HRogge Wrote:The Underspace existed in 2011, if only because a few AIs were out there, saying, "Internet security? What Internet security?!"robkelk Wrote:Ah, right... Replace "Roughriders" with "Ben and Gina" (and "Hacker Underspace" with "a coalition of Fen who would become the core of the Hacker Underspace"), then. Which makes more sense, IMHO - two people can't be everywhere, so there's no question that Fen involvement in the revolution was minimal.Thats might be how the Hacker Underspace started... just a group of people doing interesting stuff together and recognizing they were all interested in computer security... some just kept a loose connection, others met regularly to exchange some ideas and experience.
Most likely the Hacker Underspace in 2014 is a large and 'loose connected' group meeting around a core of known and capable members.
Until the Institute formally joins OBJ as a full participant in 2014, it has main offices in London, England, and Irving, Texas (a suburb of Dallas, approximately halfway between Dallas and Ft. Worth). A third office is opened in Alice Springs in 2012. All three offices shut down once the World Crime League's existence is confirmed. After that point, all Institute dealings are handled through Internet communication, or through the offices at Stellvia or Renny's (the "music recording/production facility" at Savage Memorial, which doubles as the Global Frequency main hub - this is NOT known to most Blazers, to say nothing of the rest of Fenspace).
Relationships between most nations and the Institute are neutral to friendly. The Blazers rapidly develop into a worldwide organization of volunteers and philanthropists, and by 2012, the Blaze is a common sight at disaster aid stations, charity events, and public hospitals and other similar facilities. It's hard to hate a group that shows up, brings fresh water and food supplies, and sticks around to help fix things. Only regimes that cause disasters have problems with them, because the Institute is all about information dissemination, using its own network of people. If there are Blazers in Libya (and there probably are), they're in with the rebels, serving as liaisons with the media and UN forces, as well as providing humanitarian aid.
Relationships with the US are a little frostier than you might expect, because the Institute has a tendency to solve problems without informing the government first. Also, there is a subpoena that the courts have been trying to serve to "Buckaroo Banzai" since he walked through the RIAA's collective music archives and copied everything he could find there. This colors the view of some parts of the American government towards the Institute as less than congenial.
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com
"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."