DefCon 19 Forum Meet

[HighWiz]

I think the forum meet at DC19 was great. The stickers were an awesome idea, so much so that I took a bunch and started putting them on people after the meet. Bbox, you should be very proud, you did an excellent job with organizing and running things.

Great to see both the Cotman and Nulltone at the forum meet together.

[TheCotMan]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

I think the forum meet at DC19 was great. The stickers were an awesome idea, so much so that I took a bunch and started putting them on people after the meet. Bbox, you should be very proud, you did an excellent job with organizing and running things.

Good job BBox! I hope you understand how much joy some of the security goons found with using the stickers and sharpies you brought to the forums meet. I was talking with one of them on Sunday, and he commented on how he and others "appropriated" some of these stickers and sharpies and how much enjoyment they had with labeling each other with "newbie" stickers. Security goons wearing newbie stickers is hilarious. :-D

He also commented on how much joy at Defcon comes from using things for purposes other than what they were intended. I hope their antics and pranks did not cause you to feel disappointed. (As a similar example, I wore one of your stickers that read,"Lurker." :-)

You put a great deal of effort into the meet, and it was good to see people show up.

Thanks you!

Sorry I was so late, but I made previous plans to video record the Goon band setup and show. I did show up with Nulltone and others after the goon band was over, though.

Great to see both the Cotman and Nulltone at the forum meet together.

Yeah, this is where I mentioned that DT had previously commented on how Nulltone had a vision on how useful web-based forums could be with Defcon, and how Nulltone idea of the forums being a tool for Defcon could become what it is today.

[kallahar]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Agreed about the stickers! We ended up taking every single "I'm a defcon newbie" sticker at the end and sticking them onto goons. After those ran out, I started putting "Ask me a question about defcon" stickers on everyone else I knew. EVERYONE loved them. We even had people get pissed off when we wrote "fuck" on the "I'm going to ______" and stuck it to a goon.

Next year we'll have the mobile club working (the UPS decided to die in transport to vegas), so I can provide that to get some music and lights going, and it would be great if everyone knew to sneak in a bunch of beer to give out (or have the hotel provide a cash bar, not sure how that works).

We could also change the signage so that non-forums-users would feel comfortable coming in to hang out, rather than feeling like it's a "private" party for existing forums users only.

Kallahar

[jur1st]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

I'm disappointed that I couldn't make it due to my shift. I heard great things, and am glad we could track down the sign to make sure others could get there.

[kallahar]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Apparently at some point a line was set up with the stantions, outside the forum meet; and the signs to the forum meet, queercon, and the hackerpimps party all got changed up. So people ended up standing in line trying to get into the wrong rooms.

Kallahar

[Bbox]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

I just wanted to say it was an absolute pleasure meeting so many of the Forum members. (even if for just a minute) Everyone I met and spoke with were so gracious and nice. I will now be able to associate a face to the words I am reading. I look forward to seeing you all again next year!

I am glad people enjoyed the stickers. I figured shenanigans would eventually follow and I was hoping they would make their way outside the forum meet. Many of the stickers had the forum meet logo for this year and the words Forum Meet printed on them. I hoped maybe this would encourage more (non active forum members) and con goers to get active and involved on a more consistent basis on the forum year round.

As far as different signage goes, I hear what you're saying, however let me just say I pasted flyers up everywhere imaginable and placed stacks of flyers from one end of the hotel to the other and handed them out at the Wall of sheep, They clearly stated all people old attendees and new are welcome to attend.

It was interesting to me, how many of the forum members are involved in all the other contests, events activities and running of all things Defcon. If anyone is serious about getting more involved at Defcon, The Forum is the perfect place to start and meet people.

Next year prior to Defcon I will start a post for newbies encouraging them to create and wear their Avatar badge (maybe with an identifiable symbol showing its their first con). I will try and start to get people to wave or nod or somehow give an inviting gesture to those new people as they walk the hallways so they don't feel quite so isolated. I know after the meet this year I really enjoyed the waves and hellos I got from the people I had just met.

[kallahar]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Oh that's right! Those were great flyers, I immediately grabbed one so that I would remember when and where. I also saw tons of people (even saturday, unfortunately) seeing them and checking them out. Putting a big stack right at reg (if TW agrees) would also be great. Heck, splurge on 10,000 copies and have them given out by reg :)

Kallahar

[DiscipleOfJude]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Man... I missed out. I went to Goon Band and then around 9:15 went over to the room that I thought the meet was in, cause I thought that the badge judging was going to be at 9:30.

But when I got there, the place was being set up for the Hacker Pimps party. Not sure if it moved, or I went to the wrong room or something, but I even made a sweet electronic forum badge that I didn't get to show off.

Oh well, just means I gotta make a new one for next year.

- doj

[Bbox]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Man... I missed out.... went over to the room that I thought the meet was in, cause I thought that the badge judging was going to be at 9:30.

But when I got there, the place was being set up for the Hacker Pimps party.

I am so sorry that happened to you. I have heard this many times all weekend.

I feel really bad about this because all the flyers had people going to another room (the one we were told was ours) and I guess I should have anticipated a back-up plan to re-direct people.

I was told by a bunch of people that every year the Forum Meet gets moved, (it's almost become a tradition) but I was told I should stand my ground and not let it get changed. I thought once I saw it published in the official program all was good. When at 7:00 (our starting time) I was told we would have to move I attempted to take a stand. I realized quickly that I had no chance and all that being abstinent would get me is a bad image for the Forum.

I apologize for not fighting harder and finding a way to keep the room.

(I may regret openly stating my feelings here, but...)

This is something I just cannot understand, The Forum Meet is a place ANYONE (new attendees and old) are welcome and can feel included in Defcon. It is a perfect way for new attendees to meet others and get involved with the many events other forum members are involved with (bringing in new blood and new ideas). It seems to me the active forum members are all involved in running, gooning, organizing or supporting many of the contests and events at Defcon. They seem to be the ones that are the heart and soul of Defcon. If this was my organization I would nurture and cherish this group not take them for granted. I may be way off base and I do not mean to antagonize, alienate, or piss anyone off (especially the powers to be) but from my vantage point it felt like the Forum Meet was the low person on the totem pole and a bother to many in charge.

[Nikita]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

It pretty much pisses me off to no end that forum meet gets the shaft every fucking year. I'm pissed to the point that I almost threw my keyboard across the room. I don't know why for whatever reason people can't get their shit together in a timely manner and because of that forum meet gets fucked. With the exception of last year, and believe me I almost went to blows over it, the room's always being dicked with during the final stages of planning, and for whatever reason this year someone forgot to tell someone something and WE got moved. Next year, not going to happen. I swear to you, next time I give you a room, no one, short of DT coming down and carrying me out is moving the room that is published in the program.

That is a direct and outright promise.

[Chris]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Sorry for being late to this thread. I did want to take a second (away from the obvious issue of the room changing every year) to tell BBox what a fantastic fucking job he did this year. The stickers were awesome, it was obvious that the meet wasn't just an afterthought but that he put a ton of planning into it and the folks that did attend were having a great time.

It's unfortunate that the forum meet tends to coincide with Goon Band most years and I hope that's something that can be remedied, however I know how difficult scheduling of events is so I am not complaining about that, but I do know that a lot of the forum regulars are either in the Goon Band or we would rip their own arms off and beat them to death with them if they didn't come watch us play. We're just metal as fuck that way.

[HighWiz]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

With pretty much everyone being in on Thursday this year for DefCon. I'm curious as to what everyone thoughts are on having the forum meet on Thursday night of Con at dc20?

I know it's along ways away, but I figured it would be a good discussion to have now with Con still fresh in everyone's mind.

Hopefully having it on Thursday would alleviate some of the issues faced. I know it would be running at the same time as TheSummit (most likely). But there will always be an event, running up against the forum meet, and personally I'd much rather that be TheSummit than the Goon Band. It's also easier to leave TheSummit for a bit and hangout at the forum meet then it would be to leave the goon band.


Thoughts?

[kallahar]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Nah, let's just end the meet right when goon band is getting started, that way we just tell everyone "come to the next great thing!"

[HighWiz]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

Nah, let's just end the meet right when goon band is getting started, that way we just tell everyone "come to the next great thing!"

The problem with that is, people who are in the goon band or help setup for the goon band won't have a chance to attend.

[Chris]

Re: DefCon 19 Forum Meet

The problem with that is, people who are in the goon band or help setup for the goon band won't have a chance to attend.

I'd sacrifice my attendance at the Meet to have more attendance at Goon Band

That said I have no idea how many actually attended GB. I thought it was less than last year, but we couldn't see further than 5 feet in front of the stage and others have said they thought there were more there this year.

I guess in the end it doesn't matter. We do that shit for fun and for the folks that come see us and they seem to be having a great time...although the pit was especially brutal this year. Tuna was (literally) knocked out for a few seconds. That's metal as fuck