Many PSever development websites are staying online despite everything that Nexon is doing. I understand it's a bit old at this time, but here's part of an e-mail from MentaL, the head of RageZone, to Lloyd Korn:

If Blizzard cannot stop emulations such as Mangos, what chance does a second rate hill-billy run company like Nixon have of ever doing so? Want ragezone to shut down its developments and censor all relations to Maple, how about you pay me a pomegranate load of money and then your job wont be needed.
Furthermore, other sites such as Kryptodev are getting more popular by the day (though Kryptodev is staying alive because the server and owner are in Canada - the land of no DMCA). A brand new 0.74 localhost was released, which means Nexon's encryption on their client is now broken, and now development websites are refusing to close despite Nexon's constant harassment. Of course, this is not stopping the deluge of DMCA notices being sent out to everyone who uses this code to host a PServer. But as far as Nexon stopping the masses from developing, it seems like they've hit a wall.

What do you think will happen? Will Nexon be able to take down all PServers once and for all? Will they be able to stop development? What tactics might they employ next?

A note from Koolk:
some important notes:
I COMPLETELY stopped with private servers developing. I don't develop or support private servers anymore.
I MADE THIS TOOL FOR FUN AND CHALLENGE ONLY.
This tool ISN'T going to be released. (neither things created by it)
I tested it with my unchanged old v60 source.

I was bored, so I found what to do in the past two weeks.
In this video you can see only part of the features of this tool. (There are many features that I didn't use because I just wanted to create a fast example)
The creation of the map speed up by 4x. (Took me 16 minutes in total to create the map)
Coded in two weeks from ZERO.

oh, and btw, I wasn't in jail. (I don't know where you got this idea from)

I was having this conversation with a friend of mine:

Him: So, why do you like computers?
Me: It's a natural thing. I see algorithms and processes everywhere I look.
Him: But isn't it all just 1's and 0's? What can be so exciting about that?
Me: If computers are just 1's and 0's, then tennis is just whacking around a yellow ball. There's a lot more to it than that.
Him: Well, I guess what I'm getting at is this: What is it like to love computers so much? You say you see algorithms everywhere. Got an example?

People want to know what it feels like to see algorithms, data sets, and objects everywhere I look. I suppose it doesn't seem so strange to me, but it seems strange to others. It's a little strange for me, though, to be able to see numbers and functions swimming around in my head. I can manipulate bytes in my head. I can envision the world as a computer would see it.

Me: Yeah, I got an example. Right here, right now.
Him: Go for it.
Me: *points to the cash register in the store* See that cash register?
Him: Yeah.
Me: A cash register is an object. That specific cash register is an instance of a cash register.
Him: Okay...
Me: And the employee. An employee is an object, but that employee is an instance of that object.
Him: I'm following.
Me: So, watch that employee and that cash register interrelate. It's two instances working together to produce work. You see how the employee pulls change from the drawer? That's an algorithm. Those two instances just interacted with each other. That's the basics of how object oriented programming works. It's about getting different pieces of the puzzle to work together.
Him: Go on.
Me: The cash register... it has money in it.
Him: Yeah.
Me: The money in that cash register is an attribute. So as the employee takes money out of the drawer or puts money in, it changes the attribute of that cash register.
Him: That makes sense.
Me: That's what I mean when I see algorithms everywhere. That's how the world makes sense. If you gave me a problem and told me to code it, I'd have about ten ways of coding the same thing simultaneously hit my head all at once.
Him: I can't imagine my brain working like that.
Me: But that's how it is.

How do you view the world? Do you view it in the same way I do with algorithms and computers? How does that affect your perspective of people and the way things work?

I'd love to have some feedback. I just started tonight in writing my mini-course on how to read binary, hexadecimal, and such. Let me know if I'm writing too simple or if it's too hard to read. This is just a teaser, and the mini-course will likely not be complete for a long while.

Small syllabus - will expand later

CS 103: Boolean Logic and Computer Languages



Purpose of CS 103
Thank you for enrolling in the CS 103 class! By the end of this course, you will be able to master the following:

* Boolean logic (binary, hexadecimal, decimal)
* Bitwise operators (XOR, AND, OR, MODULO)
* Low-level container types (char, integer, float, double, long)
* Pointers (arrays, strings, and files)
* Basic theory in computer languages
* General programming constructs (loops, if-statements, function calls)


This course is perfect for anyone that would like to learn a programming language but have no idea where to start. Learning these simple facts of computer science will give you a solid foundation in learning any programming language. This course is also great for anyone interested in learning how a computer functions at the most basic level. Or, this course might be for you if you quite simply have too much time on your hands!

Structure of the course
Each week I will be posting the text covering one of the above topics. I will also include a short comprehension quiz at the end of each section, and also a longer test at the end. Feel free to do the quizzes and tests all on your own, or you can do them with friends in each topic that I create.

There are no grades. There is no check for attendance. You receive only what you put in to this course. However, all of the work will be cumulative up until the final week, so it’s imperative to stay current!

Course Materials
There are no materials that are absolutely required. Closer to the end of the course I will begin showing programs in C. While it is not required, you can download Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 so that you can compile and run these programs, though I will give no tutorials on how to use MSVC++.



Chapter 1: Bits, Nibbles, and Bytes

1.1 – Introduction
Computers are a conundrum. How does a computer know where you click on the screen? How does the computer know what you want to do when you press “Enter”? How can a computer write this text on your screen (if you’re currently on the web) or be able to send this to your printer (if you’re reading this offline)? How does a computer do it all?

Everything you see, do, and hear on a computer is in some way related to a bit. A bit is a state representing 1 for “on”, and 0 for “off”. Back in the early 1900’s, computer programmers told the ENIAC, one of the first supercomputers, what to do by using bits. The ENIAC did an instruction if a plug was placed in one hole (“on” or not placed in one hole (“off”. By interpreting the states of bits, the ENIAC was able to perform very fast calculations. Of course, programmers today no longer have to program instructions bit by bit, as that would be a very slow and cumbersome process. However, by understanding the importance of a bit and where we all came from with computers, programmers can tell a computer how to function.

1.2 – Examples
Let’s start with a few examples. As a note, I will always put bits in curly braces.

{1} <-- One bit – This bit happens to be in the “on” state.

{0} <-- Still one bit – this one is “off”.

Imagine that a bit is just a small “bit” of a pie. It’s a very small piece. However, a big bite (“byte” is a much larger piece. So, a byte can consist of many little bits, or small pieces of the pie. In terms of a computer, a byte consists of 8 bits.

{1111 1111} <-- One byte – All bits are set to 1.

{1010 0101} <-- Still one byte – Some bits are set to 1 and others 0.

You’ll notice that I put spaces in between each section of four bits. This is primarily to make each byte easier to read. However, separating the bits also has another purpose which I will go over later in this chapter.

1.3 – Binary values
So how can a computer get numbers like “234” out of zeroes and ones? Quite simple, really! A computer uses binary values to represent real numbers that you or I would use. To count in binary, read the byte from right to left.

{0101} <-- The 1 is read first, the 0 second, the 1 third, and the final 0 last

Computers use the bits closer to the right to represent smaller values and bits closer to the left to represent larger values. The rightmost bit represents the number “1”, the next bit represents “2”, next “4”, and finally “8”. The values continue to double for each successive bit that is read. So…

Code:

128 64 32 16 8 4 2 1
<-- Left bits Right bits -->
<------------ 1 byte ------------>

Each bit represents a possible value. If the bit is turned on, the value is used. If the bit is turned off, the value is not used. Let’s try an example.

{1110}

So, start from the right. The first bit read is a “0”. So this value is not used. The next bit is a “1”, so this value is used. So on and so forth. The used values in this example are 2, 4, and 8. Simply add these numbers together to get the real value from the bits --> 14. So, the bits above represent the value 14. Let’s try a few more examples.

14 = 8 + 4 + 2

-----------------------------

{0101}

In this example, the first and third bits are turned on. These bits represent the values 1 and 4. Add these two numbers together to get 5. The above binary represents 5. Let’s try another one.

5 = 4 + 1

------------------

{1111 1111}

All bits are turned on! So, all of the possible values are used and added together.

255 = 128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1

Great! The maximum possible value for one byte is 255.

Hello fellow Southperrians. I'm here to let you know of a change in roles that is in the process of happening right now.

As of the current moment, I have entirely too many things going on in life to continue working as I have been on Southperry. Isaac and I have spoken a bit, and we reached the conclusion that it was time for a change. My position here will change from Head Administrator to merely Administrator. I will still be around to make sure the site stays active and up, and I will be around to do some general moderation. I will also be here to help Isaac in regards to extractions and encryptions. I'll make sure that he stays up to date. By no means am I leaving the community, just taking a lesser role.

Isaac has also opted to take over the payments for the server. What this means, then, is that all donations after the next server payment will start going to Isaac, and he will determine everything involving the donator status here on Southperry.

In a nutshell, Isaac and I are switching roles.

So, what's going to change for the users? Overall, not too much. The site will still be here, donators will be donators, and chinchillas aren't going anywhere anytime soon. Fiel's Musings is here to stay (but more as a personal blog than a professional one). Southperry will stay as the dominant source of cutting edge information concerning Maplestory.

Sincerely,
Fiel


Since the letter was from Nexon America and only applies to Nexon America's related material, I will not extract their material. However, it's obvious MSEA does not have a problem with extractions, and Nexon America does not represent MSEA. Due to this, I will reopen extractions for KMST and begin supporting MSEA extractions. Extractions of GMS or GMST related material will not be available for the forseeable future.

Pre-patchers will be resumed and supported for both MSEA and GMS.

The database will be restored, but it will only contain data from MSEA.

In order to continue to support the spread of information about new areas and places released for the game of Maplestory, I will also be accepting submissions for data extractions in any version of the game. The submission must contain a new area that is being released currently not offered in any other area (for example, when Showa was debuted in JMS), or the data extraction must contain something that is important to the future of Maplestory.

Below you will find an entire copy of the DMCA takedown notice submitted by Nexon America:

Yes, I have repacked WZ files before, but this is not against the law.

I do not share my repacking methods, findings that would be pertinent to the creation of a repacker, or publicly release any sort of demonstration of owning a repacker. Nexon would have a hard-pressed case to DMCA me on that regard.

Furthermore, if I develop the technological means to bypass encryption on my own, then I also have the ability to decrypt and distribute what would fall under Fair Use so long as I do not distribute, sell, or make available the means with which to decrypt in any way, shape, or form. I'd say I've accomplished that.

The DMCA applies to the safeguarding of Access Controls (in a nutshell, DRM, who can access the data) and Copy Protections (Again, DRM, who can transfer the data to someone else). Encryption is not a form of DRM since encryption does not allow for digital rights management. You, Nexon, have the same digital rights over your media whether your data is encrypted or unencrypted as your program does not control WHO or WHAT can decrypt the data. Controlling the WHO or WHAT is DRM. Considering that encrypted and unencrypted DRM files are both equally viable, then using a method of encryption is not DRM. Therefore, I am entirely with the law on decrypting it.

For example, let's assume that one can crack and break encryptions placed on Nexon's private servers. In this case, breaking the encryption and then releasing the decrypted content (the server code) would not fall under fair use since he is creating a derivative work (one that competes with the initial sale and distribution of Nexon's content, the game itself). This is why most private servers cannot employ the Fair Use defense as it is not a Fair Use.

My case is substantially different. In this case, I am taking Nexon's binary and transforming it into a human readable format. This does not compete with Nexon's original concept at all, as their concept promotes a playable game. Does the releasing of Nexon's images directly compete with Nexon's media of digital entertainment? No. It promotes the general interest of having public information on the internal workings of the game which is needed to play the game effectively. Furthermore, how can Nexon say that my release of this information substantially “hurts Nexon’s business” when my initial concept for free and available information does not compete with their model at all!

In their DMCA takedown notice, they said that I take encrypted images, decrypt them, and post them on my forums. They said that cracking of the code is illegal. Well, Nexon, that’s not entirely true if you knew a damn thing about how your encryption works. One of the major facets of List.wz encryption (the method which Nexon America currently employs) is that it does not have all images encrypted in the data files. Some images are encrypted and others are not. Because of this, are some images lawful to use and others not? I contend no. All of them are legal and free to use for the general public interest under Fair Use.

Of course, keeping the idea of being reasonable in mind, it is reasonable to contend not all things can be allowed for general public interest. For example, it might be in the best interests of the public to have the Encyclopedia Britannica (EB) available free for download on a website not owned by EB. However, since the availability of this download would directly compete with EB, then this does not fall under Fair Use either. By no means am I using the justification that because it is better for the general interest, that makes it Fair Use. My point is that what I am doing is Fair Use. Nothing more.

Another attack used by Nexon on the images displayed here on Southperry is “misappropriating Nexon’s intellectual property for its own commercial gain.” I got a secret for you, Nexon. All websites are around for commercial gain. Mapletip? They have ads on their website next to your images. They make money for the ads, so now they exist for commercial gain too. Take them down. Basilmarket? Your images, their ads, their profits. All websites are created with the idea of creating some sort of profit for the website owner. This attack is simply laughable. So, Nexon, are you going to take down all Maplestory fansites in that they falsely misappropriate your images for their financial gain? Why don’t you start with Sleepywood, the biggest misappropriation of your product with "commercial interests" (aka collecting donations) that you have allowed to run for the past four years?

Nexon, perhaps you will realize that attacking your own fansites hurts your product. Perhaps you will realize that attacking your fanbase hurts your product. Or maybe you’ll realize that when your profits actually do sink.

Oops.

~Fiel

Nexon has sent a DMCA copyright infringement notice to the host of this website, HiVelocity for the following reasons:

"The Owner of the website has continually intercepted Nexon’s encrypted wz files (which contain Nexon’s copyrighted material and code of the Game), cracked the encryption code and reveals the encrypted data on his website without Nexon’s approval or authorization. I have specifically asked the owner of the website to stop illegally cracking Nexon’s code and he point blank refused. We will be releasing another update very soon which he told me he plans to crack and put the contents on his website. Because of this, the Rogue Website is severely damaging the Game and hurting Nexon’s business. In addition, by revealing and displaying the unauthorized, copyrighted material on its website, it is misappropriating Nexon’s intellectual property for its own commercial gain."

Nexon, go attack sauna.gibbed.us, go attack Mapletip.com, go attack Hidden-street.net, Basilmarket.com, and don't forget maplesim.com too. They do the much of same thing as you described here with internet databases.

Would you shut us all down?

Would you keep the community blind?

Tonight with this patch I will be debuting a LOT of new features that should help with reading extraction data. I've spent over the course of the past month writing and perfecting these scripts that I have written, so it is with great pride that I can show you all that I've accomplished.


For Character Data:
- NX items are now shown
- Non-NX and NX items are kept separated by spoiler tags
- Items will now automatically show if they are tradeblocked, time limited, or "one of a kind".

Mob Data:
- All mobs are now listed by level in ascending order. Every 10 levels has a new spoiler attached to it, so it's no longer a wall of text.
- Stationary mobs are now detected.
- Mobs will now display all attacks, skills, and status ailments. To see an example with Zakum1 and Papulatus, please click the spoiler:

Map Data:
- All map data is now separated by continents.

Just as a reminder, tonight will largely be a beta testing for me. There might be problems or errors, but I will get them sorted out as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience in this regard.

Anyway, I will be greatly expanding on these features in the coming weeks and months, so stay tuned!

I received a note from them stating that I should stop all decryption of the WZ game files until I speak with the people from Nexon on Monday. For the time being I will in good faith comply with their request. I will have more information about my discussion with Nexon on Monday. Be on the lookout for more information which I will post in this topic.

There was no C&D or any threat of impending litigation. This is merely a chat and a request.

For this reason, I will not be updating the KMST topic about the new changes to the Soul Warrior and Flame Mage until further notice.

Always chinchillin',
Fiel


Ending:

Lloyd gave me a call this afternoon. We had a good time chatting. The main focus of our conversation was on my decrypting of the codes and that it was not appreciated that I do it. We spoke about what I do in a given patch, etc. etc.. Overall, it was a very nice chat that I had with Nexon. They are a very good company, and they do work their hardest for the game.

As for what will change on Southperry? Not too much.

Nexon and I are on good terms. They really wish I wouldn't crack the codes, but it's something that needs to be done at this point.

Southperry is here to stay. Everyone rejoice.

Dear Nexon,


I love this game, Maplestory. It's been with me for several years now. I've been around since Beta times, though I really didn't start playing seriously until patch 0.20 or so. Since then, I've grown to love your game more and more, so much that I decided to do computer programming work on it. In this letter, I want to let you, Nexon, know why I continue doing the work I do.

First of all, I do this work because I know that the community would be blind without me. There is so much information that is useful to play Maplestory that cannot be provided elsewhere, such as avoid, HP, and EXP of each mob, or equipment statistics. Back in the day, there was another website that provided this information, The Sauna, but the creator of it, Rick, has since left the community with no one left behind. This is why I have taken up my role to replace Rick as the community's informant. The community both needs and wants this information in order to make good decisions about how to play Maplestory.

Secondly, I do my work here on Southperry in order to improve my own skills. I have learned much about encryption algorithms, and packing binary data for file storage. I've learned about management of staff here at Southperry, management of a forum in total, learning about information analysis and how to display this information succinctly and clearly, and learning how to be a leader in the community. I've learned how to code in C and Python, how to debug and solve complex problems, and how to create my own tools and equipment I use for extractions. I have done much personal growth all because of these WZ files and my leadership.

Finally, I do my work in order to support you, Nexon. I'm sure that there are many players that would not be playing this game today without me. I direct people to your service by providing patch extractions to your members. I show people about special sales, packages, and items available in your cash shop. I tell people everything about the NPCs, mobs, and quests so that they can better enjoy their time. For example, have a look at my Fourth Job Skill Tables, which has amassed over 500,000 views on Sleepywood.net and over 10,000 views here on Southperry. I'm here to work for you, not against you.

So, Nexon, you may not view me so favorably due to all of the extractions that I do and the cracking of your data which you have encrypted, but there's so much more to consider here. There's the community's need for someone to do these extractions and have this data available, or else they'd be in the dark. There's my own desire for personal growth, achievement, and leadership. Lastly, there are your needs to promote the cash shop, which I so heartily do.

Nexon, I'm asking you to consider everything that's at stake just by clicking on "send" for a C&D letter. All of the work that I've done to get to this point for over a year will have been torn apart. The community will have lost another prominent member, and, overall, I believe it would hurt your service.


Always chinchillin',
Fiel


P.S. - After reviewing the youtube video, I am pro-private server only as far as it goes with Fair Use. This is why I allow PServer discussion on the forums.

Now that things have quieted down a little bit, people have settled in, and there are no patches coming in the very near future, I have more time to devote to the site. Here are a few things I'll be implementing shortly:

* Forum skin - I know, it's been a bit. It's coming, that much I can assure you. Whether or not it will use the banner is still a mystery at this point, but I'll make the forum look the best possible.
* Pre-patcher - I've decided to overturn what I've previously done. The pre-patcher will be open-source and on the forums exactly as it was at Sleepywood. I'll get the pre-patcher topic going as soon as the next patch is announced.


I'm also getting things set up with Google and their webcrawler, and we've recently had the opening of a Writer's Corner, the "Shady Tree". So, I'm keeping quite busy around here. I'd say this forum is shaping up quite nicely. I'm sure we'll see many new faces come the Masteria patch.

BannedStory:

As many of you sig creators know, you'd have to be lucky to get onto the BannedStory website. Luckily, I downloaded BS on July 1. I don't know if BS had their executable updated to 0.57 as of that date, but it's a possibility.

Cheers,
Fiel

As many of you know, this website and my name have been banished across several forums - Basilmarket and Sleepywood to be precise - and at this point I'm unsure of the other websites - Mapletip and Hidden-Street. Needless to say, the competition is high for Maplestory forums. Southperry is a late starter. All of the other forums have been around at least since Maple Beta days or longer. There is a lot against me at this point in the Maple forums community.

This does not faze me. I am ready to take it. I'm going to make this the best forum I can possibly make it. I'm going to press on.

As far as Sleepywood... well... It seems that not a day goes by when the site has to be mentioned for some reason or another. Allow me to explain a few more things about them and me.

It's all too easy to lump together "Sleepywood management" to say that Adura or other mods like chafalcar or whiteasice are bad. They're not bad. The Sleepywood administration is very good at keeping the forums straightened out as Adura likes it, and I admire them for that. After all, that's why these forums look the way they do. There might even be a chance that a couple of Sleepywood moderators are here too as members. I don't know who they might be, but rest their souls that they have to use a different alias.

If I had really wanted to, I could have let the Adura and Sleepywood bashing go on and on, but I decided to cut that out. Adura and I may have had a scuffle or two, but that's no reason to bash them. Read Matthew 5:44 if you have a chance.

If other forums want to ban my site and ban my name, let them. I'll just have to show them that my website is so good that they can't possibly ignore it. As it is, Insoya has already credited me several times for the work that I do, and this website received over 1200 unique visitors in the past day alone! This forum will continue to grow - that much I'm sure of.

Oh, and hey, let's hope the Masteria content is good, eh?

~Fiel

I'm very thrilled with how this site is growing. Every day new members join and it's just so exciting. Together, we can make this website into a resounding success in the Maple community.

So, here's what I will be working on in the very near future:

--> Finalizing all donator features
--> Getting more google ads up (no more than 2 per page)
--> Placing a more robust Rules and Regulations
--> Putting out google ads of my own (!!!)

And, to grow as a community, here's what I need you guys to do:

--> Tell your friends and guildmates about this website
--> Post relevant information from this website on other forums. Every time someone mentions Southperry on Basilmarket, it brings in well over 100 guests to the forums
--> Bring any information you can find from the web about Maplestory here to Southperry
--> Advertise Southperry in game. When you put up an FM shop, throw Southperry.net in there. I've even done that a few times.

Also, the forum banner event is coming to a close tomorrow. Make sure you have your submission in before time runs out!

Thank you all for helping to make this community an excellent one. Let's keep fighting the good fight!

Fiel

Tonight has been a long time coming. I went through a few stages to get where I am now, and those are: List.wz encryption, FMS, Sleepywood demoddings, Odin getting sued, and Adura.

Everything started a few months ago. I was busy unpacking KMST and getting ready to post on SW.net when something hit me:

"Start your own website."

It was just a feeling, an urge, and nothing more. Sometimes I'd laugh with my maple friends, "I wonder what would happen if I pulled all of my stuff from Sleepywood.net." Some would make speculations, but they were just that - speculations.

When the new List.wz encryption hit, I was happy to help out Mapletip and Hidden street by giving them my unpacker. I felt as if I was giving more to the community, and that was a feeling I enjoyed. Mapletip even sent me $10 for my hard work. I felt great.

After a while, I was asked to become a developer for Flowsion MS. I happily agreed and went through FMS beta and all that good stuff. Great times, by the way. Everything was cool.

After a while though, I began to hear about bannings and demoddings of various Sleepywood members. Now, I'll say this off the bat - I don't know the whole story. I wasn't there. I can never know every single thing that happened. However, the reason that they were demodded really hit home - they were part of a private server, FMS - the very server I was developing.

After a few weeks, though, I started to run into problems with the FMS concept. You see, they wanted me to make custom WZ files for customized content. I was all happy and proud to do it. I love working with the WZ files. It's familiar. It's what I know. After I had distributed my first WZ file (it failed, by the way, due to circumstances I wasn't aware of. The file loaded fine), I realized that I had just changed copyrighted content and distributed it - a clear violation of the Nexon ToS. I sure as hell didn't want to get sued. Furthermore, due to the encryption of the WZ files, it'd be hard as hell to make a script that would change only what I needed to be changed every patch (if you understood the encryption more, it's not just offsets. It's harder). The idea of more custom content and new versions made me wary. Eventually, it'd be tough to keep up.

I told the team of my leaving, and that I'd be kept there in name only until another dev was found. Soon after, Odin got sued, and then I realized my own stunning stupidity for releasing copyrighted content. I couldn't do that.

In 0.56, the encryption of the WZ files changed. I cracked it, but it royally screwed private servers because they couldn't do the new encryption. Wel... rep++ for cracking it, nevertheless, and now I really wanted out of FMS even more. If the mass amount of private servers got the decryption method, then Nexon would change it again and again and again, and that would make it a hassle for me. I stopped giving out my decryption methods. Period.

Hidden street sent me an e-mail about it, but I didn't respond. Mapletip asked me for it, and I didn't respond. Afterwards, Mapletip sent me another e-mail stating that they had sent me $10 for my hard work and asked again for the unpacker.

Now of course let's think business. If Mapletip is that willing to give me $10 for the unpacker, they MUST be making a good profit on it, or it must be worthwhile enough for them to be willing to pay me to do it. So why am I giving them my decryption methods when I could make even more than that $10 myself? I felt cheated, so I refunded the money back to Mapletip, and my idea of creating my own website slowly started becoming a reality in my mind.

So let's look at the situation I'm in. I can't do private servers due to fear of getting my ass sued, I don't want to give away my decryption methods because now I felt cheated by the community... now what? Sleepywood was all I had left. I returned to it and continued on as usual.

All of this led up to last week. Adura asked for my decryption methods. He said he had a purpose but he didn't tell me what it was (still don't know what it is). I had something in my signature saying I wasn't giving it out, but Adura decided to ask me anyway. I got angry at him and denied the extractor to him, and then he asked me if I was part of a private server.

I asked him what it was to him, after all, private servers are not in his jurisdiction. He's not Nexon's police. Why does he care?

What was his response, "It's about trust. I'm vehemently against those who create private servers because they feel so self-righteous as to impose on Nexon's IP. (paraphrased by me)" So hold on... because I do nothing wrong against him, he has a problem with me. Right.

Whatever. I believe in a "Don't ask/don't tell" policy. You just do what you're doing, and I'll stick to me. That's not his policy, though. He wants to make sure NO ONE is a part of a private server. That's what affected some of the Sleepy mods, and now he's coming down on me! I'm not even a mod! Furthermore, he wants me to provide good solutions to Maplestory (such as the pre-patcher), and he was glad that I was being transparent about that. I was happily providing the solutions free of cost and open source any way bringing in hundreds of thousands of hits to his site and he wanted to ensure good solutions. Mmmhmmm. I have more to worry about than your reputation. If there's a virus in my stuff, then my reputation goes down the drain, not yours.

Anyway, the guy wanted me to be transparent to him, and I'm not going to do my work and be completely transparent. That's not my job. I enjoy doing data extractions. Leave me be. You run the website, and I'll do the data extractions. Just leave me alone.

Do I want to be a slave to a guy that wants me to be transparent and give him my decryption methods? No! That's all I've got left. I can't do private servers due to getting my ass sued, I obviously can't stay at Sleepywood, and it's tough to share encryption methods or move to another website when they already have their own databases. Where to go now?

"Start your own website."

That still-small-voice was still there, and I decided to take it by the horns and run with it. I bought the domain and well... here I am. I have my own forums in which I'm happy to continue my data extractions. I don't work for anyone, and I can joyfully do what I love to do - journalism and data algorithms. I have my own boards to post in to keep everything neat and in order. It's my dream come true as far as I'm aware.

I would talk further about the drama tonight, but I'm sure it's still pretty memorable for most of you, but I'm glad that you're all here and can join my vision with me. It's great to have you all here, and enjoy the site. Make a donation if you can, too. It'll help keep this site going.

Cheers,
Fiel