badges?

[RuckusKnight]

So my flight lands @ 12:30, I wanna catch as much of DC101 as possible.

Will it be possible to put off buying my con badge til afterwards? Or will I not be able to get in without a badge?

[Supralingua]

Re: badges?

It has been my experience that security checks everyone visually for a badge and all excuses are ignored.

[TheCotMan]

Re: badges?

Last year, there were problems with badges showing up on time, and because of this or because it was the first year of official events on Thursday and issues with availability of security or both, the predecessor to the DC101 talk (different kind of presentation for people new to Defcon) and other Thursday events were accessible without a badge.

However, Friday, badges were all required.

This year, it seems badges are in Las Vegas and will go on sale on time. Additionally, I think they have more available security goons on staff on Thursday plus experience from last year. This suggests that badges will be required on Thursday, unlike last year.

As for waiting, generally, in the past, not counting last year, people have been able to wait until Friday morning to get a badge and actually get a "real badge" not some token of a badge, piece of paper, or other less desirable "not a real badge" item.

[RuckusKnight]

Re: badges?

Last year, there were problems with badges showing up on time, and because of this or because it was the first year of official events on Thursday and issues with availability of security or both, the predecessor to the DC101 talk (different kind of presentation for people new to Defcon) and other Thursday events were accessible without a badge.

However, Friday, badges were all required.

This year, it seems badges are in Las Vegas and will go on sale on time. Additionally, I think they have more available security goons on staff on Thursday plus experience from last year. This suggests that badges will be required on Thursday, unlike last year.

As for waiting, generally, in the past, not counting last year, people have been able to wait until Friday morning to get a badge and actually get a "real badge" not some token of a badge, piece of paper, or other less desirable "not a real badge" item.

Ok cool. I totally plan to get one, I just wanted to delay it so I can catch the talk (last year I waited a long time). So this is good, I'll have it by Friday for sure, I just don't wanna wait in line forever.

Though who knows, if there's no line I can snag one no prob, I just remember last year I waited a solid ~30 min, (and only got a paper one to boot... I had no clue you could trade them either, some random guy playing poker heard me mention I was a bit sad I wouldn't have one to save as a souveneir of my first Defcon, and handed me his... then he walked off, never really even had time to process it or say thanks... really was a touching moment. (esp since the poor guy had just gotten knocked out of poker... would have followed to buy him a beer or something but I was still live and couldn't walk away from the table... he just sort of handed it to me and jetted)

[Wesson357]

Re: badges?

So I take it since I got the less desirable paper badge all the real badges sold out early Thursday?

[TheCotMan]

Re: badges?

Someone else claimed defcon badges were first offered to blackhat people before defcon so blackhat people would not have to wait in defcon lines for badges, but instead wait in blackhat lines for defcon badges. If this did indeed happen, it would partly explain why badges sold out at defcon if they really have sold out and a box was not misplaced.

Also, though it may be misinformed reporting, a video linked on badges with an interview with the creator said there were only enough badges for 10% of attendees with 10000 people expected even though there were claims that several thousand badges were created....

Something does not add up... several thousand badges should cover several thousand people not just 1000. Maybe the journalist got it wrong.

From Joe grand tweet:

Next batch of 2,205 #DEFCON 18 Human Badges shipped from e-Teknet. 3,370 to go! Fri 09 Jul 2010 08:47:10 AM PST via web

I read that as 2205+3370=5575 human badges.

If all humans badges have been sold out, then there are/were 5575 people there on Thursday, in line at the riv?

Video claiming only enough badges for 10% of defcon people:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0GGq9jZc4M
"...each badge costs about $14 to make..." 0:48
"about 10,000 people attend the show ,but only about 10% will actually get the special badge" 0:55

10% of 10000 is 1000, but 1000 != 5575

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJNGlbfwW8U
"DEFCON 18 registration line at Black Hat USA" (Not the riv)

[Aurora]

Re: badges?

Speaking of badges.... am I the first one to kill mine?? LOL... My LCD screen stopped working... "did you try taking the battery in and out?" "Why yes I did... maybe borrow another battery tomorrow to see if my magnetic personality fried it... or I just have a dead battery... sorry for the rambling... I wanted to play with my badge too

[ChrisMPowell]

Badges copy

Update... So they have physical badges this morning but they are going fast. Bummer is that they will not exchange the paper badges you got yesterday for physical ones this morning :-( Found out the hard way when I stood in line for over an hour this morning and the only way to get a physical was to buy a second badge. Moral of the story, next year if you miss Thursday’s AM registration, wait for Friday’s AM registration when they replenish the badge stock. Don't take a paper badge on the first day!!