Googling CD Keys, Torrents and Cracks was easy back then. DC++ was the way to go and Limewire was not yet Infested with CP and Viruses. There was a sweet spot but only for 2 years. After that, the golden age of Piracy with the File-Hosters came and Reddit wasn’t shit.
If I have to pinpoint the timeframe: When 4Chan got really unironic racist (and the Stromfront forum leaked to the rest)… oh and Facebook…
They 100% are, and tell you that they don’t actually support Russia but have a “temporary ally” against the capitalist super power… Blablabla…
In the end they support the genocide in Ukraine, hate that genocide in Palestine and generally cherry pick what they seem fascist (the US and Europe) and what not (China, while Russia is temporarily fascist, but that’s okay because of reasons).
Those guys were never politically active in the real world. It’s super sad, because deep inside they are on the right track. They just would change one (capital fascist) system by stalinism (which they call communism).