Interview
Handle: Kontrasoft
How did you come up with your alias ?
There are three reasons for my alias:
1. Kontra is the german expression for contra (or against), so Kontrasoft means something like 'working contra software companies and their stupid copy-protections'.
2. Kontra has a special meaning in the popular german cardgame 'Skat'.
3. There was a supermarket with the name Kontra in my neighbourhood.
City / Country:
I live in Eschweiler, a small city near Aachen, Germany.
Born year:
1966
What was your first computer, and when did you get it?
My first computer was the legendary Commodore 3032. At school, we used some programmable pocket calculators like the TI57 und TI59 from Texas Instruments. After some time, somebody told my that there also was a 'real' computer at school: the Commodore 3008. I got really excited about the facilities the computer had compared to the TI, so I started to program this machine. In 1982, my parents bought the Commodore 3032 as a X-Mas gift for me. Some years later I bought a C64, and in 1986, I had my first Amiga, the best computer ever! In 1995, I started working on a PC :-(
How did you get into the scene and what groups have you been a member of ?
When I started cracking on the 3032 and C64, I did it together with an old friend but we never joined a group. Later on Amiga, I did some cracks for Dynamic Systems, World of Wonders and the group that was built after World of Wonders stopped their activities (Paranoimia -Ed), but I dont't remember the name. But essentially, I did it for me and myself.
For what specific reason(s) do you think that you are remembered ?
I'm not sure if a cracker should be remembered, but to answer your question: Perhaps the Amiga1000-fix for Elite which was (as far as I know) one of first fixes ever (it made Elite run on the Amiga1000). I also did some really hard 100%-working cracks like Dungeon Master and Carrier Command (both Amiga) and Profi Pascal (C64) whereat the other cracking groups failed.
What would you like to be remembered for ?
Have a look at the last answer :-)
What made you stop the scene activity ? (and do you remember when?)
After many years, I was a little bit bored. When I started programming and cracking, I found a lot of friends, but after some years, the scene became too commercial, there was no friendship anymore, but a lot of incompetent people who only wanted to earn money and become famous. Another reason was that the quality of the cracks decreased: everybody wanted to be the first to release a new crack, but the cracks didn't work.
Thinking back on the good old days, is there anything you regret?
Nothing. I found many good friends and had a lot of fun.
What was your favorite
GAME(S)
On Commodore 3032: Defender, Scramble, Lady Bug and some small games I wrote together with some friends.
On C64: Elite, summer and winter games, a lot of shoot-em-ups and jump'n'runs (sorry, I don't remember the names)
On Amiga: look at C64 ;-) and Dynablaster, Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge, some Lucas Arts adventures
On PC: Doom, Duke Nukem, Rayman
DEMO(S)
I have never been interested in demos.
CRACKER(S) (OR CRACKING GROUP(S))
There were really good groups like Antiram, Crackman, Unit A, Quartex, Star Frontiers, FLT, TRSI, Radwar and a lot of more.
COMPOSER(S)
I really liked Martin Galway and Rob Hubbard on C64 and Chris Huelsbeck an Amiga.
BEST COMPOSED TRACK(S)
Commando, Monty On Run, Parallax, Turrican II
EVENT(S) (E.G. COPYPARTY)
I didnt't like copyparties.
DRINK ?
Mineral water :-)
What are you doing nowadays ?
I'm working as a software engineer on RADAR simulations.
What are you doing on your spare time?
I spent a lot of time on sports, music and something else I can't explain here. And of course, I'm a big football (I think you call it soccer) fan.
Is there anything you'd like to say to the public (read: admires)
Buy original software and support the software companies: a program worth using is a program worth buying! And to all football fans in Germany: Support Alemannia Aachen!!!
What is the meaning of life?
Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll? I don't know...