Ahh. Young snot, but you only know half the truth now don't you.. perhaps I can fill in the mysterious blanks as to why I used the internic loophole..
Last year, around the beginning of March, I started a club called the Black Lance HeadQuarters. I have the original files that have been dated at 3/5/99. It was a very small club, infact I was the only member. I wanted to create a club where members could do the same thing the fans of Star Trek do, to play the bad guys and have fun while doing it. Well, the Black Lance HeadQuarters was the answer to that. Their members would be role playing as Black Lance officers who had been recently re-admitted to the Terran Confederation. The site was heavily under construction when I put the project on the back burner due to time constraints.
It was around no earlier than June, that I met Kathryn (Kaye) “RamRod” Downing (KDown2045@aol.com) was, an Ex-Air Force/ Intelligence officer who had honest desire to create a Black Lance Squadron. Upon seeing her post in the Wing Commander CIC (http://www.wcnews.com) I emailed her and told her that I thought the idea for a BL Squadron was a good idea and if she needed any help, I would assist. In the beginning, I had only thought of this as a squadron for the much-rumored about Wing Commander Online that would take form as Privateer 3 Online. During my association with Kathryn, I preformed the entire web design and creative ideas for the squadron that later took form as the Black Lance HeadQuarters. The name in it self was my idea. If anyone doubts me, please direct your browsers to
http://blacklance.virtualave.net. After I created a crosswinds.net account, I found that it was unable to provide me with the services I needed. In looking for other hosters I came across Virtual Avenue, seeing as how they offered a smaller URL, I decided to sign up with them. Still, I was the only person doing the web work. Kathryn kept saying that she was doing the Awards program for the Black Lance HeadQuarters, however that did not come around until almost a year later. She also promised that there would be Black Lance Insignia pins/patches for all members who signed up. These still have yet to be developed or given out.
Still working alone on the site, I handled all the promotion and advertising for the Black Lance HeadQuarters. This was under the assumed name of Angelus "Genesis" Bullard (genesis15@softhome.net). This was also the same name I used when I contacted Kathryn in the early stages of development of the Black Lance Squadron. Many people including the head of #Wing-Commander can verify this. I was a little less than tactful in my advertising. At times it was just plain blatant. However what could I do? How was I to know the social graces in this sort of thing? I had just turned 16yrs old and was very energetic. I wanted nothing more than for my club to succeed.
Probably in the beginning part of July, that is when I finally got fed up with the free servers/hosters and begged Kathryn for a domain. I explained to her that if we got a domain, I could expand on the facilities of the club. She agreed and said that she would be a financial sponsor since she understood that I was unable to pay for it myself, or else I would have. I discussed numerous plans with her on how I could help pay for the domain through ad banner hosting. She continually stated that it was not necessary. She had the money and resources to pay for the domain, all she asked of me was that I make the designs and concepts as fresh and innovative as I could. Now that we had an idea on how we could get more visitors, next we had to come up with a domain name. Kathryn suggested blacklance.com, seeing as how she was new to the whole Internet experience I informed her that she would have to get a domain name which had not already been taken. Upon checking Network Solutions (http://www.networksolutions.com) I found that blacklance.com was already taken, trying blacklance.net unfortunately it was already taken. Starting to get aggravated, I began to put common sense and logic to good use. What was the Black Lance HeadQuarters? We were an organization who wanted to be loosely based on the Black Lance. Remembering that domain names must be kept short if they expect to get lots of visitors (after all how difficult is is to remember a long name or a long word?) I proposed blhq.com, blhq.net and blhq.org. Kathryn was rather insistent in wanting to keep the blacklance name, so I ran a run on which domain extentions did not have a blacklance address and found blacklance.org.
Now that we had established what our domain was going to be called, Kathryn told me that if I wanted the domain, I would do the work for it. By that she means I would have to do all the paper work and searching for a domain hoster who had exactly what I was looking for. I must have shifted through dozens of domain hosters. Not only was I trying to find what I wanted, but also find one that was inexpensive enough so not to break the bank with Kathryn. After all, I didn't know her financial resources and even though she said she would be my financial sponsor, taking total advantage of that hardly seemed fair. Well, I kept finding domain hosters and emailing proposals to Kathryn. Rejecting all but one, Ultra-Host.Net (http://www.ultra-host.net) we began to setup the domain. Our arrangement was simple, Kathryn would handle the costs of the domain hoster and the registration fee while still keeping me as the primary contact. When she registered with Network Solutions, she put my email address at the time (belenus@strategyplanet.com) down as the contact email, this was to reflect that it was a joint partnership. When a situation came up that affected the domain, I was the one that answered it. Ultra-Host can verify this if they keep email logs. If they do not, then I can also verify this as I am sort of a packrat and never throw away my old emails that I sent. By registering my email with Network Solutions, Kaye insured that nothing happened to the domain without my knowledge.
In July, the domain was finally setup and registered. I began to work on yet again another site design, this one I kept on a disk amd mailed to myself. It was dated and the files on it have not been touched however recently I began to add things to that disk. The original files are still there and unmodified. With a new design in mind, I uploaded to the domain and showed it to Kaye for approval. She approved and was very pleased with how I was progressing with the site. She told me that once she got the awards program up, I would be receiving numerous awards for as she called it "my meritous service to the Lance".
During my time with the Black Lance HeadQuarters, I felt that it would be good for the club if we created strategic alliances. I had talked with Kaye about this and she agreed. She asked me though if I knew any clubs that would accept the Black Lance in their timeline. I suggested a club called at the time The Wing Commander Nexxus (Now called the Space Command located at
http://www.wcspacecommand.com) which was being run at the time by Brandon "Scorpion" Stefanelli. I told Kaye that the Nexxus would be a good club for us to ally ourselves with as the Nexxus was beginning to grow in popularity. Kaye decided to contact Brandon and work on a deal to align the Black Lance HeadQuarters and Wing Commander Nexxus timelines. The alliance went through, I asked Kaye if it would be alright for the Black Lance HeadQuarters to host the Wing Commander Nexxus site since it would not only attract more visitors but also potential members. She agreed and I setup an FTP account for the Wing Commander Nexxus site. The Wing Commander Nexxus moved from its old address at
http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Galaxy/8343/Nexxus.html to the blacklance domain at
http://blacklance.org/WCN/.
Realizing that I was going to be working in very close ties with Brandon, I told Kaye about an incident which had happened in Brandon’s and my past so if there were ever any disagreements that it was explained. In the past, I was was once known at Nickolas “NightStalker” Knight (NightStalker5@netscape.net). I had gotten into several Flame Wars (conversations which get into heated arguments usually involves swearing and derogatory remarks toward others) on the Wing Commander Ace’s (http://acenet.simplenet.com) Message Board. At that time, I was relatively new to the internet and the Wing Commander Community. I had made a vital mistake on their boards. I defended the Black Lance saying that they could be reformed if they were given a chance. Needless to say I paid the price for it. Then Brandon approached me about creating a new club where members would be treated with the dignity and respect they deserve. So working along with Brandon and another member named Kyle “WolfPack/WhiteWolf” Arvanites, I agreed and began to work on what I had termed “Wing Commander Nexus” since I had envisioned the club to be a central point or nexus for other clubs, sites, and databases. I did the original pages for the site, however I had just stared designing web pages so the designs were horrible. Brandon graciously redid the site and began to add things to it. He added a database, and other neat little features while I just sat in the background and watched as the Nexus began to take to life. Kyle also did little work with the site, yet both of us were kept on the administration because we technically considered founding fathers. However it was Brandon who really deserved all the credit for the site. In early November ’98, My internet access was cut off because my parents decided to cancel it. Their reasoning was that I was spending too much time on it at home and neglecting my chores and other household duties. However, before it was terminated, I told Brandon that my twin brother (whom I had called Frank “Seether” Knight) was caught uploading a virus to some unknown network. This was and has always been totally false, I merely said this to try and make myself look like a tough guy. He understood, and said that he would try and get my service reconnected. I told him it was not necessary. Even though my internet access had been cut off, I still had access through a Unix server through a University (my parents were still working on their Master’s Degrees) so I managed to keep up with the Nexus activities. However I had learned that Brandon had removed all references to Nickolas “NightStalker” from the site and taken me off the administration. Outraged I confronted him on it, he told me that I was not being productive and had nothing to do with the current site, thus I could not call myself an administrator. Still angry, I went into a furious rage, started posted message on the Nexus message boards in all caps (the internet equivalent of shouting) and saying that I had been stripped of my right. I had also gotten into a heated argument with Brandon’s wife Chantelle “NightMare” Stefanelli, I had said some things that I now regret and know that I should not have said. Needless to say as a result, Nickolas “NightStalker” Knight was removed from the Wing Commander Nexus club. Shortly after my removal as Nick, I took some time off and cooled off. Fully refreshed and under control, I rejoined the Nexxus under the name Jamie “FireFly” Wilkinson (efsdatabase@juno.com). A mistake I had made was that when I was in the Nexus as NightStalker, I had used that email address when I posted messages. So I was promptly interrogated by Chantelle, who was the Nexxus personnel manager at that time, I had convinced her that I was not NightStalker and that he was someone whom I went to school with and was collaborating with on a web site. She then told me that he had been abusing the email address (efsdatabase@Juno.com) and suggested that I change the password. I listened to the advice, and responded with an acknowledgement. A week or two later, I posted my final message as NightStalker saying that it was totally unfair that Jamie had changed the password and removed him off the administration of the other site I was developing. It was the last time I ever dawned the mask of Nickolas “KnightStalker” Knight.
After having told Kaye this, she arranged a meeting with Brandon, her and myself in an IRC chat room. I arrived first and she told me that I was to tell Brandon what I told her. I was not sure if I should since I knew it would mean my almost immediate expulsion from the Nexxus (NightStalker had been banned for life from the club). She told me that if the clubs were going to coexist there must not be any resentment between the administrations. Reluctantly I agreed and told Brandon everything I told Kaye, needless to say, he was very angry with me. Though he did not expel me from the Nexxus, both Kaye and Brandon kept me under tight watch. Neither of them trusted me anymore, however neither would expel me from their clubs because it was in the past. Then one night, while the Nexxus/Black Lance HeadQuarters was having a joint RPG session, the entire session suddenly spiraled out of control. All parties involved played some small part in the total degradation of session that night. Afterwards, Kaye spoke to me on ICQ and told me that I was no longer welcome in the Black Lance HeadQuarters, that the responsibility of the failed session was totally my fault and no one else’s. Quickly I scrambled to the domain, highlighted all the files in the domain, messaged Kaye and told her that if I was going I would take everything with me. She told me to get my stuff and get out. So I deleted the entire domain. Clearing out all the files on the domain, I had thought I removed all traces of my presence.
Angry I went to Brandon to talk about what had happened, perhaps he could help Kaye to regain her senses. That was not the case. He had become Kaye’s new chosen one. The new webmaster of the Black Lance and he managed to replace the site. I have no doubt that he had used the existing sites (http://www2.crosswinds.net/~blacklancerpg, and
http://blacklance.virtualave.net) as references to get the current member list and other information. Aggravated at how quickly I was replaced, I was kicked from the Nexxus. I was supposed to be court-martialed in Nexxus club story, however that chapter was never written. As Kaye and Brandon began to work closer and closer, while visiting the Black Lance HeadQuarters (I have a tendency to keep tabs on sites/concepts that I create) I had noticed a special news alert for all members of the Wing Commander Community. Interested I clicked on it, and found that it was a public disclaimer stating that I was a menace to the Internet community. According to Kaye, I was distributing WAREZ (illegal copies of full version programs) from the domain, a notorious spammer, and that I was not to be trusted or communicated with by anyone. To make matters worse, there was a photograph of me in real life on that site. Earlier in my association with Kaye, I had given her a picture since I felt that it would create a more relaxed relationship. Outraged, I contacted Ultra-Host and told them that my picture was being displayed without my permission. I also made sure that they realized that since I am a minor, pictures of me cannot under any circumstances be displayed on the internet in public view. It is considered a violation of privacy and who knows how many freaks/weirdoes/pedophiles saw my picture while it was displayed on that site. Barb removed the picture but the information was still there. All were blatant lies regarding me. There was even a supposed email that I had written as NightStalker to a Phil “Avenging Angel” Chapell, the leader of the Terran Confederation Fleet Command (http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/dark/139/) and the TCS Alabama (http://www.geocities.com/TimesSquare/Labyrinth/3789/) both of which were other clubs Kaye wanted to host. It appeared that someone had hacked my hotmail account that I also had as NightStalker (NightStalker18@hotmail.com) The only two people who had access to that account was Brandon (I gave him access to try and eliminate all traces of NightStalker from the internet). Little did I know that not only had he changed the password, but either he or another person, who had been under orders by Kaye to make sure I didn’t get back into the Black Lance HeadQuarters under any circumstances by using whatever means were necessary, named Kobalt (also known as Gorbag). One of those two had sent that email. To this day I do not know who sent that email as the IP address contained within could have been traced and the culprit found. While Kaye and Brandon became close friends, I began to develop a friendship with Nolan “SpaceEagle” Barnett who had actually listened to what I had to say and what had taken place. He even tried to get Kaye to let me back in. He held a conference with Brandon, myself, Kaye, and serveral others, there he told everyone that what happened before was because no one was thinking or being logical, it was a spur of the moment action. One that he felt needed to be reconsidered. Kaye would not even reconsider, she said that she would not let me back into the Black Lance HeadQuarters under any circumstances, as it was not his club anymore. Kaye also stated that I was calling her house and threatening her. This outrageous lie damaged my reputation and standings with people everywhere. However this was all it was, a lie. I protested that accusation and told her that if necessary I will provide my phone records for that timeframe to collaborate it. She would not listen to reason and obtain her phone records.
After that little encounter, I dropped off into the background all the while gaining knowledge about copyright laws and how they applied. I spent that time trying to figure out ways that I could either get back into the Black Lance HeadQuarters or remove Kaye from it. Finally I had noticed that Kaye and Brandon were having an argument or were at odds with each other. This was about December ’99, I saw that Brandon got a domain of his own for the Nexxus (now renamed to Wing Commander Space Command) and that they would be leaving the blacklance.org hosting and the alliance with the Black Lance HeadQuarters. Curious I went to the new domain and looked around, figuring I would take a chance, I emailed Brandon and told him that I thought the site looked nice, and that I was pleased to see that the original hopes I had for the Nexus were finally being realized. He responded, thanking me for my email and opinions, but also to tell me that if I wanted to come back into the Space Command, that he would not have any problems with it. Of course, I had to change my name, which is where Daniel “WildFire” Schwager came in. Brandon told me that I would have to take an assumed name because of all the controversy surrounding mine. So I managed to enter the Space Command, where I helped the club and was an active member. Later, I started talking with Brandon about what had happened and why he was no longer part of the Administration of the BLH, he said that I was right about Kaye. She had manipulated him into making a professionally designed site and then when he gets his own domain, totally flips out. Before I had faded into the background, I told Brandon that if he continued his association with Kaye, it would ruin him. Once he was removed, he was struggling to get all his files taken off their server. Apparently his web design company had been hosted under the BLH server and with Brandon being locked out (as Kaye’s new Web Junkie named Tyler “TC” Smith took his place) of the domain, he was unable to take his files off the server. Now, he complained to Ultra-Host who stated that they were not going to get involved in this little war. It was not until he made it clear that if nothing was done that he would be taking Kaye and Ultra-Host to court.
Barbara finally respected his wishes and removed the Cyber Imaginations folder form the BLH domain. However the original pages that Brandon did were still there. Continuing his fight, Brandon said that it was fine if they removed his name from the coding and edited the pages a little bit so that they were no longer considered his. The design you saw when you visited the Blacklance.org domain is the result of that compromise.
As the battle between the Space Command and BLH continued, the only people really making an offensive strike against the Space Command was the BLH. Their resident hacker (Kobalt) had broken into my computer and hacked it without my knowledge, it wasn’t until much later that I learned I had been attacked. He is also suspected of causing damage to Brandon’s computer that resulted in a total system failure. That which was not backed up on Zip Disk was lost. Kobalt had also threatened to hack and terminate another member of the Black Lance HeadQuarter’s computer. This person was named Nick “FireBall” Peelman. Afraid for his computer and Internet safety he left the BLH and sent an email stating why he would never be returning to the BLH and also the reasons for his departure. This was a club email sent to every person in the Black Lance HeadQuarters. Nick was also an Administrator on the Space Command so it is understandable that he was considered a target. Kaye finally began to see some sort of reason and removed Kobalt from the BLH, a couple months later though he returned, though he is not an active member now.
I had all but given up hope of reclaiming that, which was originally mine until one day very recently I received an email from Network Solutions. It appears that I was the only person who could authorize a change in the domain registrar information. Finally taking the opportunity I had been given, I changed the registrar information so that Kaye would no longer be charged for the BlackLance.org domain. It is now in my name and thus I will be the one billed for it. I transferred the domain over to a free server until such time as I can stack it off my other domain. Kaye still retains her account with Ultra-Host since she did pay for it. I am prepared to pay Kaye a pro-rated sum of money for the domain registration time left on the domain name. She had the domain for one year, which out of the $70.00 she paid initially, I would compensate her $35.00 for the remaining year.
My reason for taking the domain and not just setting up shop with the Black Lance HeadQuarters somewhere else is simple. The domain has become a symbol of the Black Lance HeadQuarters. As that symbol it is legally mine under Article 17. As a symbol, if I setup the Black Lance HeadQuarters somewhere else, then it would raise issues in terms of which is the real site? Which should I go with? The one with their own domain or the one with a large URL being hosted off a free server.
The Black Lance HeadQuarters displayed under Kaye’s name is called a derivative work.
‘A ''derivative work'' is a work based upon one or more preexisting works, such as a translation, musical arrangement, dramatization, fictionalization, motion picture version, sound recording, art reproduction, abridgment, condensation, or any other form in which a work may be recast, transformed, or adapted. A work consisting of editorial revisions, annotations, elaborations, or other modifications which, as a whole, represent an original work of authorship, is a ''derivative work''.’ (US Code: Title 17 Chapter 1 Section 101)
It is through this that we cannot have two Microsoft Companies, under two totally different corporations. The Black Lance HeadQuarters for all intents and purposes is an organization. Which means that while you cannot copyright names, you can trademark them. I am currently in the process of trademarking the Black Lance HeadQuarters name to prevent further violations in the future.
The whole setup of the Black Lance HeadQuarters was designed, implemented and subsequently stolen from me. Regardless of what happens, I am never going to give up my fight to reclaim what was originally mine. No one has the right to have items stolen from them. As an artist or creator, I am sure you can understand my feelings. Would you go up to a Sculptor and take credit for his sculpture and not expect him to get angry and infuriated? This is the same situation with the Black Lance HeadQuarters. I am the sculptor, the Black Lance HeadQuarters is the sculpture and Kaye is taking credit for my hard work.
As much as I love giving this little history less, this is neither here nor there. Simple fact is that ALL of us were Guilty. Even you oh large one are just as guilty as I. Frankly we all at one point or another has played a part in this. Now, we can either
start to play nice or totally watch this community go down the crapper. Personally, I like this community. Sure some of the people here are asses, but it is perhaps one of hte most real communities I have seen. Would be a shame to continue to watch it degrade.
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In the darkness of night, One single creature lights up the sky.
Founder of the
Lancer Games
Captain of the TCS-Nemesis
