After a year of unemployment and a year of prison

[Gowcra]

Formal education doesn't matter it you know what you are doing.

585837413[/snapback]

:yes:

[Damolee]

Well dude, feel your pain there.

I'm on my way to the slam over what started off as a civil matter pretty soon, no such luxury as lower security prison here in the UK , they save those slots especially for celebritys and people with money.

I pretty much lived confined in a self made cell nowadays anyway, so i'm not too bothered.. all in preparation for the inevitable.

My problem being, my attitude and the way I am... wouldn't half be suprised on landing an extended visit whilst there. :-(

lol ..... can but laugh !

Glad to see your out, and respect to anyone else on lockdown for doing jack **** , great injustice and just humanitys way of pushing about a common blame without finding the root nor cause.

PS: ..... I really need that alcohol recipe , although obtaining things in our prison system is alot easier than in most countries, can tell you that! ;-)

Good luck with the job interview, sure your be fine... and look at the reaction you got on this board, find the right interviewer and your get the job on merit alone.

Peace,

- D -

[sin-ergy]

Formal education doesn't matter it you know what you are doing.

585837413[/snapback]

yeah but say 2 people are considered for a job in which they both have an equal amount of skill BUT one has formal training/education. if you were deciding who gets the job, which would u choose?

[Damolee]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I suppose you think that nobody should ever talk or write about their experiences with illegal matters? Where would that leave society? I did wrong, got caught, got punished (I think excessively). I think that maybe by telling others what I've been through I could change their views and possibly keep them from having to go through what I've gone through. Yes, I broke the law. I had access to resources that would make most peoples jaws drop. But was it just wasn't worth the hell that I've endured. If telling my story keeps anyone else from having to go through that, then I would think it was worth it.

585837179[/snapback]

How about writing a book , take a slice of the pie to help you and your family recover...and donate the rest to a new organisation aimed at helping "skilled" individuals make better use of their talents rather than run the risk of getting locked up.

[Damolee]

yeah but say 2 people are considered for a job in which they both have an equal amount of skill BUT one has formal training/education.  if you were deciding who gets the job, which would u choose?

585837486[/snapback]

I would set them both a task and hire the dude or dudette that could do a better job!

A slip of paper means jack **** in reality, if I had the attention span to bore myself that much, sure I could become more qualified than I already am simply in the name of getting a job, but sad fact remains... over here, an education costs ALOT of money, if you don't have it, you stay lower class.... and more likely to get locked down for petty crimes such as this simply to try and have a reasonable quality of living that you can afford.

[SaguratuS]

Shane, you have my respect. Unfortunately those who do get caught are regularly over punished, and as you've shown, those with money control more than they should.

[Dick Montage]

A slip of paper means jack **** in reality

Amazingly untrue! Reality is getting a job and paying the bills, reality is towing the line and doing the job, reality is that on-paper qualifications count, reality is that your first introduction to a potential employer is often on paper.

[ev0|]

Shane, if you want to come join us on IRC, it's #neowin on irc.stardock.com.

Just chatting :D

[Damolee]

Amazingly untrue!  Reality is getting a job and paying the bills, reality is towing the line and doing the job, reality is that on-paper qualifications count, reality is that your first introduction to a potential employer is often on paper.

585837635[/snapback]

The piece of paper means nothing, its worth is what counts.

Unfortunately people are not given the chance to shine, and where those with paper often fail , those without could possibly succeed.

It's become another bartering tool, rather than an expression of what a person is capable of.

[aitf311]

I'm sorry you feel that way. I suppose you think that nobody should ever talk or write about their experiences with illegal matters? Where would that leave society? I did wrong, got caught, got punished (I think excessively). I think that maybe by telling others what I've been through I could change their views and possibly keep them from having to go through what I've gone through. Yes, I broke the law. I had access to resources that would make most peoples jaws drop. But was it just wasn't worth the hell that I've endured. If telling my story keeps anyone else from having to go through that, then I would think it was worth it.

585837179[/snapback]

I am guessing that his arguement would be that you are still going to be profitting from something that has roots tied back to being illegal. I enjoy reading stuff like this, but paying for the story of someone who ripped software wouldn't be something I could see myself doing.

As for the people who say maybe you need to write to get it off your chest, what ever happened to a journal or to get extra-futuristic, a blog, which I guess you have.....

I am just not a proponent of you, marketing, publishers or anyone else making money off of an illegal past. To say it is to help people is a cop-out. There is always the alternative...making a website to educate people about free software or how to find it cheaper or just telling your story and how bad it can end up if these "script kiddies" keep at it.

Edited April 27, 2005 by aitf311

[EduardValencia]

shane go for it! :yes:}

Edit: Shane,did you got it? :unsure:

[robertobaggio2k]

whao i read the whole damn thread...first time ever...it was very interesting...i hope ur life just gets better and better and even tho its impossible to get back that year of ur life u lost im sure ull do ur best to catch up to everythin u've missed...especially with ur family and kids....hopefully everythin with this job will go well for u...good luck man...:)

[happyhippy]

good luck! :D

[Bawx]

Did he get the jorb?!

[Captain Caveman]

I've read this whole thread too like most people and wish you the best of luck shane

I definately know the history of Razor (and pretty well all others too)..

Being in the scene is like a drug.. an addiction especially the old bbs days in the 416 AC.

Just think of all the time that was wasted doing this stuff.. I know I went to school more then a few times with hardly any sleep .. lol

Akira.. Untouchables.. Machu Pichu.. BBS days were definately fun

[Shane Pitman]

First of all, got to say I have a lot of respect for you Shane - A large number of people here used to look towards Razor for releases back in its time and I admit to being one of them.  Then again, that was then and this is now - I can now afford more games than I could back then, and am thankfully legit.  :)

Was this for exactly the same crime (i.e. same offence, same time) or the same type of crime (i.e. a reoffence at a different time)?  Just wondering because I thought Double Jeopardy protected against the former? :o

As for the book deal, if it isn't that dramatic to recall and you can write the stuff in detail, I'd recommend finding someone to write it (or even doing it yourself) and get it down.  Dunno about in the US but here in the UK we are swamped with god knows how many autobiographies of many B-list celebrities who think we give a crap about them.  A book about the rise & fall of Razor1911 as well as your subsequent time in prison & time since you've left, if written & marketed right, could become a hell of a book :D  The little "questionable things" in the book (such as the Associate Warden's swapping the DVDs with his secretary) could also land a few blows on those involved ;)

I'll be waiting for it :) In the meantime, congratulations on the interview , and hopefully you'll get the job :)  After the experiences you mentioned,

I agree. :)

EDIT: Just remembered something before I hit the post button.  This is an excerpt of the story from the PS2 game Ace Combat: Squadron Leader/The Unsung War and thought it kinda fits with this thread :)

585837382[/snapback]

From what "Mark" told me it was for the exact same crime. Not two different instances. It seems that the "double jeopardy" laws only protect you from being charged by either state or federal courts twice for the same crime. If I understood the way he explained it correctly, if your crime violates both state and federal laws, then the state can charge you and convict you and the feds can charge you and convict you. The sad thing for him was that the feds didn't pick him off until he'd done his state time, gotten out, finished culinary arts school, and began working as a chef at a country club in the Hamptons, living a normal life and having nothing to do with his criminal past.

What formal education do you have?

585837403[/snapback]

I have some college, comp sci, never finished it. It was outdated B.S. for the most part. Dropped that and went for certifications. Did night classes with AmeriTrain for A+/Net+ (just to do it) and then MCSE. Did Citrix Administrator classes and certs with my last employer, Access, all the MS Office crap.

I am guessing that his arguement would be that you are still going to be profitting from something that has roots tied back to being illegal. I enjoy reading stuff like this, but paying for the story of someone who ripped software wouldn't be something I could see myself doing.

As for the people who say maybe you need to write to get it off your chest, what ever happened to a journal or to get extra-futuristic, a blog, which I guess you have.....

I am just not a proponent of you, marketing, publishers or anyone else making money off of an illegal past. To say it is to help people is a cop-out. There is always the alternative...making a website to educate people about free software or how to find it cheaper or just telling your story and how bad it can end up if these "script kiddies" keep at it.

585837706[/snapback]

If money was never made from the tale of a criminal or a villain, Hollywood would go bust. Not that I'm out for fame and fortune, but you get my point. Saying that you wouldn't pay anyone for their illegal past.... better stop paying your taxes then.

Did he get the jorb?!

585838054[/snapback]

Not yet. they interviewed someone today and I think they have one other person to interview later this week.

[Meshuggah]

a book? about what? A guy who was too cheap to purchase software and got busted for it? Yea, number one seller there. No offense but you were a petty thief and nothing more. You did the crime and paid the time. No need to write a book about it.

585836742[/snapback]

There is NOTHING wrong with Reverse Engineering. Companies do it all the time.

If you really think about it, when companies reverse engineer something and re-sell it to make a profit, that is considerably worse than what 'the scene' is about. Considering it's free.

Good read Shane and good luck with the interview

[doubledragonxz]

Hey Shane, how about an interview for everyone here at Neowin, maybe some mod can do it, it could easly make it front page IMHO, so you can get your ideas straight and it could be the guiding light you are looking for to start your book.

And regarding that book, the publisher can help you with that, you dont have to write it alone, when its an autobiography, they help you assigning trained people with the editing.

Just Hope this idea isnt very out there :)

[Shane Pitman]

Hey Shane, how about an interview for everyone here at Neowin, maybe some mod can do it, it could easly make it front page IMHO, so you can get your ideas straight and it could be the guiding light you are looking for to start your book.

And regarding that book, the publisher can help you with that, you dont have to write it alone, when its an autobiography, they help you assigning trained people with the editing.

Just Hope this idea isnt very out there  :)

585838464[/snapback]

I would do an interview for Neowin if they wanted. Some of the folks from IGN had mentioned something about me doing an interview with them (I used to be a forum mod over there), but we haven't talked about it any more. Sure, if Neowin wants an interview, I'll do it.

[vip]

well, this is the first time in a long long while that ive read thread beginning to end .... sucks what happened, good stuff in the past, hope you have even better things in the future! good luck with everything that presents itself to you from here on :D

[internetwar]

nice read, actually i read all 17 pages of posts~

good luck

[scoobydoobie]

'm sorry you feel that way. I suppose you think that nobody should ever talk or write about their experiences with illegal matters?

No, I don't think people should be making a profit from it. You want to do good then give up all profits of the book to a worthy organization. Not the "I was sent to prison becouse I got busted" organization

I did wrong, got caught, got punished (I think excessively).

Actually, becouse of people like you we have all this copy protection crap that we have to go thru just to use a piece of software. Thanks alot.

I think that maybe by telling others what I've been through I could change their views and possibly keep them from having to go through what I've gone through. Yes, I broke the law. I had access to resources that would make most peoples jaws drop. But was it just wasn't worth the hell that I've endured. If telling my story keeps anyone else from having to go through that, then I would think it was worth it.

Hardly. I doubt anyones going to learn a life lesson from whatever you have to offer. What it all boils down to is that you were a thief, you got busted, did the time and now you want to start over. That's it. All you have to do is change the reasons for the crime and it's like any other sob story from a thousand other people who have been busted for illegal activities.

I'm glad you have your head on straight now. I'm glad you've learned some life altering lesson. I'm even glad you are being looked at for a job. I just don't see how you feel that you deserve to profit from this. You thinking movie deal while your at it?

You want to tell your story? Go tell it to the hundreds of online soapboxes out there. There are thousands of non-profit publications who would listen.

[riceboyler]

No, I don't think people should be making a profit from it. You want to do good then give up all profits of the book to a worthy organization. Not the "I was sent to prison becouse I got busted" organization

Actually, becouse of people like you we have all this copy protection crap that we have to go thru just to use a piece of software. Thanks alot.

Hardly. I doubt anyones going to learn a life lesson from whatever you have to offer. What it all boils down to is that you were a thief, you got busted, did the time and now you want to start over. That's it.  All you have to do is change the reasons for the crime and it's like any other sob story from a thousand other people who have been busted for illegal activities.

I'm glad you have your head on straight now. I'm glad you've learned some life altering lesson. I'm even glad you are being looked at for a job. I just don't see how you feel that you deserve to profit from this. You thinking movie deal while your at it?

You want to tell your story? Go tell it to the hundreds of online soapboxes out there. There are thousands of non-profit publications who would listen.

585838832[/snapback]

Normally I wouldn't post about something like this, but it just seems like you're bitter. Get a life, and some Prozac.

As for Mr. Pitman, I admire your willingness to be forthright and honest about your incarceration, and your crimes. I would tend to agree that the punishment certainly didn't fit the crime, but it's an unfortunate reality that we can't control such things per se.

I would certainly think you're qualified for an IT position, and hopefully, even if this doesn't pan out, something will soon. I have 3 kids, and just turned 30, so I understand the difficulty of making ends meet. Thank you for being willing to share your trials, difficult experiences, etc., and not being bitter about it. Did you get mistreated? Probably so. Doesn't everybody at one point or another in life? Probably so. Admiration to you for being willing to get over that crap and move on.

And if you profit from your past because you learned your lesson and can use it to help others, more power to ya brother. You've got a family to feed, and that's far more important than dealing with negativity.

[zerolimit]

scoobydoobie! dude! I think he wants to write about what they shouldn't do. I was in the scene back in the day! and now im out. Why because I rem watching TechTV once and this big group got caught and got sent to jail. Alot of people (kiddies) dont know what they are getting themselfs into. They think they will never get caught but eventually you will.

[Bawx]

Stephen, do an interview with this guy! (Y)