say I got all my goods back Saturday many days sooner than I was expecting, but I digress.

A few days ago wow.com had a story about one of the editor's friends being scammed in game as a warning to those in Azeroth to be wary of "blood elves selling mounts". We all seen people selling this stuff in game and yes one should always assume this is shaddy but none the less there are people that actually do wanna trade codes and what not for game gold (clearing the water here as I do sympathize with what has happened to these people as a result of scammers). A while later we get another article about said story except its from a very strange stand point albeit an interesting if not infuriating one. The author of the previously mention "blood elves" tale happens upon the very scammer mentioned that got her friend and proceeds to interview him in game.

Now I wont get into the particulars of the interview as you have eyes and can read it yourself. Nothing was said I wasn't expecting. The usual "people are stupid" comments one comes to expect from somebody justifying their actions. No earth shattering reason surfaced like some strange Robin Hood complex or something. The guy admits he does it for the money and in a way, though I don't agree, I do somewhat respect that he is willing to say that flat out (personally would have said something more outlandish but that's me). I however lose my shit when I see "Nah, I don't screw with their gear or anything. I get gold, mats, and gone. I could turn into a real hacker: delete characters, items, transfer servers, but nah. And gold and mats can get restored within hours." This ass actually had the balls to try and make himself seem like a "good" hacker.

"What's that you say?

I stole your account took your money and sold yout off items but only the ones didn't seem like you would use?

But I left you your regular gear and I didn't delete you characters or anything just, you know, made your pockets and bags a little lighter.

Not like I am a 'real' hacker.

I do have a heart.

I just taught you a life lesson that's all."

So just cause you didn't make it as hard as possible to get the stuff back for the person you hacked you are not a "real" hacker? If I said something that damn stupid I would slap the shit out of my own self for ever thining it. Last I checked if you do not have permission nor have you been given express access to an account or system and you FORCE your way in, harm or no harm, you are a H A C K E R. If you break in just to move an item to say "i am here" you are a hacker. If you willfully remove the rightful owner from his/her account and mess with /sell/ delete their stuff its all the damn same you are a GD hacker get over yourself.

Now that made me angry but I wasn't boiling yet. No friends I hit my boiling point when I saw how many asstards (hmm I seem to be losing my ability to come up with actual valid words but do bare with me) basically spouting the same nonsense as this scum in the article. "You got what you deserved! Idiots should be hacked!" So the wow community as a whole is telling me that they are perfect? That they though maybe not in such a shady manner been talked into doing something stupid in a momentary laps of judgement? Am I to believe that the "good" people of Azeroth are such large elitist jock straps that they can't remember a time when they weren't as savy to the ways of the internet? I don't care who the hell you are or how it happens it still hurts when you get something you worked hard for taken away. That "you are stupid bend over and take it" bs will not fly. I can not and WILL NOT understand it. Sooner or later it will happen to them as their bravado, in my opinion, is nothing but show. Everybody fucks up there is no reason to be cruel about it.

(deep breath)

That said I am happy people spoke up in this article much sooner than in the previous one about statements such as the one that turned up the fire of my hatred. Its bad enough that somebody gets hacked they dont need a whole lot of "U R TARD U GOT WAT U DSERV". I must also mention how saddened I was by the hand full of people also, like our friendly neighbourhood con-artist, felt the need to justify to the wow.com community that they only bought gold from the legit gold farmers. One guy even went so far as to say he got he guy be buys his from to send him a screen shot and it was a chinese system. This same guy was also probably one of the ones pointing fingers and proclaiming "you are stupid" from the mountain tops where he seems so pure and unhindered by the wow novice. You say these things because you need to feel like you did nothing wrong. Its been eating at your thoughts "well what if it WAS that guy in that story that did that terrible thing and stole that gold? What if I get hacked cause bought gold?....but that could never happen. The little asians love me." And to that the ridiculed could say you TOO are asking for it sir or madam, then they too could scream you are stupid from the tops of the mountains. They would have every right to. Because in a way you are worse than the guy that did steal the gold and sell it to you. He knows he is doing it and admits it though maybe not like we would like him to (or him to pay a price for it but honestly what can you do longterm?). He may have said he wasn't a "real" hacker but he never said he didn't hack. He never said he didn't steal to sell it. He didn't lie and say he saw the light and is suddenly hit with the weight of guilt of the masses he has left in despair. To him this is business and he has no problems with it. At least one of half of this tag team of moral destroyers understands his role and freely admits it (though colorfully). The other half is just as bad if not worse. Denial is ugly and dangerous. Remember that next time you visit your friendly gold seller. Remember to check your pockets when you leave as well.

....not that, you know, they aren't "honest". After all the little asians love you.

Volated

Well those of you that know me personally know I was hacked this past Wednesday briefly. I was attacked while I was online and checked my email so I basically watched as every attempt I made to stop the attack failed and my account was transferred into the hands of a person I will probably never even cross paths with again in life. Surprisingly as much as I value Edy in particular and the thought of ever loosing her terrifies me that wasn't my first concern. It was M.A.S. and the fact due to certain factors I had no way to tell anybody that the person touching Edy wasn't me. Since I was online when I kicked and violated however I had been chatting so my guild members were being chatty with me, in particular Ruhtra was whispering thinking that it was me as well and I think that probably saved some of my stuff as well as the guild which the guy was apparently about to help himself to before he was spooked. My damages are a bit all over the place with all my gold gone and various items missing like my one-handers on Edy and my tank shield and sword on Ty but strangely no other gear missing on her considering he could have simply disenchanted it all (meaning two sets of armor with half a tanking set) and left my pally with nothing. Edy's gear was equally disposable with the fact I mainly use raid gear that isnt tier so it can simply be sold off.

None of that really matters though. I put off typing this cause I wanted to understand how it was I truly felt about the whole situation before I tried to put it in words. Strangly while I am hurt and I feel violated I feel more sad that there is a need for people to do this type of things to other players rather than actual anger. Yes I was extremely angry after the hour it took to get my account back (though not with Blizzard as even though 30 minutes of that time was me on hold they did get me my account back in a matter of minutes and helped me set up my security things again). I would have been even more angry if anything had happened to the guild as a result of my compromize. I don't always get along with everybody in M.A.S. and I might get tired of certain treatment and even want to leave from time to time but they are my family and to think my babies could be used to do harm under no control of my own really grinds my damn gears. After that was the surreal feeling of looking to see what was different and missing. Money was obvious right off but it was the picking through my bags and banks that really made it all sink in. I dont think it was even real to me until I ended up at a flight point and realized I didn't even have the gold to fly to Dalaran. That hurt. Then to see my 2 favorite swords were gone hurt even worse. It's not like I need them to play Edy as I have a polearm that is much better its more the fact it took me so long to get them. I never see them drop and the only times I have were the times I got them and the effort that went into that made that hurt much more than losing all my gold. I have spent and earned so much gold I can't imagine how much I have had since I started. Thinking about it in the hours and day following this happening to me I was probably more angry when it happened to Eus.

Now I didn't realize I felt as upset about the whole thing as I did later that night. Running Naxx for money and praying we didn't wipe cause I couldn't afford repairs (I had just finished my dailies right before) and most profoundly not wanting to log off at all. I was scared to. I had run every scan I had at least 3 times at this point so I knew everything bad was gone and no signs of any other problems came up or have since its just I was terrified that I would log off and come back to find everything gone. I am not sure I could play this again if I lost Edy for good.

Now the best I can figure is I somehow got into a bad site that got my info as nothing came up on my scans. I check my addresses dont get me wrong but it could have been as simple as one missed letter in an address. Shit happens and nobody is perfect. This wouldn't be a problem however without the damn need for gold sellers in the first place. Let's just be honest here we all know thats the prime reason to hack somebody's account and rape them like this. I have never supported nor will I ever support gold selling. I think its stupid. This is an online game and if you are too fucking lazy to make your own gold as easy as it is to in this game then you shouldn't be playing in the first damn place. It is not harmless. There is no garantee the people you buy it from are earning it the ways you are too lazy to do your damn self. I say assume the worse before you do buy gold. Assume its your best friend you had no idea was playing the game that just got hacked so you could be lazy. Assume its a 10 year old kid or some housewife that does this as a hobby. Assume its the guy that's been playing the game from the start that just made a wrong click or something and system gets jacked right from under him. Assume the gold you are paying real world money for has just been stolen right out of your own pocket and you are about to lose everything you hold dear in this game. Don't just tell yourself some poor overworked asian is making your money for you. Then stop yourself. Proceed to stand in front of a baseball launcher and get hit square in the nuts for ever buying/thinking of buying gold. If they didn't have a fucking market they wouldn't have a need to do this to people trying to enjoy their virtual lives.

Hmm the fact that my blood is now boiling after saying that part I suppose I really am angry after all.