Joolz Retires

[CSN NewsBot]

Joolz, creator of the modern MetaCheat as well as many other CS hacks, has written an open letter to the Half-Life community (pdf format). In the letter, Joolz makes the case that VAC (VALVe anti-cheat) should be a whole lot better, talks of the pluses of Cheating-Death, and finally bows out from the cat-and-mouse-like game of cheat development. I find this passage, taken horribly out of context, to be a bit self-evident (and hilariously melodramatic):

I know people will disagree and say that the anti-cheat won. But, have they? Have they really?



I could continue MetaCheat. However, I see little point doing little tweaks here and there to bypass VAC now. It is time for me to move on.

Ding dong.

[wtaag]

Edited by [user="5480"] @ [time="1060053069"]

:rollseyes:



Whatever. He didnt offer much to the UA AC Team during his short time with them. Unfortunatly... I wish I had more time to help them out as well.



edit. After reading his letter... its not all that bad.

[jumbo shrimp]

LOL, one down... many to go?

[Raven99]

I'm not a hacker, but I wouldn't laugh at him and stuff.

[raging dragon]

Wow! We are making progress against cheating and hackers!

[Exo]

That "open letter" is quite clearly a virus!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



I haven't seen The Wizard of Oz.

[bret540]

Question: How can you be trusted by someone when you have been engaged in hacking their software?

Comment: There's always a reason why something is written the way it is, I'm sure windows wasn't built just for anti-cheat protection for a game called Half life.



General Comment: I just really don't agree with whatever reasoning hackers make to justify what they do, and it just annoys the heck out of me.



However, it is people like this that provide illegal software to the lot of you, so don't be all hippocratical and say how much you hate hackers, when you yourself are using illegal copyrighted software that was hacked.



Well, in any case like Joolz said, I'm sure he/she learned a lot, and I wish him/her good luck in the future.

[Buddah]

To an extent he said it how it is. Who know maybe he'll do something to help some other game down the road.

[Macer]

Its not funny really, he just showed how easy it is for someone to hack into valves game and make little tweaks to bypass something that took valve a while to develope.



Note: I do not know how long it took valve to create VAC, so i said "a while" to keep myself from looking stupid.

[bla5e]

I'd have to respect his decision.. Why are you laughing.. shouldnt you be happy?

[UnHo1Y]

Valve just sucks....at everything

[thrasymachus]

First of all, I'm not a hacker. I feel that people who use hacks are not men, and are not acting in fitting manner.



I'd like to point out to bret540 that this software is not 'illegal.' Luckily, we live under a government that has yet to outlaw cheating at online games. It's called freedom.



And second, I'll disagree with Joolz about the design of Windows. I have no problem with Windows being designed in such a way as to allow the user to do anything he wants with it. That Windows allows a user to bypass anti-cheat software if he so chooses is a feature and not a bug. Current efforts to lock out the user from the information on his own computer using the 'Fritz' chip is, in my view, dangerous to a free society.



I happen to value my freedom more than I value Counterstrike, as strange as that may sound.

[AZReDWiNG]

If you read an earlier interview with Joolz (forgot the site), he explains that he hates cheaters with a passion. He sat at his machine for hours hacking the system, for 13 year old kids to download skills. He installed backdoors on the cheats and stole CD-keys.



I have a great respect for a hacker like Joolz. It's the fact that his cheat gets out to thousands of people who just can't hack it.

[sardiax]

Luckily, we live under a government that has yet to outlaw cheating at online games. It's called freedom.

if you agreed to the eula when you installed half-life/cs you are violating that when you cheat online. that would be callled illegal i believe.

[thrasymachus]

sardiax,



Luckily we live under a government that has yet to make EULAs legal and binding contracts. We are coming close, however. Some states have ruled yes, others no. That is itself very dangerous to freedom. (Besides I don't sign any EULA myself, my general practice is to have a minor install software on the computer I use, seeing as how minors are not bound by contract. Or at least that's what I'll say when they drag me in.)



Of course, I live in the United States (I don't mean to be provincial). You might live in the EU. If so, you're screwed. Goddamn, but I'm I don't want to see the mess that sprawling superstate is going to bring Europeans over the next few decades. It's so insane.