What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

[Nocturnhabeo]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

One thing I learned last year, be careful of what you drink, even if it is in a restaurant.

Sometimes bringing a camel back full of something delicious is safer than drinking from the communal pot.

Walking up to a random group of people can lead to awesome experience. (e.g. sneaking into Black Hat)

[dc0de]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

I'd like to simply.

1. Have Fun
2. Don't interfere with other people's fun
3. Talk to everyone.

That is all.

[TheBigMan]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

Everyone has covered this more than adequately, but I want to throw in my 2c:

For the first time ever, you are surrounded by people like you...
Talk to everyone!

[badkobold]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

My first year to Defcon I was told the "rules" of DC.

I can now distill them down to three simple rules:

Rule #1: Have fun
Rule #2: Don't be a dick
Rule #3: See Rule #2

Enjoy, experience, and learn...

- BK

[Dallas]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

Covered but here is my list:

Bring a phone, a simple phone, texting encouraged.
Bring Goons Beer
Bring Open Mind.
Get to know the person standing in line with you.

[froggy]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

This is all great advice, especially Deviant's points. Almost all of the big items were already covered. Here's my two cents after all of these years:

1. Whatever it is and however bad it seems: IT WILL BE OK
2. Respect everyone, female, male and goon (provided they're not disreputable assholes)
3. Come with an open mind and let your freak/geek flag fly.
4. The map lies. Sure things are JUST TWO BLOCKS away. However, they are Vegas blocks and it is 105 degrees outside.
5. You will have trouble staying in touch with your buddies. If you're planning something (meals, outings, etc.), plan it in advance. Agree to meet up at a specific time and place with the understanding that if someone doesn't show, they are probably involved in something interesting.
6. If you need help, ASK FOR HELP. If you see someone in trouble, tell someone. Not later, right now. The desert wants to kill you.
   Corollary: If you think your friend has alcohol poisoning or is ODing, grow a pair and get some fucking help instead of trying to look after your own ass.

My motto for Notacon is applicable to others others such as Defcon:

"You will come interested in a few topics and learn about a dozen others you never knew you were interested in."

Learn from our experience. A lot of it was hard earned. Have fun and don't die!

[P33V3]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

This is easy to answer. Here are the 12 steps to having a good Defcon experience.

1. Listen to the Security Goons
2. Hydrate
3. Come and have fun
4. Hydrate
5. Don't drink too much
6. Hydrate
7. Ask if you are going to take pictures of people
8. Hydrate
9. Don't be a fucktard
10. Hydrate
11. Be cool to everyone
12. Hydrate

[Chris]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

Bring your own toilet paper. Unless you dig rubbing your cornhole with coarse grade sandpaper in which case you will be good to go.

[astcell]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

I have never seen a bored goon.

[Surreal]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

I wear a light backpack for swag, survival food (breakfast bar, pretzels), lockpicks, cans of energy drink, and plastic or metal flask(s) for liquor(s). I've found the bartenders happy to fill my cup with ice, or give me a cup with ice. I start the request by dropping a buck in their tip jar. You're still coming out Way ahead on your bar tab.

Cold water's easy to come by (big coolers all over con) so I don't usually carry more than one bottle, which I refill.

As others mentioned, talk to people. It's the main unusual behavior I indulge at con. You're standing there, they're standing there... talk. Talk to a bored-looking goon, they're good folks.

Surreal

[taclane]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

Do NOT trust the GSM networks.

You shouldn't trust cellular networks to anything especially sensitive at the best of times, but especially at DEFCON.

Do not do phone banking on your cell phone at DEFCON.
Do not accept over the air software updates at DEFCON.

Your calls will probably get MITMed; there was plenty of this happening last year.

If you use a GSM phone, take a 3G-capable handset, and force it to 3G only anywhere near the Rio. That'll mitigate most of the risk.

[Obi-Wan]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

For my group the best beers are:
-Cold
-Free
-Refillable

Jaeger is my weakness, and the 5-hour energy drinks, as much as folks love them, are VERY expensive, so you can always, make friends by handing a few out.

So i have to bring Red Bull and Jaegermeister. In Germany we call it "Flying Deer"

Obi-Wan

[AlxRogan]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

Go to DC101...srsly. People with decades of experience willing to talk and answer damn near anything.

[astcell]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

For my group the best beers are:
-Cold
-Free
-Refillable

Jaeger is my weakness, and the 5-hour energy drinks, as much as folks love them, are VERY expensive, so you can always, make friends by handing a few out.

[CWB]

Re: What is YOUR advice for people new to Defcon?

Depends on the people. In my sample set, the three biggest groups of beer are:
* Guinness
* RollingRock
* PBR (yes, there are people that prefer this over the other two above.)

Thanks! I am very much looking forward to my first Defcon!