The Official DEF CON Short Story contest.
This contest is new this year and we are hoping it goes over well. Lots of you out there are avid writers and some just have an incredible imagination that when put to paper it blows your mind. Speaking from several years of reviewing white papers and slide decks, you guys are hilarious. I'd like to see your flair for creative writing put to another use and reward you for a (*cough*troll*Cough*) job well done. Good Luck!
What you Win!!!!
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1st Place: Your story will be featured on the DEF CON website, it will be included in the conference CD, You will win ONE free entry into the DEF CON conference ($140 value) and you will win a Store credit of $25.
2nd Place: Your story will be included on the DEF CON Conference CD, you will win ONE free entry into the DEF CON conference ($140 value) and you will win a Store credit of $10.
3rd Place: Your story will be included on the DEF CON Conference CD, and you will win a Store credit of $5.
-------------------------------------------
How to Enter:
RTFR below and submit to us a short story. The topic may be of your choosing so long as it meets the guidelines in the rules.
Submit to nikita (at) defcon (dot) org ( she likes that sentence) she will read it and post it to the DEF CON forums to be shared with the community.
The contest will close on June 1st, at that time we will make our determinations and announce a 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winner by June 14th.
The Rules:
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Things you can do:
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Things you can NOT do:
Here is an Example of a Short Story, not a particularly magnificent example but you you get the idea. We all have to work too.
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Once upon a time there was a a little girl named Quine, she was an unusual girl and was oft found playing alone while watching documentaries on plate tectonics and fascinating autobiographies on lesser celebrated presidents, like Taft.
One afternoon, while suited up and ready to go to school Quine decided to herself she would rather have an adventure instead. " Eff that Shiz" she said. "I'm going to go see if I can break into that old building on Third Street" quietly wondering why she talks to herself. Quine then removed her school books from her bag, replaced them with a tiny pink metal lock picking set her uncle Dee gave her and a delicious lunch with a thermos filled with Tang.
As she made her way across the town headed in the direction of the old building she wondered to herself "Can I do this?, What if I get caught?". Quine imagined all the detective & spy movies in her head and the videos she saw online, "It can't be that hard" she thought out loud. Quines mind wandered, going over the tips her uncle Dee gave her, hoping it was a simple pin & tumbler lock, something that was real easy. She could see the Springs at the top of the shafts keeping the pin pairs in position and in her head she saw herself opening the lock with great ease.
With an indignant smug on her face she arrived on Third Street she saw the old building, it was creepy and made her think of child molesters and polyester pants, things you just shouldn't be around ever. As she approached the door she heard a noise. Turning around with almost vampire speed, she saw a rabid looking rat charging towards her. She screamed as it ran across the tip of her 1930's inspired peep toe heels. After recomposing herself she looked up and saw a young man, dirty and covered in paint. She didn't know if he could be trusted.
"Hello" she said. "Hello" said the strange man. "What the f$k are you doing here?". Taken back, she replied in turn " What the f$k are YOU doing here?" Recursive as they stood in their logic, neither one knew if they could trust the other or what to say next. Quine took it upon herself to drop her 'deets first. "My name is Sarah" She said, using her favorite cover name. While she waited for the lump of Y chromosomes to speak she shuffled her feet. "It's better to be a damsel causing distress than in it" She thought to herself.
"My name is Scott" he said, and after a pause " Sometimes people call me nomad" Staring at her lock picking set now "You must be here for the meeting, come this way." Not wanting to object she followed, albeit a short safe distance behind. Much to her relief "Nomad" opened the door to reveal a group of people, all different ages, sexes, and they all looked interesting, that was for sure. Quine looked in and saw a very tall man with a Mohawk, clearly he liked the looks of her, she gawked back as well! "Has it been more than 2600 characters yet?" "
Clearly it has". Quine said, and with that she stepped into the room and figured the story could be continued another time.
-Nikita
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There you have it....... like I said, you can write about whatever you want, it doesn't have to be nerdy or laced with a mega amount of technical details. You can have fun with this, anyone can submit an entry so do it, there is no reason not to have a little fun.
This contest is new this year and we are hoping it goes over well. Lots of you out there are avid writers and some just have an incredible imagination that when put to paper it blows your mind. Speaking from several years of reviewing white papers and slide decks, you guys are hilarious. I'd like to see your flair for creative writing put to another use and reward you for a (*cough*troll*Cough*) job well done. Good Luck!
What you Win!!!!
-------------------------------------------
1st Place: Your story will be featured on the DEF CON website, it will be included in the conference CD, You will win ONE free entry into the DEF CON conference ($140 value) and you will win a Store credit of $25.
2nd Place: Your story will be included on the DEF CON Conference CD, you will win ONE free entry into the DEF CON conference ($140 value) and you will win a Store credit of $10.
3rd Place: Your story will be included on the DEF CON Conference CD, and you will win a Store credit of $5.
-------------------------------------------
How to Enter:
RTFR below and submit to us a short story. The topic may be of your choosing so long as it meets the guidelines in the rules.
Submit to nikita (at) defcon (dot) org ( she likes that sentence) she will read it and post it to the DEF CON forums to be shared with the community.
The contest will close on June 1st, at that time we will make our determinations and announce a 1st, 2nd & 3rd place winner by June 14th.
The Rules:
-------------------------------------------
Things you can do:
- You may submit a short story of no more than 16000 and no less than 2600 characters. The accepted format is a .txt file, plain text, single spacing, no funny business.
- You may submit if you are an amateur or a professional, as long as it is a new written piece your chances of winning are equal amongst the crowd.
- You may submit if you are a goon or work for DEF CON, this will not give you any advantages. However if you are in a position to judge the submissions you will not be allowed to. For Example: If DT wishes to submit, he may, but he forfeits his right to be on the panel of judges.
- You may choose your topic and category, so long as it does not offend as listed in the things you can NOT do section.
- You may submit anonymously, however if you are caught trying to circumvent or cheat the system you will be disqualified in a matter befitting a Troglodyte such as yourself.
- You may submit as many stories as you wish.
- You may use this contest as a way to release your creative energy and as a preventative measure to stop yourself from including "Strange Requests" and links of a questionable nature in your emails to DEF CON staff.
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Things you can NOT do:
- You may not submit a short story currently published or pending publishing. ( Yes,I'm looking at you )
- You may not cheat and submit someone Else's work, this includes renaming key names & places of Star Wars and submitting it as new work. You can however go (figuratively speaking) from Pocahontas or Fern Gully to Avatar, and that will qualify as new.
- You may not submit a vendor or product pitch, you will be disqualified for your shameless distaste.
- You may not write statements intended with Defamation, to mislead, hurt or harm another reputation, disclose someones identity, hurt someones feelings directly,etc etc. In other words, don't be a jerk, take your trolling elsewhere....
- Pornographic stories are meant to be submitted to hustler & penthouse, to see that your efforts are not misspent DEF CON will send them to your local classified ads, along with the most direct means to reach you, then we shred your filth while we recite an incantation of the litany of filth.
- You must censor your f$k1&G Self. Make it creatively disguised or I will send it back to you for editing before it is posted.
- No Derogatory statements towards a mass of people who share similar traits. You can not poke fun at race or religion. You may however feel completely entitled to make up a race or religion and make fun of that all you want. Making fun of Mac Vs. PC Vs. Unix, VS.....well you get the idea. Yeah, that doesn't count, feel free to troll away on your OS of choice, just know your paper does have to be interesting.
Here is an Example of a Short Story, not a particularly magnificent example but you you get the idea. We all have to work too.
-------------------------------------------
Once upon a time there was a a little girl named Quine, she was an unusual girl and was oft found playing alone while watching documentaries on plate tectonics and fascinating autobiographies on lesser celebrated presidents, like Taft.
One afternoon, while suited up and ready to go to school Quine decided to herself she would rather have an adventure instead. " Eff that Shiz" she said. "I'm going to go see if I can break into that old building on Third Street" quietly wondering why she talks to herself. Quine then removed her school books from her bag, replaced them with a tiny pink metal lock picking set her uncle Dee gave her and a delicious lunch with a thermos filled with Tang.
As she made her way across the town headed in the direction of the old building she wondered to herself "Can I do this?, What if I get caught?". Quine imagined all the detective & spy movies in her head and the videos she saw online, "It can't be that hard" she thought out loud. Quines mind wandered, going over the tips her uncle Dee gave her, hoping it was a simple pin & tumbler lock, something that was real easy. She could see the Springs at the top of the shafts keeping the pin pairs in position and in her head she saw herself opening the lock with great ease.
With an indignant smug on her face she arrived on Third Street she saw the old building, it was creepy and made her think of child molesters and polyester pants, things you just shouldn't be around ever. As she approached the door she heard a noise. Turning around with almost vampire speed, she saw a rabid looking rat charging towards her. She screamed as it ran across the tip of her 1930's inspired peep toe heels. After recomposing herself she looked up and saw a young man, dirty and covered in paint. She didn't know if he could be trusted.
"Hello" she said. "Hello" said the strange man. "What the f$k are you doing here?". Taken back, she replied in turn " What the f$k are YOU doing here?" Recursive as they stood in their logic, neither one knew if they could trust the other or what to say next. Quine took it upon herself to drop her 'deets first. "My name is Sarah" She said, using her favorite cover name. While she waited for the lump of Y chromosomes to speak she shuffled her feet. "It's better to be a damsel causing distress than in it" She thought to herself.
"My name is Scott" he said, and after a pause " Sometimes people call me nomad" Staring at her lock picking set now "You must be here for the meeting, come this way." Not wanting to object she followed, albeit a short safe distance behind. Much to her relief "Nomad" opened the door to reveal a group of people, all different ages, sexes, and they all looked interesting, that was for sure. Quine looked in and saw a very tall man with a Mohawk, clearly he liked the looks of her, she gawked back as well! "Has it been more than 2600 characters yet?" "
Clearly it has". Quine said, and with that she stepped into the room and figured the story could be continued another time.
-Nikita
------------------------
There you have it....... like I said, you can write about whatever you want, it doesn't have to be nerdy or laced with a mega amount of technical details. You can have fun with this, anyone can submit an entry so do it, there is no reason not to have a little fun.
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