UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

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nbd
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by nbd »

viper1701 wrote:
I couldn't find it. Kind of a tease. "There's an update about that thing you're waiting for but you can't read it." Oh well.
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Gara
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Gara »

http://ultrahdmi.retroactive.be/installer_purchase/
That was an annoyingly hard to find link.
Jan 2021

What year is it?

New batch is almost here!

First of all, I want to apologize for not updating more in 2020 - crazy year. People are rightfully frustrated both at myself, and the world supply chain was/is a mess.
The truth was that I hoped to update when there was finally something to sell again. After COVID delayed board fab for nearly 6 months, the plan was to use that time and add some more features I'd been thinking of.

Getting personal, I have to be honest and say that after almost 15 years of being an enthusiast in the N64 scene and doing all sorts of neat stuff -- the burnout is very real. One might see it unthinkable to leave money on the table, but that's not what kept me going. Anyone who's turned a hobby into a job can relate. At the same time I've been going all-in on a product at work, putting everything I've learned into it - one that you may have heard of and can hopefully check out soon.
Anyway, in December I decided to just get UltraHDMI HW2 shipping for now, with the firmware additions coming in the meantime. Took out chunk of savings and got the fab cranking away. Because of recent events I'm updating this sooner than expected.

Ultimately I am one man. The retro scene has been getting much, much bigger recently, which is why I'm glad I won't be the only proverbial Gabe Newell getting asked about HL3 :). I want to congratulate Dan (cool guy, met him at MGC) - hope we can both continue to push the level of technical excellence (and maybe in availability too ;) There are going to be a lot of cool things coming out this year, and it's never been a better time to be into retro games - especially my favorite, N64.

Kit production will continue into the forseeable future. I am aware of the group buy, which has already started shipping, and everyone that wants one will be able to get one. It won't be a 3080 (hey, I tried too). Bootstrapping enough funds to start new batches was always a problem before but it's less so now. I will also be going through emails as physically able.

Thank you for reading this.

Marshall
Last edited by Gara on Tue Feb 02, 2021 3:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Ichinisan
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Ichinisan »

[2021-02-01]

I've contacted Dan Kunz and we will look into the possibility of offering group-buy participants the option to switch to N64Digital.

The first tracking number finally shows acceptance by USPS:

Image


Marshall clarified that the package contains 80 UltraHDMI HW2 kits and 40 DACs.

Then he provided another tracking number for a second package, which will contain 150 UltraHDMI units and 75 DACs:

Image


That's total 230 UltraHDMI HW2 units and 115 DACs. Marshall said the DACs are $20 each and "we'll square up later." Now that I have a final unit price for the DAC I will contact the earliest group-buy participants to offer the DAC.

Refunded $205 to Pink Embers.

More refunds to come soon as I figure out the options I can offer for N64Digital. I'm really excited that soon people will be able to get what they have wanted for so long, plentiful and affordable!
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Socalju
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Socalju »

Refund please. And I’d like my N64 returned as well. You have all my info. Thanks!
MRKane
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by MRKane »

@Ichinisan: I'd like to thank you for your dedication with all of this from the UltraHDMI through to the new N64Digital, and the long drawn out process I know it's been!
nbd
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by nbd »

That's awesome they're finally shipping, but 230 Units barely clears the first 100 orders on the list. There are still some large reseller orders high up in the queue. Hope there are hundreds of more units coming after this initial batch.
viper1701
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by viper1701 »

Ichinisan wrote:[2021-02-01]

I've contacted Dan Kunz and we will look into the possibility of offering group-buy participants the option to switch to N64Digital.

Refunded $205 to Pink Embers.
Dan informed me yesterday that Chriz would handle the distribution for Continental Europe directly from Germany so it makes even less sense for us European to take part in a US based group-buy.

I have asked for a refund of 6 of the 10 Ultra HDMI I had ordered. Sent you an email on Day 1 of the announcement. It would be really reassuring to get some news .

Personally @Ichinisan, I absolutely do think you're a decent guy and a collateral victim of Marshall's legendary unreliability. I hope you've managed this money smartly because it would be unfair for you to sink with this boat. But it's time to act swiftly because a lot of people are getting (understandably) nervous.
ifightdragons
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by ifightdragons »

Gara wrote:http://ultrahdmi.retroactive.be/installer_purchase/
That was an annoyingly hard to find link.
Jan 2021

What year is it?

New batch is almost here!

First of all, I want to apologize for not updating more in 2020 - crazy year. People are rightfully frustrated both at myself, and the world supply chain was/is a mess.
The truth was that I hoped to update when there was finally something to sell again. After COVID delayed board fab for nearly 6 months, the plan was to use that time and add some more features I'd been thinking of.

Getting personal, I have to be honest and say that after almost 15 years of being an enthusiast in the N64 scene and doing all sorts of neat stuff -- the burnout is very real. One might see it unthinkable to leave money on the table, but that's not what kept me going. Anyone who's turned a hobby into a job can relate. At the same time I've been going all-in on a product at work, putting everything I've learned into it - one that you may have heard of and can hopefully check out soon.
Anyway, in December I decided to just get UltraHDMI HW2 shipping for now, with the firmware additions coming in the meantime. Took out chunk of savings and got the fab cranking away. Because of recent events I'm updating this sooner than expected.

Ultimately I am one man. The retro scene has been getting much, much bigger recently, which is why I'm glad I won't be the only proverbial Gabe Newell getting asked about HL3 :). I want to congratulate Dan (cool guy, met him at MGC) - hope we can both continue to push the level of technical excellence (and maybe in availability too ;) There are going to be a lot of cool things coming out this year, and it's never been a better time to be into retro games - especially my favorite, N64.

Kit production will continue into the forseeable future. I am aware of the group buy, which has already started shipping, and everyone that wants one will be able to get one. It won't be a 3080 (hey, I tried too). Bootstrapping enough funds to start new batches was always a problem before but it's less so now. I will also be going through emails as physically able.

Thank you for reading this.

Marshall
Good job on finding the post.

Why, in the name of all the gods, does he hide such an update, and specify that it's only for installers?

If he had any sense, he'd make this a public post, through whatever channel he'd prefer.
Even his firmware updates are painfully hidden, and not readily available through normal browsing on his website.

I'm out. Not supporting his shenanigans anymore. In the future, all my support will go to more transparent projects, like the Digital guys over at Pixel FX.
Uzumaki
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Uzumaki »

[mention]Ichinisan [/mention] Are you removing people from the buy list that request refunds? In other words is my number in the spreadsheet accurate to my place in line? (Minus the first few rows)


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viper1701
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by viper1701 »

Uzumaki wrote:Ichinisan Are you removing people from the buy list that request refunds? In other words is my number in the spreadsheet accurate to my place in line? (Minus the first few rows)

Pretty sure nobody got a refund at this point.

Anyone getting one, please inform others on this thread.
Wirewizard
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Wirewizard »

I've emailed James and just advised I'd like the swap if he makes the deal for the n64digital or I'll add the extra addon DAC (which I didn't order at the start) so it's a similar product. I've only been on the list since June/July time last year, so the wait hasn't been so much for me.

I can understand the frustrations of all parties involved though, especially if you've been waiting since 2019 :o
viper1701
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by viper1701 »

Small update to say I got the requested refund from Ichinisan. Thanks and sorry you find yourself in the middle of this terrible situation.

I'm still in for 4 boards, so I'm not going anywhere.
Cirdan
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Cirdan »

viper1701 wrote:Small update to say I got the requested refund from Ichinisan. Thanks and sorry you find yourself in the middle of this terrible situation.

I'm still in for 4 boards, so I'm not going anywhere.
Still waiting for my refund - mailed Ichinisan on january 30th
immediately after the twitter post. Did you contacted hin via pm or e-mail ?
viper1701
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by viper1701 »

Cirdan wrote: Still waiting for my refund - mailed Ichinisan on january 30th
immediately after the twitter post. Did you contacted hin via pm or e-mail ?
Mail and calling for him here through my messages.
cook99
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Joined: Sat May 13, 2017 11:03 am

Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by cook99 »

I requested refund early hours of 31 Jan for 2 units via email.
Figured the refund requests would be a little slow with inevitable volume coming through.
Don't blame James at all, unlucky to get stuck in middle and hope everything works out for him.
devsfan1830
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by devsfan1830 »

Given the news of the N64DIGITAL I have emailed to request that my single order be either held to be swapped with a N64DIGITAL should a deal be struck. If not, a refund. I have three of Dans other products all released and bought while waiting for Marshall to get things together. So I've just had it. Id rather my money go to Dan.
Cirdan
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Cirdan »

Update: received my refund, thx Ichinisan for everything :)
Magician
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Magician »

viper1701 wrote:
Uzumaki wrote:Ichinisan Are you removing people from the buy list that request refunds? In other words is my number in the spreadsheet accurate to my place in line? (Minus the first few rows)

Pretty sure nobody got a refund at this point.

Anyone getting one, please inform others on this thread.
requested a refund. no response yet. been on the list for a year and half...
TrainerDLYellow
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by TrainerDLYellow »

Gara wrote:http://ultrahdmi.retroactive.be/installer_purchase/
That was an annoyingly hard to find link.

Getting personal... the burnout is very real...One might see it unthinkable to leave money on the table, but that's not what kept me going.
Anyway, in December I decided to just get UltraHDMI HW2 shipping for now...Because of recent events I'm updating this sooner than expected.

Kit production will continue into the forseeable future....

Thank you for reading this.

Marshall
"...recent events..."

L.O.L. Does Marshall really think we can't read between the lines? He was going to take his sweet-ass time, until Pixel FX lit a fire under said ass. Now that the prospect of losing all that money on the table has become undeniably real does he get his act together.

Just remember folks, the man that wasn't motivated by money only ships product after a competitor emerges. ANNNNND, will continue to do so for the foreseeable future? To quote a famous video game nerd, "My. Ass!"
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ZethRyder
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by ZethRyder »

I honestly feel with Marshall's loss of interest with the UltraHDMI and N64 stuff in general, I definitely would like a refund. I've sent an email to Ichinisan and hopefully hear from him soon. I can imagine he's bombarded with emails from everyone. I don't blame Ichinisan one bit during this whole thing as he was pretty transparent about everything. It just sucks its had to end up like this. I feel Marshall really dropped the ball.
realZenō
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by realZenō »

I’d be interested in switching to the N64 digital.
Ichinisan wrote:[2021-02-01]

I've contacted Dan Kunz and we will look into the possibility of offering group-buy participants the option to switch to N64Digital.

The first tracking number finally shows acceptance by USPS:

Image


Marshall clarified that the package contains 80 UltraHDMI HW2 kits and 40 DACs.

Then he provided another tracking number for a second package, which will contain 150 UltraHDMI units and 75 DACs:

Image


That's total 230 UltraHDMI HW2 units and 115 DACs. Marshall said the DACs are $20 each and "we'll square up later." Now that I have a final unit price for the DAC I will contact the earliest group-buy participants to offer the DAC.

Refunded $205 to Pink Embers.

More refunds to come soon as I figure out the options I can offer for N64Digital. I'm really excited that soon people will be able to get what they have wanted for so long, plentiful and affordable!
Elrinth
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Elrinth »

If I'm not among the first ones getting one, I think I'm gonna refund aswell. I've been on the list since 2018, tho didn't actually send payment until 2019 summer. Pretty high up on the list, but maybe there were certain customers being prioritized?
bahamutfan64
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by bahamutfan64 »

I sent my refund request by email on Jan 30th and no response yet. Hopefully he's just working his way down the list, as I originally signed up around Oct/Nov.
hushed
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by hushed »

Elrinth wrote:If I'm not among the first ones getting one, I think I'm gonna refund aswell. I've been on the list since 2018, tho didn't actually send payment until 2019 summer. Pretty high up on the list, but maybe there were certain customers being prioritized?
Round 7 opened on 4/1/19. Assuming you are the same Elrinth at place 32 on the list, you paid on 6/3/19. Based on the quantities, you should be in the first round of boards. They are prioritizing people based on the order in which they paid. Your 2018 date doesn't mean anything as I understand it.
leonk
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by leonk »

Just wanted to let people know that that I was #3 on the list with 3 kits for almost 2 years. My customers who asked me to buy the kits are long gone. Ichinisan is a top notch guy who refunded me every last penny (I wanted to make sure those that really wanted this great kit got the change to buy it). It’s a bad situation that effected all of us but Ichinisan is a awesome and understands the situation and will make good on his part. Please be patient with him.
Elrinth
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Elrinth »

Well I got a mail to confirm address and if I wanted the DAC or not. So I'm assuming I'm among those who get one.
I will take it now that I've waited alittle while.
Will however get the N64Digital aswell once it gets out because:
"WiFi firmware updates
New unbrickable rescue system.
Auto-download new updates and install when needed." is the best feature ever.
Blacksheep
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Blacksheep »

Elrinth wrote:Will however get the N64Digital aswell once it gets out because:
"...
Auto-download new updates and install when needed." is the best feature ever.
I hope it will be possible to turn such features off. I would prefer my console to not phone home on its own terms. To me it's annoying enough that the PS1Digital—and, by the looks of it, the N64Digital as well—phone home to a server for manually initiated firmware updates, where for example a unique serial number or hours of operation can be uploaded for analytics. It would also be nice to be able to explicitly switch the WiFi antenna off. There is simply no reason for it to be active all the time, unless the user needs that for a feature; for the PS1Digital it was planned to replace the serial port with WiFi for local multiplayer, if I remember correctly.
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citrus3000psi
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by citrus3000psi »

Blacksheep wrote: I hope it will be possible to turn such features off. I would prefer my console to not phone home on its own terms. To me it's annoying enough that the PS1Digital—and, by the looks of it, the N64Digital as well—phone home to a server for manually initiated firmware updates, where for example a unique serial number or hours of operation can be uploaded for analytics. It would also be nice to be able to explicitly switch the WiFi antenna off. There is simply no reason for it to be active all the time, unless the user needs that for a feature; for the PS1Digital it was planned to replace the serial port with WiFi for local multiplayer, if I remember correctly.
None of these products "phone home" You are welcome to leave the WiFi disabled, aka don't put in your SSID and do manual updates through the terminal. Or you can setup your own server and put the files there to do updates.

Auto updates will be optional.
Blacksheep
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by Blacksheep »

citrus3000psi wrote:
Blacksheep wrote: I hope it will be possible to turn such features off. I would prefer my console to not phone home on its own terms. To me it's annoying enough that the PS1Digital—and, by the looks of it, the N64Digital as well—phone home to a server for manually initiated firmware updates, where for example a unique serial number or hours of operation can be uploaded for analytics. It would also be nice to be able to explicitly switch the WiFi antenna off. There is simply no reason for it to be active all the time, unless the user needs that for a feature; for the PS1Digital it was planned to replace the serial port with WiFi for local multiplayer, if I remember correctly.
None of these products "phone home" You are welcome to leave the WiFi disabled, aka don't put in your SSID and do manual updates through the terminal. Or you can setup your own server and put the files there to do updates.

Auto updates will be optional.
Thank you for your feedback. Is there a guide on how to setup an own server for that? (I understand that these are some instructions for updating the PS1Digital by command-line, so would think that it may work similarly for N64Digital. That's nice.)

Users will have to trust your statement(s) on the extent to which your products phone home / upload analytics or not, as long as the firmware is closed source or not sufficiently black-box analyzed/RE'd publicly in order to tell. At least the default update process over WiFi tells your server(s) the time of access and the IP address—you cannot deny that. Even if the user does not put in an SSID, the ESP32 can sniff MAC addresses, or IEEE 802.11 beacon frames and/or probe response packets, profiling the environment of the user, and upload those at once once the ESP32 gets connected to the internet for the first time. Addendum: this can happen without user action; it is enough for the ESP32 to once for a short while get into the range of a publicly accessible 802.11 net (no PSK or client cert) that allows a connection to the internet. I'm not saying that the firmware does this, I'm saying it would be possible to do. Combined with data by Google, for example collected via StreetView, this can be used to pin down your geographical location in a surprisingly accurate way. The ESP32 could also do something via Bluetooth. And what if your server(s) get compromised? Then an attacker could potentially brick a large number of PS1/N64Digital devices, or install such a data-collecting firmware, or other things. Are the update files signed by you and are the signatures verified on the ESP32 before update? These are all questions one could worry about due to all of this connectivity. I understand it's possible to find this convenient—for me the downsides outweigh the advantages. I don't need all of that in my 90s console, I don't want to have to think about all of that stuff.
Last edited by Blacksheep on Sat Feb 06, 2021 12:29 am, edited 1 time in total.
ldeveraux
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Re: UltraHDMI group-buy ROUND 7 - 2021-01-30 UPDATE

Post by ldeveraux »

Blacksheep wrote:
citrus3000psi wrote:
Blacksheep wrote: I hope it will be possible to turn such features off. I would prefer my console to not phone home on its own terms. To me it's annoying enough that the PS1Digital—and, by the looks of it, the N64Digital as well—phone home to a server for manually initiated firmware updates, where for example a unique serial number or hours of operation can be uploaded for analytics. It would also be nice to be able to explicitly switch the WiFi antenna off. There is simply no reason for it to be active all the time, unless the user needs that for a feature; for the PS1Digital it was planned to replace the serial port with WiFi for local multiplayer, if I remember correctly.
None of these products "phone home" You are welcome to leave the WiFi disabled, aka don't put in your SSID and do manual updates through the terminal. Or you can setup your own server and put the files there to do updates.

Auto updates will be optional.
Thank you for your feedback. Is there a guide on how to setup an own server for that? (I understand that these are some instructions for updating the PS1Digital by command-line, so would think that it may work similarly for N64Digital. That's nice.)

Users will have to trust your statement(s) on the extent to which your products phone home / upload analytics or not, as long as the firmware is closed source or not sufficiently black-box analyzed/RE'd publicly in order to tell. At least the default update process over WiFi tells your server(s) the time of access and the IP address—you cannot deny that. Even if the user does not put in an SSID, the ESP32 can sniff MAC addresses, or IEEE 802.11 beacon frames and/or probe response packets, profiling the environment of the user, and upload those at once once the ESP32 gets connected to the internet for the first time. I'm not saying that the firmware does this, I'm saying it would be possible to do. Combined with data by Google, for example collected via StreetView, this can be used to pin down your geographical location in a surprisingly accurate way. The ESP32 could also do something via Bluetooth. And what if your server(s) get compromised? Then an attacker could potentially brick all PS1/N64Digital devices, or install such a data-collecting firmware, or other things. Are the update files signed by you and are the signatures verified on the ESP32 before update? These are all questions one could worry about due to all of this connectivity. I understand it's possible to find this convenient—for me the downsides outweigh the advantages. I don't need all of that in my 90s console, I don't want to have to think about all of that stuff.
I agree with your principle; there's no reason this mod should be arbitrarily accessing your network for any reason unless explicitly allowed. But in all honesty, what do you think it's going to do with that access? Set up an illegal child porn ring in your basement? From what I can tell Dan's a little more trustworthy than that...
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