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Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: Damion Milliken <u9467882@***.EDU.AU>
Subject: Black ICE
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 20:20:24 +1100
I was discussing the way black ICE does its damage to deckers the other day
with a friend of mine, and we couldn't agree.

He argues that the damage is merely a huge electrical pulse that the ICE
sends down the data lines which zaps the deckers brain.

I argue that what the ICE does is invades the deckers deck, and attempts to
get the deck to execute _its_ commands rather than the deckers commands
(much in the same way that deckers invade the ICE's node and try to get the
node to execute their commands), and that what the ICE tells the deckers
deck to do is "Instead of sending the visual data to the humans brain, send
in a coded sequence that will stop the humans heart beating".

What do you think?

--
Damion Milliken University of Wollongong e-mail: u9467882@***.edu.au

(GEEK CODE 2.1) GE -d+(d) H s++:-- !g p? !au a18 w+ v(?) C+(++) US++ P? L !3 E?
N K- W+ M@ !V po@ Y(+) t+ !5 !j R+(++) G(+)('') !tv(--)@ b++ D+
B? e+ u@ h* f(+) !r n--(----) !y+
Message no. 2
From: "J.D. Falk" <jdfalk@****.CAIS.COM>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 08:23:18 -0500
On Thu, 3 Nov 1994, Damion Milliken wrote:

> I was discussing the way black ICE does its damage to deckers the other day
> with a friend of mine, and we couldn't agree.
>
> He argues that the damage is merely a huge electrical pulse that the ICE
> sends down the data lines which zaps the deckers brain.
>
> I argue that what the ICE does is invades the deckers deck . . .

Hm. I don't really like either idea, though the first is
obviously impossible...well, not impossible, but I really doubt that UCAS
Bell or whatever is going to allow huge electrical pulses to be
transmitted over their data lines -- _especially_ the fiber-optic ones!
*grin* (FYI: fiber-optics use light, not electricity.)
I don't think FASA has explained it much better, though...I
always chalked it up to "it'll kill me, I don't care how."

/-----------------\
| J.D. Falk | All the world's indeed a stage
| jdfalk@****.com | And, damnit, I'm a stagehand.
\-----------------/
Message no. 3
From: Gareth Owen <glowen1@*****.NHS.GOV.UK>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 12:54:22 +0000
>
> On Thu, 3 Nov 1994, Damion Milliken wrote:
>
> > I was discussing the way black ICE does its damage to deckers the other day
> > with a friend of mine, and we couldn't agree.
> >
> > He argues that the damage is merely a huge electrical pulse that the ICE
> > sends down the data lines which zaps the deckers brain.

Hmmm.
If this was so it would be stoppable with a piece of high
technology wizardry called a fuse. I don't like the way ice
can kill, it seems unlikely. For that matter, I don't
like the whole idea of decking, for numerous reasons.

GLO

--
Gareth Owen | Mail: glowen1@*****.nhs.gov.uk
Sytems Programmmer | Phone: (UK) 0495 765021
Gwent Health Authority | "Reboot it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure"
Message no. 4
From: It's Easy Peasy with Cheesy Peas
Subject: Black ICE
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 14:19:00 GMT
GLO Writes:
>Hmmm.
>If this was so it would be stoppable with a piece of high
>technology wizardry called a fuse. I don't like the way ice
>can kill, it seems unlikely. For that matter, I don't
>like the whole idea of decking, for numerous reasons.

>GLO

I thought that black ICE killed through the simsense filter of the deck,
using it to mess around with the deckers brain. Dont exactly know how tho'

Iz The Wiz!
Message no. 5
From: Gareth Owen <glowen1@*****.NHS.GOV.UK>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 15:41:23 +0000
>
> GLO Writes:
> >Hmmm.
> >If this was so it would be stoppable with a piece of high
> >technology wizardry called a fuse. I don't like the way ice
> >can kill, it seems unlikely. For that matter, I don't
> >like the whole idea of decking, for numerous reasons.
>
> >GLO
>
> I thought that black ICE killed through the simsense filter of the deck,
> using it to mess around with the deckers brain. Dont exactly know how tho'
>
> Iz The Wiz!
>

We came to that conclusion in the end, too.

GLO


--
Gareth Owen | Mail: glowen1@*****.nhs.gov.uk
Sytems Programmmer | Phone: (UK) 0495 765021
Gwent Health Authority | "Reboot it from orbit, it's the only way to be sure"
Message no. 6
From: Shadowdancer <BRIDDLE@*****.VINU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Thu, 3 Nov 1994 12:17:19 EST
> On Thu, 3 Nov 1994, Damion Milliken wrote:
>
> > I was discussing the way black ICE does its damage to deckers
the other day
<deleted>
JD wrote:
> Hm. I don't really like either idea, though the first is
> obviously impossible...well, not impossible, but I really doubt that
UCAS
<deleted>

Black IC kill using biofeedback. I am not sure as to exactly how this
is accomplished, but I do know that bio can be influenced by
electricity. The little battery powered bio machines to help with stress
and such. It is my thinking that the Blacky just sends the right
impulses to cause a lethel biofeedback signal, which in turn damages
the decker.



Many people run the shadows, praying that whatever gods they worship will smile upon them.
I waltz through shadows with my gods, and I lead!

-SHADOWDANCER-
Message no. 7
From: Adam Getchell <acgetche@****.UCDAVIS.EDU>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Fri, 4 Nov 1994 09:47:16 -0800
I think that sending a huge electrical signal to fry the decker's
brain could be easily stopped by a cutout, or fuse. A blatant attack
like that also presumes that the decker is using electrical connections,
when in fact it's a fiber-optic deck with barely any electricity involved
(only for the power supply, and the power supply isn't going to be
connected to the 'jack).
No, it would have to be something subtle; programming the visual
feed to give the decker epilepsy, or heart stoppage, or whatever.

+-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
|Adam Getchell|acgetche@****.engr.ucdavis.edu | ez000270@*******.ucdavis.edu |
| acgetchell |"Invincibility is in oneself, vulnerability is in the opponent"|
+-------------+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Message no. 8
From: Luke Kendall <luke@********.CANON.OZ.AU>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 02:28:01 +1100
Adam Getchell also wrote:

> I think that sending a huge electrical signal to fry the decker's
> brain could be easily stopped by a cutout, or fuse. A blatant attack
> like that also presumes that the decker is using electrical connections,
> when in fact it's a fiber-optic deck with barely any electricity involved

Ex-actly.

> No, it would have to be something subtle; programming the visual
> feed to give the decker epilepsy, or heart stoppage, or whatever.

I'm quite sure that this is the sort of thing that they intend. It's
the way it works in the William Gibson/Pat Cadigan/Walter Jon Williams
books that are the inspiration for killer ICE.

luke
Message no. 9
From: WRAITH <EUHL@*****.VINU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Sun, 6 Nov 1994 15:45:02 EST
Has anyone given thought to having a Decker
Assasin? Giving bonuses, or requiring certain
skills or programs especially for Stealth in the net?
That is, a Decker to kill other deckers? I read a good
comic---DOOM 2099 where there was a decker was
an assasin that killed other deckers. Anybody have any
information?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`WRAITH`~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I CAME HERE TO KICK ASS AND CHEW BUBBLE GUM,
AN I'M ALL OUT OF BUBBLE GUM!"

--THE GREAT ROWDY RODDY PIPER
Message no. 10
From: Firepower <DVANDERS@*****.VINU.EDU>
Subject: Re: Black ICE
Date: Mon, 7 Nov 1994 14:06:37 EST
Wraith writes on the Decker assassin>>>>>

Nice idea--but the attack program would have to be a pretty nasty
one. Has anyone tried to adapt the nasty Pseudo--AI "demon"
programs of Cyberpunk into Shadowrun? Those would make lethal
and almost eternal assassins in the matrix--the equivilant of the free
spirit to magic, roaming the matrix like the terminator.
<<< Chap with wings. Five rounds rapid, fire!!!!!>>>

Firepower

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Black ICE, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.

Thwap!