comStar Firewall alert - PhaseThrough

the idiot’s Guide to the Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
44
and most of the time your OS pushes them to the
edge of your view, but they can get annoying. You’ll
only encounter extreme spam in heavily-trafficked
areas (both in real life and the Matrix). Trust me,
you don’t want to buy anything from a spammer, so
just let them open, do their thing, and close again.
You don’t actually need to see all this wild bedlam,
so this would be a good time to start playing
with your filters. Look for a funnel or sieve icon, or
the “filter” kanji (if you’re using DNI like I told you
not to, you’ll need to think it; it might take you a
few tries). Select (or think) “Remove Traffic” from
the menu that pops up. That should calm things
down a bit in the virtual view window. Now your
commlink has stopped rendering network traffic.
It’s still there, but you don’t sense it any more. You
can be as selective as you like with your filter, and
even “fly blind” by filtering out everything but the
scenery. Try out some different settings; you can
fine-tune it later.
If you’re done playing around with the MSP’s
node and your filters, look around for the regional
link. It usually is sculpted in the form of a globe
or a map. Use your Analyze program if you’re having
trouble sorting out which icons do what. Now
touch the map and activate the regional view. Yow!
An even bigger list of nodes has popped up! This
is all of the nodes that the MSP is aware of, and
that’s usually in a big area. You can go to any of
these nodes you like, although you’ll only be able
to get into the public areas (and most of those just
say “go away” or a variation thereof ). Later on, you
can bookmark or fave nodes that you like, so you
can just go straight there instead of hunting for it.
If you want to get into a node properly, and
not just its public areas, you’ll need an account on that
node. Then you’ll be able to get inside the node and use whatever
the owners allow you to use.
> For those who are less than Matrix-savvy, when we’re hacking a
node, we’re creating an account for our own use. The more access
this hacked account has, the harder it is to create.
> The Smiling Bandit
Let’s try a public library. Open a search box and find one.
Then go to it and sign up for an account. It will access your SIN
information and get you hooked up.
Check out how the virtual view of the node changes when
you get your account. You’re on the inside, baby! You can check
out books and videos and stuff later, but first notice how big the
place is. It’s actually bigger, but there’s stuff here you can’t see.
Just like stores and things have back rooms, nodes have private
areas that you can’t even see without a higher-level account. In
fact, there are probably icons for things you can’t access floating
around right now. Don’t worry, if your ‘link can’t detect it, it can’t
interact with you, either.
Okay, that’s your training flight. Go play around or buzz your
friends’ home nodes or something. Don’t be afraid to try things, a
node won’t let you do anything it doesn’t want you to do. When
you’re ready to find out more about the Matrix, keep reading.
face tiMe
Now that you’re loaded up and running some progs on your
‘link, let’s get out into the wide world of wireless. The Matrix is a
big place, so you’ll not only be able to keep in touch with your current
friends, but make new ones around the world. It’s not all fun
and games, though; there are some freaks and dangers out there,
but if you follow my lead and surf smart, you’ll be able to use the
Matrix before it uses you.
You’ve got the Look
You get to decide how people see you in both AR and VR.
The technical term for what people see when they look at you in
the Matrix is “icon,” but a lot of people call it your avatar. There
are literally thousands of icons available from stores, “off-the-rack”
as it’s called in the Matrix. You can get pretty much any one you
want, and all of them come with customizable detailing.
If you really want to stand out, though, you use a custom
icon. Custom icons are hella expensive, but totally wicked, and
guaranteed to be unique. If you’ve got an artistic bent, you can
make your own icon, too, but you’ll need a good Edit-class pro-
Unwired
Simon Wentworth (order #1132857) 9