Tim B., is a retired simmer. Utilizing Ben Sisko as his nom de guerre, he helped lead a 1996 protest movement that spawned the UFP/SF sim club. Later, he clashed with the UFP/SF, as well as the club into which it merged, Trek Online.
Simming History
Protest and Fighting
- Also see: The Wars of Trek Online
Shortly after joining America Online (AOL) in July 1996, Tim became involved in a protest movement that sought to create a new simming forum on AOL, separate and apart from Spacefleet Online and the NAGF. To increase their chance for success, the protest leaders instructed Chip Rollins, one of the protestors, to establish a sim club, the UFP/SF. In late August, AOL rejected the protestors demands. The protest began to collapse and Uridien - a principle leader - left AOL. Tim stepped forward to rally the remaining protesters and continue negotiations with AOL, only to be rebuffed by AOL.
While the protest did not achieve its goal of creating a new simming forum on AOL, the UFP/SF proved successful. Tim hoped to secure a leadership role within the UFP/SF as its vice president. When the vice presidency instead went to Chas Hammer, Tim, upset, attempted to disrupt Chas' USS Vindicator sim on five separate occasions during September and October. On November 8, 1996, Tim successfully disrupted Chip's USS Generation sim.
Following these incidents, Tim was suspended from both the Vindicator and the Generation. A crew member on the Vindicator, Kris 'Scott' Perry lobbied on Tim's behalf and struck a deal with the UFP/SF; if Tim joined the Independence Group, of which Scott was a member, graduated from the Independence Group's simming academy, and was able to peacefully sim within the group, Tim would be allowed to return to the Vindicator and Generation.
On December 1, 1996, the Independence Group merged into the UFP/SF, which had since been rebranded as the United Simulation Group (USG). Shortly after, Tim started his own group, the United Sci-Fi Sim Group (USSG). In doing so, he copied the USG's guidebook, without permission, and republished it for his own club. Despite recruiting a half dozen individuals, including Uridien (who had since returned to AOL), Kris 'Scott' Perry, and Mike Cook, the USSG quickly folded.
On January 19, 1997, the USG merged into Trek Online. Chas, who was now the President of Trek Online, suspended Tim from Trek Online for one year. Chas based the suspension on the fact that Tim, after two months, had not yet completed the simming academy - either within the Independence Group or after it had merged into the USG. Chas did not learn of Tim copying the USG guidebook until later.
Tim, viewing Chas' logic as a violation of the deal he had struck with the UFP/SF, launched a sustained campaign against Trek Online. On March 9, 1997, Tim commanded a team of raiders that disrupted the final sim of the USS Freedom. On April 3, Tim and his team raided the USS Vindicator; however, the sim moved to a new chat room and resumed simming after a disruption of only a few minutes.
FFSC
After hostilities broke out between Trek Online and the Federation Fan and Sim Club (FFSC), on May 4, 1997, Tim joined the FFSC and became a principle advisor to LeaderFed, the FFSC's President. The FFSC adopted Tim's tactics and launched a series of raids against the sims of Trek Online.
The FFSC, however, was unable to make headway in its attacks against Trek Online, and the membership of the FFSC grew discontent with the continued fighting. On June 1, 1997, a peace treaty between TOL and the FFSC was signed.
Although Tim initially opposed the peace treaty and voted against it when it was brought before the leadership of the FFSC for a vote, Tim soon had a change of heart and expressed remorse for his previous actions against Trek Online. When a series of revolts broke out in the FFSC against LeaderFed during the summer of 1997, Tim aided Trek Online. He provided provided valuable information that helped prevent LeaderFed from resuming his attacks against Trek Online. He also provided evidence that resulted in LeaderFed being suspended from AOL.
TOL
In early 1998, prior to the expiration of his one year suspension from Trek Online, Tim sneaked into the club under an assumed identity. When discovered, he was kicked out and his suspension was extended. After passing this period without incident, his suspension was lifted. Tim joined Trek Online, and on June 8, 1998, was assigned to the Viper Flight sim.
When a new captain, Birkoff, took command of Viper Flight in August, Tim challenged him by falsely presenting himself as a commodore within Trek Online, making disparaging remarks during the sim, refusing to sim, and disrupting several sims. Frustrated, Birkoff resigned on September 29, 1998. Tim was brought before a tribunal in Trek Online and found guilty of disrupting Viper Flight. As it was theorized by Trek Online at the time that Tim acted out because he hoped to gain command of Viper Flight if Birkoff left, the tribunal, as a punishment, preemptively banned Tim from serving as a commanding officer within Trek Online.
After Birkoff resigned, Matthew Joseph Dawn was put in command of Viper Flight. He chose to allow Tim to remain and felt the best way to work with him was to appoint Tim as the first officer of Viper Flight. For a period of time, this approach worked and Tim simmed peacefully; however, he ultimately clashed with Matt and, in January 1999, began working with a former captain of Viper Flight to have the sim leave Trek Online. This was exposed, but Tim left Trek Online before an investigation and hearing could be held.
NFL and the Simming League
In July 1999, Tim joined the New Federation League (NFL). In early August, he falsely informed Ken Gillis, President of the NFL, that Viper Flight was looking to leave Trek Online, prompting Ken to invite the sim to join the NFL. When Chas informed Ken that Tim was lying, Tim declared war on both Trek Online and the NFL. Chas, in response, filed charges with the Simming League's Court of Sim Justice, outlining Tim's disruptive history since 1996. On August 13, 1999, Tim plead guilty and was banned from the Simming League and all clubs that were members of the League.
On September 3, 1999, Tim, under an assumed identity, restarted the FFSC and attempted to have it join the Simming League. His identity was quickly exposed and the FFSC was denied membership. The relaunched FFSC never held a single sim.
Tim followed by copying the Trek Online guidebook and offering it as his own creation to the NFL. Impressed, Ken allowed Tim back into the NFL and appointed him as his academy commandant. Ken subsequently announced his action to the League and argued that Tim's punishment had been unfair, and that the League did not have the power to ban Tim. After several days of debate in late September, the Court of Sim Justice ruled the League had the power to ban Tim. At the same time, Tim's guidebook was exposed as an unauthorized copy, and Ken kicked Tim out of the NFL.
After being banished by the Simming League, Tim largely disappeared from the simming community, but he kept a watchful eye. In January 2003, as Trek Online was entering its death spiral, Tim recreated an alias once associated with Uridien and used it to bug and intimate members of the club. He, however, was quickly exposed by Ken, who at that time was serving in Trek Online, and Tim again disappeared from the simming community.
Second Life
After leaving the simming community, Tim became involved with the Star Trek community on Second Life.
Positions
Forum Protest, August - November 1996, Leader
USS Vindicator, September - November 1996, Lieutenant Junior Grade
USS Independence, November 1996 - January 1997, Cadet
United Sci-Fi Sim Group, January - February 1997, Fleet Admiral
Federation Fan and Sim Club, May - September 1997, Presidential Adviser
Viper Flight, June 1998 - January 1999, Lieutenant Junior Grade
New Federation League, July - September 1999, Academy Commandant