Why do (BIG) cracking groups crack?

Always wanted to know this? Is it just for the status within cracking community? Or is it everlasting search for knowledge? Is there any money in it?

P.S. I would like serious discussion with no flame. Replies from experienced users are more then welcome!

[SystemeD]

I agree!
Someone could think this is a stupid question but I really wonder why all this people do all this work.
Some days ago I read a new guide to cracking (about .NET application) and in the beginning the author talked about the "SCENE". Well, he said that in the past, to be a good cracker meant have access to ftp sites with cracked apps, games and so on, but now with p2p everyone can get everything without any problem.
This was the past but now?
Regards,
SystemeD

am not acusing anyone ;-) but yeah, there is money involve in a way...

[peleon]

Well, I dont really know the answer. I guess that each group/cracker can have their own interest in continue cracking:

1) Maybe money involved

2) Maybe learning purposes

3) Maybe it's a way to feel important in life, saying that you can crack this and that.

4) Maybe an obsesion to annoy a big company/someone

5) many others...

[D-Jester]

Money...maybe, two job offers I have seen in the last 6 months:

http://www.exetools.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6057

http://www.woodmann.com/forum/showthread.php?t=6865

Of course knowledge must be the most important answer, thus was the goal of the grandfather of Win32 reversing +ORC

1) Maybe money involved<<<<<<I guess that those astalavista related sites could tell lots of things about this.

2) Maybe learning purposes <<<<< there's no need to spred ready made cracks only for learning purposes. That could have sense if those shareware apps had different "protections"...but that's not the real case..

3) Maybe it's a way to feel important in life, saying that you can crack this and that. <<<<<<< if you don't show it...it's like you hadn't done it.....

4) Maybe an obsesion to annoy a big company/someone <<<<so...what's the sense in spreading cracks of programs from little companies or simple programmers working individually.

5) many others... <<<<<sure.......i guess there are so many answers as people inside exetools forums......everyone has his reason....and i guess taking it as a private individual hobby challenge is a good reason...hurting nobody.

You are missing one more reason.
Fame. Somebody do it for fame.
I don't know exactly, but big groups continue to work to maintain their fame.

[atzplzw]

For REAL scene groups I think money is not a factor. Many groups do have a "f... p2p & public" statement in there nfo.
In my opinion it's all about the fame. Every group thinks they are the best. "Jiipp! We've done 100 rls'es" sounds familiar, right?!


@SystemeD: Some things never change.

for me only one thing make me continue cracking....to pass time....

[aldente]

I think the answer is the same as the answer to the question, why there's freeware.

Both, freeware programmers and reverse engineers, have neither a wife nor a real life, and mostly they don't even have a job, so they waste their time by trying to imitate real software and publishing the result as 'theirs', or they waste it by defeating hard protections and tricking those people on the 'other side': police, private investigators and software developers. Crackers are usually the much more skilled programmers, freeware developers just implement their 'great' ideas nobody is interested in exotic programming languages and most likely on operating systems nobody uses (e.g. Shitnix), which only 'advantage' is, that they are 'open'.

This is my chess. It is stimulating, interesting, challenging, relaxing after a hard days work, has infinite possibilities and of course there is nothing like the satisfaction of 'winning'. :-)

I was interested in the scene back in the C=64 days, but 20 years on, all my work is just for the fun of it.

Real scene groups dont involve money, if they did they would be banned quickly.

Originally Posted by Big_or_what

I think the answer is the same as the answer to the question, why there's freeware.

Both, freeware programmers and reverse engineers, have neither a wife nor a real life, and mostly they don't even have a job, so they waste their time by trying to imitate real software and publishing the result as 'theirs', or they waste it by defeating hard protections and tricking those people on the 'other side': police, private investigators and software developers. Crackers are usually the much more skilled programmers, freeware developers just implement their 'great' ideas nobody is interested in exotic programming languages and most likely on operating systems nobody uses (e.g. Shitnix), which only 'advantage' is, that they are 'open'.

what a senseless & stupid statement!!!

Originally Posted by Danzig

This is my chess. It is stimulating, interesting, challenging, relaxing after a hard days work, has infinite possibilities and of course there is nothing like the satisfaction of 'winning'. :-)

I was interested in the scene back in the C=64 days, but 20 years on, all my work is just for the fun of it.

wow, that's so on the money it's scary

as far as 'big' groups, who knows, but my guess would be somewhat similar to what Danzig has posted here.

[WhoCares]

without the work of cracking groups or individuals, there is almost nothing to get from P2P.

Originally Posted by SystemeD

but now with p2p everyone can get everything without any problem.