press interest

[pukingmonkey]

Re: press interest

Try sun glasses and a hoodie.

A hoodie may be a tad hot. At least a hat and maybe facial hair that is opposite of other times. Shoot glasses are Remington T85 which have interchangeable lenses, so the dark ones will be on.


can always go this route, but LEOs my pull you over while driving to the shoot this way

[astcell]

Re: press interest

If you do opt to be video taped for the air I'd like to make a few suggestions.

1. KNOW YOUR GUNS. There is a video on youtube showing a woman who is open carrying a revolver, she says she "does not like semi autos and prefers the guns with the wheel thingy." Wheel thingy, meaning revolver. Needless to say she completely kills the image of a responsible gun owner.

2. BE LEGAL. If you are 16 and have your pistols and are from California the CHP will be looking for you on your way home. If you have to have NFA paperwork, a Handgun Safety Card, a locked case or whatever hoops need to be jumped through, jump accordingly. I know what it takes to buy a suppressor or machine gun, you can even use those hoops to your advantage showing your uber responsibility.

3. THE PRESS HAS A MEMORY. Maybe you were filmed in 1994 at a fraternity party showing how you can do a keg stand. Expect the press to find that video and put them together with whatever they video of you at the shoot. You are the sum of your experiences.

4. PREPARE. If you wish to be interviewed, ask them for the questions up front. Read them and think of answers. Then think some more and imagine your parents, the goons, and the cops all watching you on TV. Now you know how to answer. If they surprise you with questions it never looks good for you. Asking up front is not a bad thing, it gives a more professional result for them and you.

5. MIRANDIZE YOURSELF. Anything you say can and will be used against you. In a court of law, on the news, or anywhere. Maybe it looks great but in the end someone will pick holes in what you say. The show will air and be forgotten in a few days but anything bad will be on your tail for a long time.

With that said, here are a few things the press should show in their video:
1. How DO got this together.
2. How we all chipped in to pay for expenses which were not there last year.
3. How gun purchase background checks are done.
4. How safety works on the firing line with the volunteers who know their stuff.
5. I encourage foreigners to be filmed so they can express the freedom many Americans take for granted.

One worry I hear a lot is "How do we know you re qualified to handle/carry a gun?" Expect this to be asked. Folks with professional firearms experience such as police or military can answer this in a nutshell but then press will see that as boring and trite. It's not a story. So know your guns.

/soapbox off.

[Chris]

Re: press interest

Just a piece of info for you guys as you make your decision on this. This chick is spamming pretty much everyone affiliated with DEF CON that she can find. She also appears to (as of yet) not received press credentials. I don't mean to say she can't/won't get them, just that according to her, she hasn't yet.

[astcell]

Re: press interest

Hmmm, googling her name leaves no doubt as to who she is.

Why PBS? Public broadcasting, really? Are we THAT boring?

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: press interest

I've concluded that the general vibe of the community (not to mention the personal wishes of most of the folk who are on the end lanes on each side) does not allow for any easy participation by the press and media if filming is involved.

I've responded to Rebecca with my regrets and genuine apologies, but offered to comp her in for free along with a +1 if she wants to come out anyway. I have told her that she is free to engage in conversations with folk there, provided that she let them know they are talking to a reporter if anything is to be on the record.

She had informed me that their story didn't have any specific agenda or framework as of yet, and that the Shoot seemed like a great place to get some footage of hackers not just sitting at keyboards since she wanted to paint a more rounded picture of the community.

While i applaud that endeavor, we simply do not have the ability to re-arrange lane logistics and whatnot in such a last-minute fashion this year. I suggested that she might consider seeing other areas of DEFCON like the Lockpicking contests, Hardware Hacking, and many of the other games and events that take place with virtually no coding/computing element.

I am not opposed to press and media at the DEFCON Shoot, and i do plan on making the whole site a little more friendly to that in the future (both for the media's access as well as the attendees' privacy concerns) but this year the only officially sanctioned shooting will be from projectile arms.

[astcell]

Re: press interest

She needs to hook up with other press who have been to Defcon for many years.

[TheCotMan]

Re: press interest

...I was thinking to myself about recording them recording us as a truth enhancing thing. I will have a consumer digital video camera that I will bring to the shoot to be passed around to anyone who is being interviewed or filmed to provide an unblinking eye. If we dont like what they release, we can release the raw footage to show the problem.

I say go one step further and just say we will publish what we get in part,or whole no matter how it turns out. When publishing stories, it is often important to, "get there first," with claims or counter claims. The first to make an accusation pushed the accused immediately on the defensive, and causes any of their claims to be suspected of a manufactured, artificial campaign to try to impugn the "attackers" credibility or integrity.

Second, I will make sure to pack the same camera with me at all times. If you are being interviewed, feel free to ask me to film the interview from the side or borrow the camera and do it yourself.

This reminds me of another point with ambush media tactics to get or make a story. Cameramen, reporters, and if they have one, a people that mix sound and check levels, sometimes operating boom-microphones can all participate in antagonizing attendees to provoke a response, and then turn their cameras and equipment on you once you have been intimidated, angered, or otherwise emotional or irrational.
Because of this, it would also be a good idea to have someone film the camera of truth that is close enough to record audio, but from a further distance to capture any attempts at dick-ish manipulation in order to manufacture a story through actions aimed at the person holding the truth camera.

[astcell]

Re: press interest

Really? Someone may antagonize an armed individual just for a story?

Have them cover Defcon Kids if they want games.

[TheCotMan]

Re: press interest

Really? Someone may antagonize an armed individual just for a story?

Certainly. You've heard quotes like this from people in News reporting: "If it bleed is leads, but fire trumps all." (Reduction of a living thing to an inanimate object through indirect reference with, "it.")

However, I don't think the media could push any of the DC Shoot attendees to resort to using force in any form to attack people from the media even if the people from the media tried. The attendees I've seen present themselves as intelligent, experienced and level-headed adults. The media could choose to purposefully demonstrate bad safety protocols to see if they can get away with that without being "educated" on the problems with this behavior. Trolling people into reaction does not need to result in responses in the physical space. An advantage that Defcon people have is recognizing trolling attempts on the Internet, and this skill can also be used in the real world. "Do not feed the troll."

Have them cover Defcon Kids if they want games.

Kids are more easily trolled. Nearly anyone with younger siblings knows this.

[FirmWarez]

Re: press interest

On the other hand, if someone has a high speed camera, some footage of a half-pound blue projo exiting a big barrel and slowly waltzing down range could make some excellent filler for dcTV. Just sayin'.

[Picch]

Re: press interest

I've responded to Rebecca with my regrets and genuine apologies, but offered to comp her in for free along with a +1 if she wants to come out anyway. I have told her that she is free to engage in conversations with folk there, provided that she let them know they are talking to a reporter if anything is to be on the record.

I think that's a pretty fair happy medium for this year. If she does attend the shoot, it will still provide her with the ability to interact with those who want while respecting the wishes of everyone else.

But I do hope she understands why everyone is so apprehensive about having the media around defcon events given countless past experiences...As opposed to us just coming off as a group of dicks.

As per the email that one of my coworkers received from Deviant, it looks like our group will be in one of the lanes next to her.

[streaker69]

Re: press interest

Really? Someone may antagonize an armed individual just for a story?
.

Just a note on this: You would not believe the number of anti-gun people that will approach someone that's open carrying and attempt to pick a fight.

Yes, people will antagonize armed citizens just to try to get a reaction. I was at an OC Rally in Philly a couple months ago, and some idiot walked right up to us and called everyone there 'pussys' because we carry guns. He continued doing that for a few minutes until I looked over and noticed his fly was down and pointed it out to him. He slinked off rather embarrassed after that.

As for the press, at the shoot. I think one line in the last email Deviant posted is rather worrisome.

She had informed me that their story didn't have any specific agenda or framework as of yet

I take that to mean, they'll shoot a bunch of footage and then twist it according to whatever upper management wants it to have during editing. I don't think I would trust anyone from PBS to shoot a fair and accurate story. That's just my personal opinion.

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: press interest

from her latest response to my informing her that the project wouldn't be logistically feasible this year at this late date...

This is one of the nicest rejections I've ever gotten!
...
Would love to attend the shoot with Paul sans camera. Don't have a gun though: will there be one we can use? Thanks so much for the offer that's really awesome.
...
Will write more later, but basically thanks so much for reaching out to the community on our behalf. ... I did check out that forum link after I sent my last email and found it both amusing and touching that so much deliberation was happening. I'll be delighted to meet everyone without filming.

And btw i am not vegan :)

...so it's safe to say i think i like her, making reference to Priest's comments. and i'm pleased that she plans on coming out to the event just to meet people and take it all in.

[astcell]

Re: press interest

On the other hand, if someone has a high speed camera, some footage of a half-pound blue projo exiting a big barrel and slowly waltzing down range could make some excellent filler for dcTV. Just sayin'.

That camera would have to be WAY high speed.

from her latest response to my informing her that the project wouldn't be logistically feasible this year at this late date...

...so it's safe to say i think i like her, making reference to Priest's comments. and i'm pleased that she plans on coming out to the event just to meet people and take it all in.

How about if they bring their camera and Paul gets a video of HER shooting a slug out of a Serbu? Bring a mattress to put behind her. :-)

[dead addict]

Re: press interest

Press Goon here.

4 Things:

1. This is an unofficial event that is offsite. Deviant runs it. What occurs at the shoot is his call (ie: we aren't going to try to override his judgement or tell him what is or isn't allowed at the shoot).

2. We will have a press goon at the shoot (who wanted to shoot anyways). He'll try to be helpful and prevent the press from acting like an ass (if that seems to be what they are up to).

3. Even though it is public property and anyone can be there, the press will still be credentialed (at DEFCON) If a credentialed press member behaves inappropriately at an off-site DEFCON related event, we still reserve the right to pull their press credentials for DEFCON itself.

4. Videotaping the press is fine and dandy, have fun. Asking them to do an interview sounds fun as well (yay more attendee created content!). Just please try to do so respectfully (ie: don't interrupt them as they are interviewing someone, don't get in their shot with your camera, etc). A rule of thumb for this would be don't do shit that you don't want them doing.