Message no. 1

From:	Vin <VESPOSIT@****.SUNYSB.EDU>
Subject:	What are deckers for
Date:	Wed, 12 May 1993 15:37:12 EDT

Well minotaur, speaking as an experienced decker, I'd have to say that
a decker's purpose is Information, Data, Information, Data, more Information,
more Data.


Most of the time, a decker will be looking for a specific "paydata" file,
or other datafiles that can give leads (Ie, scan a personnel file to find out
who was dr. x's last employer, then go over to that system, scan some more
personnel files to see what project he was on, then get the project files.)


A sedcondary purpose for deckers (in mid run) would be to run matrix
interference for a team, ie wait ten minutes then shut down the security camera
slave node, put false memos on someone's screen to get them out of the office
at a strategic moment etc...


Deckers will also do matrix runs to meet their decker contacts, who, as we
all know from personal experience need never show themselves in the real world.
(IE: the version of Dark Elf I use in my friend's campaign has a decker contact
named "Doctor Doom" (OK, so I borrowed the name) who only speaks to him on the
net. The two have probably run into each other but never knew it.)

Another function of decking is to track down physical/virtual locations.
IE: Big Jake is trailing a suspect. The suspect gets away, but drops a slip of
paper with an LTG# written on it. Dark Elf decks into that LTG address and
scans a few files to determine where the place is. Another example: The team
is hired to do a run on Fed Ex, Seattle office, but doesn't have the LTG#.
The team decker (me) has two choices, either go in and jack in on site, or
try to convince the LTG directory database to spit out an LTG# for Fed Ex.
The rules for the second example are in SRII Matrix section under the heading
"Hello Operator???"

Hope this helps

DE