A review of Defcon hacker convention, from maelstrom

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

> Date: Tue, 5 Aug 2003 18:54:52 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>
>
>
> [I enjoyed Defcon this year and am not as critical of it as maelstrom is.
> --Declan]
>
> ---
>
> Date: Sat, 02 Aug 2003 14:41:57 -0400
> From: deleted
> To: declan () well com
> Subject: An old fart's view of Defcon
>
> Declan,
> attached is my view of Defcon... it's not a pretty one. It has really
> changed for the worse in recent years.
>
> If you publish this or quote from it, please use my alias: maelstrom
> (maelstrom () pobox com). A lot of people would be really embarrassed if you
> use my real name as the source!
>
> Regards,
> deleted
>
>
>
>
> The Hackers Have Gotten Boring
> By maelstrom
>
> It’s August in Las Vegas and the weather is acting decidedly strange ­
> there’s a strong cool breeze, the skies are overcast, and it’s been
> spitting rain all day. It’s the 11th annual Defcon Hacker Conference at
> the Alexis Park Resort, and I’m amazed to see that the hackers are
> actually queuing up and standing in orderly lines to get into the
> registration area and the conference rooms. The Goths, the punks, the
> longhairs, and the hacker babes in scanty clothing are all here, but
> something is terribly wrong. The hackers have gotten predictable and
> <gasp> even boring.
>
> I am one of the ancients of Defcon ­ I’ve been attending these conventions
> for eight years now. I’ve been coming to Defcon for a chance to meet
> people I’ve met via email, connect with friends, and to absorb the latest
> information on computer vulnerabilities. Of course the games and the
> parties were always fun, too: Spot the Fed, Hack the Flag, and Hacker
> Jeopardy. I’ve been grateful for the opportunity to learn, share, and
> engage in intellectually challenging conversations. But much of that has
> melted like sugar in the rain. The only thing good about Defcon this year
> are the t-shirts.
> The first Defcon I attended was a small, intimate gathering of about 500
> people. This year the rough count appears to be in the neighborhood of
> 7500. Where my first “Con” had an atmosphere of a grass roots organization
> and people were anxious to share their knowledge and form bonds of
> friendship, Defcon 11 is full of vacuous hangers-on and tired clichés of
> green hair, improbable body piercings, black clothing, and lots of chains.
> I had a difficult time even finding a hacker who was willing to share some
> of his skill with the son of a friend of mine. My request for assistance
> was met by jeers and snubs. This was not the attitude I expected from
> comrades.
>
> And where are the famous hackers who helped create Defcon? They scuttle
> through the hotel using side doors and the protection of their bodyguard
> “goons” to avoid coming in contact with the scores of fans. You can’t talk
> to them. They won’t even acknowledge you in a crowd if you are not one of
> their “elite” members. They have taken on large egos normally associated
> with histrionic movie stars and I’m not even certain they still engage in
> hacking. They have become celebrities ­ roll out the red carpet but no
> pictures, please. But, bring out the boom mikes and TV cameras and they
> magically reappear.
>
> The lectures and training sessions are recycled versions of the same old
> stuff. I haven’t heard a truly new idea at Defcon for about three years
> now. I kept coming in the hope that it would get better, but the material
> is too entry-level and mainstream to be of any interest to us old farts.
> Apparently the plethora of automatic,
> “you-don’t-have-to-know-what-you’re-doing” type of hacker tools has
> stifled the creativity of hackers to find new and interesting methods of
> cracking network systems. Instead of challenging conversations, all I hear
> is advice on how to chuck twelve beers and not barf.
>
> I won’t stand in another line. I refuse to pay $5 for a bottle of water. I
> have no respect for the posers and even less for the celebrity hackers who
> snub young boys who want to learn at the hands of the masters. Maybe I’ll
> start my own hacker conference and tell everyone to leave their egos and
> automated hacking tools at the door.
>
>
>
>
>
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