Note from Damage, INC. - The words below are that of The Journalist, a former
Damage, INC. Member.  The opinions expressed, views, experiences, ideas about
h/p, repeated references to 519, philosophies, fond memories of warez, being
"elite", transferring 0-3 day warez, warez boards etc. are all entirely his own.
They do not reflect upon us, what we think, how we think, what we remember or
consider to be important.  They are TJ's words, and the experiences that he
mentions are his own.  Plus, whatever he neglected to mention (such as h/p
boards, other groups, people in the scene etc.) was by his own choice.  In fact,
The Journalist was even given the opportunity to revise this article and give
credit to people in the h/p scene that he respected, admired, wrote text files
that he read or helped him learn etc. and he chose not to change anything.
Also, TJ will no longer be writing any articles for the Damage, INC. Newsletter,
as a freelance writer, part-time member or otherwise.  Meaning, he is no longer
a part of the group in any way.  His involvement (or rather lack thereof) and
association with the group has completely ceased from this point on.  I think
that it's best for Damage, INC. to discontinue all association with TJ, that
goes beyond personal contact with him.  That can only benefit the group.
Basically, we don't want people to read 'THE JOURNALIST CHRONICLES' and think
of Damage, INC.  That's the main reason that it was included as a seperate file
and not contained within the Damage, INC. Newsletter as an article.  It's just
here to inform everyone about TJ quitting the group... and what his reasons for
that are.  Hopefully this short 'note' or 'disclaimer' is enough to make our
sentiments absolutely clear to everyone.  ;)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

THE JOURNALIST CHRONICLES - PART I

    As I gaze back on the last five years of my life, I'm glad to say one of
the few things that's always been part of my routine is bbsing.  Even in the
off months, I still read and replied to e-mail and messages on FoI.  The
memories flood back.  Vision-X, Time Bomb, Ice Cold, HandyMan, Circle of Death
Red Disk One, Commander Keen, Wolfenstein, Dos 5.0, 286's, iCE, ACiD, Phire/2,
BBS 42, Digital Network, 2400's, Pure Evil.

    Growing up is weird, let me tell you.  I am sitting on the edge of a
huge fissure, on one side is youth, the other adulthood.  Perhaps you could
say I'm floating around in the fissure, still trying to get my grip on the
other side.  There are things I have to do before I can safely, securely get
my hold on the superficial ground that holds together the society I am
supposed to be a part of.

    I've changed so much in the last 5 years.  Am I going to change this much
in the next?  So many questions, not enough answers.  It is time to dwell deep
in the unconscious.  To move forward without thinking.  To let go and let the
wonder of life unfold around me.  I act on feeling, not logic.

    But upon this misty horizon I have faith.  I am confident things will turn
out as they should.  Though the shimmering heat waves of the earth distort my
view of the future, some things are definitely discernible.


THE JOURNALIST CHRONICLES - PART II

    For those of you who don't know me, I am The Journalist.  My board,
Freedom of Information Archives has been online for about 4 years.  In this
time it too has undergone many changes.  I think it's at its best ever right
now, despite the decline in bbs activity.

    It all started the day we got the new 486/25, 4mb RAM, 210mb HD.  A
powerful system in those days.  The salesclerk gave me the number to a
shareware board in Kitchener (oh yeah there was a 2400 modem in it too).  I
took the beast home and went about running all my old games on it to see how
much faster it was.  Wow!  This thing flew, boy.  I eventually tired of
benchmarking every piece of software I had, so I decided to try and use the
modem.  For starters it wasn't installed properly, and I had my first lesson
in Com Ports, IRQ's, and DMA's.  I finally got it working, and so it began...

ATZ
OK

ATDT5782141
RING

CONNECT 2400

Spitfire BBS System
Please Enter Name:

    I was hooked.  What was this secret world of computer fanatics?  The board
was pay and I immediately sent my cheque to the lucky sysop, because hey - I
didn't know any better.  I didn't know there were boards that were free!  I
didn't even have a clue there were "elite" boards.  Over the next few weeks
I developed the shared trait of bbsing late into the night.  Mostly I d/l'ed
games and .GIF's of Cindy Crawford or Kathy Ireland.  I came across bbs lists
and soon was a member of dozens of boards around Guelph and k/w.  Little did
I realize I was the lowest on the social ladder of the bbs community.  I
was soon to learn of the bustling activity of the bbs underworld.  Pirate
boards, Warez, Elite, 0-7, 0-5, No I'm better 0-3.  Pretty soon I was spending
my days and nights transferring warez around, hardly even installing anything
that crossed my line.  It soon became evident;  I needed a 14400.  This fueled
my involvement in the "elite" scene, and I went to work setting up my own
elite board - Ice Cold, sysop HandyMan.

    The board was going okay, everything was just dandy, but something was
definitely missing.  Pirating was losing its charm.  Around this time I had
starting reading textfiles, a totally new concept to me.  Titles like "how
to rip off a change machine" piqued my interest.  The bbs I was getting them
from had a very limited selection though, but as things were in the scene back
then, most files had lots of advertisements.  "This file passed through House
of Nightmares."  Unfortunately for me, h/p boards were even more secretive
than warez boards; and if they included a number, which was rare, there was
always a New User Password.  To become a member of the h/p scene you had to
know someone on the inside.  You couldn't just waltz in, and expect to get
respect.  It took weeks for me to encourage the sysops that I was worthy, and
mature enough not to fuck things up.

    If warez was the camel then h/p was the straw that broke its back.  I
was spending less time downloading, and more time actually using what I d/led.
I cut back some of the warez, and put a h/p/a/c/v/t section in my files.  The
response was incredible.  A lot of people called my board only for the texts.
I never was much of a warez courier anyway.  This prompted the decision to
switch to text.  I didn't go private and I kept the name and my alias the
same.  And so began a journey that has brought me a long way; physically,
spiritually, and emotionally.


THE JOURNALIST CHRONICLES - PART III

    And so it goes.  I underwent the usual name change to FoI Archives, and
decided to switch to a more appropriate software - Renegade 05-10.  And so it
has been.  Activity has waned, and waxed, but generally things have remained
the same.  After going out west for a bit, I came back, with a renewed
interest in bbsing.  I spent the first 3 weeks modding the shit out of RG,
and collecting more h/p files.  I also spent lots of time writing and reading
messages on mine and other boards.  My "career" peaked when I was accepted as
a member into Damage, INC.  I had come a long way, and it was time to start
sharing my knowledge and experience with people who were just entering the
scene.  I also had more solidly formed my opinions and beliefs, and I enjoyed
sharing them with interested readers.  I was right where I wanted to be, and
things couldn't have been better...

    ...But somewhere along the way my steam started to run out.  Things
changed.  I changed.  Then came my first big HD crash.  I was devastated, but
I kept on chugging, not letting it bring me down.  A few weeks later I
experienced another crash, and other events started interfering with my
underground life of staying up until 4:00am every night.  I was to get another
computer, but in the process, had to give up the one I was using for a bit.
A bit turned into a while, and after 6 weeks of no FoI, and sometimes no
computer at all, I was starting to get used to the normal lifestyle.  Things
settled down, I got my computer, and I was back.  But not the way I had been
before.  I'd have to say its been that way since then.  Always active, but
not enveloped, like before.  I miss that state of mind, and right now am
telling you - appreciate things for what they are currently.  Enjoy your life,
and acknowledge it, because things will change, and you will look back on
certain times in your life, and wish you had understood how good you had it.


THE JOURNALIST CHRONICLES - PART IV

    So I am saying these things from my personal experience.  And I can say
that I regret nothing, and I don't live in the past.  I am looking to the
future, and am doing the things that will ensure my secure hold on the other
side of that darned fissure.

    Yes folks, this ends my stay in 519 as a teenager.  I will be attending
Mohawk College in September to study in the Hardware & Networking Co-Op
program there.  I will be living in Hamilton, and the way I see it now, I
won't be able to run FoI while there.  Yes, Freedom of Information Archives
is going down.  I may setup a website, so if I do I'll keep you posted.

    Also, I am resigning from Damage, INC.  My time with the group has been
very memorable, and beneficial to my development.  I will still write articles
from time to time, but I won't have the hours to devote to what I would deem
a "full-time" member.  I'll be freelance ;).

    I'm glad to be leaving everything on a positive note, and I feel very
optimistic about the future; mine, and everybody else's that was a part of my
existence in the bbs community.

    I'm not dead, so e-mail me at foiarchives@hotmail.com

Written by yours truly, tj.

EOF
