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Hello all,
On behalf of Ninja Networks, it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the arrival of DEFCON 20 with one final Ninja Badge and Event.
The last ten years of Ninja Parties and Badges have been an amazing experience, but the momentum is simply impossible (and impractical) to sustain, at least inside the confines of DEFCON. It's time for a change, but not before we have one last hurrah.
With that in mind, we've stepped back and put a lot of thought into this year's festivities, particularly as it applies to the badge. We've always had this "what if we could..." idea in the back of our heads, and this year we finally decided to do it.
The 2012 Ninja Badge is not just a badge, but part of a bigger picture - a retrospective experience that we hope evokes a certain nostalgia for a bygone era of technology. It's more complex and larger in scope than anything we've ever tried.
Will it work? Who's to say? But, if it blows up in our faces, it'll be just as epic.
As usual, the 2012 Ninja Badge will be distributed starting Wednesday or Thursday during the week leading up to DEFCON. It will be important again to get your badge as early as possible.
FAQ below.
We'll see you there...and thanks, everyone.
-barkode
Here's the FAQ:
Q: What is the Ninja Badge?
A: The Ninja Badge is not an official DEFCON badge. It's a special badge distributed by Ninja Networks at no cost to individuals who we feel have made a positive impact on not only us as individuals, but on the hacker community (or the world) at large. It is our way of showing thanks to those who make our world a better place. Consider your Ninja Badge a token of our appreciation.
The Ninja Badge is also an invitation to the annual Ninja Party, held Saturday night.
Q: If I've never had one before, how do I get one?
A: Great question. With likely 15,000 people at DEFCON and 600 Ninja Badges to distribute, it's not a great ratio, particularly considering that a large portion of them go to DEFCON alumni, so to speak. It's very much a friends and family system.
This is a problem we struggle with every year. It's not a perfect system, and it's largely social in nature. If you're someone who positively contributes to the community, we'd love to meet you. Find some friends who already have Ninja Badges, that's a great icebreaker. :)
Q: Is there another way to get a Ninja Badge if I don't manage to socialize myself into one?
A: Yes! Many DEFCON contest organizers are given Ninja Badges to distribute as prizes in their contests. So go to the contest area and dig in!
Q: Can i buy a Ninja Badge?
A: No, they are always given away at no charge. (...and selling them is super, super lame.)
Q: What are the technical specs of the Ninja Badge?
A: That information will be revealed the week of the conference. :)
Q: Will the Ninja Badge be hackable?
A: Oh you betcha.
Q: I need to talk to someone on the Ninja Staff about my badge, how can I find them?
A: Ninja Staff wear black Ninja Badges. You can also find us at the Ninja Table in the vendor area.
Q: I'm with the press/government/interpol/etc, how can I contact you?
A: Visit http://www.ninjas.org/badges/ and dig around for an email address.
Q: If I have a badge, can I bring a friend to the Ninja Party?
A: Yes! Your Ninja Badge comes with a "plus one", so bring a friend. (Note: The plus one is a physical item and needs to be given to your friend.)
Q: (UPDATED) Is it true that donating to charities or causes gets me access to the Ninja Party? (What's that little ribbon I'm seeing people wearing around DEFCON?)
A: Yes! Anyone at DEFCON that donates blood to the Red Cross at the BloodKode drive, or signs up for Be The Match (the Bone Marrow program), or donates to the EFF (at whatever amount/criteria the EFF ultimately decides) can elect to receive a special Ninja-fied "Giving Back" lapel pin. These pins not only show that you're giving back to the community, but also grant you access to the Ninja Party, whether you have a badge or not.
The way this will work is that we're going to give out the pins to the charities and let them decide how to distribute them.
Q: (UPDATE QUESTION) If I already donate to the EFF, Red Cross, Be The Match, etc, does that count?
A: It's up to each charity, but really the idea is to encourage new participation. If you already participate, maybe go recruit someone new to participate. We're trying to help these guys out. There were less than 170 new signups for the Be The Match program last year, and we can do better than that.
Q: (UPDATE QUESTION) I can't donate blood or be a part of the Be The Match program, and I don't have money for the EFF or anyone else for that matter...
A: I can't donate blood or bone marrow either. If it was me, maybe instead I'd go wave the flag a bit and perhaps bring a friend (or a stranger) to sign up for the Be The Match program. Even if you can't sign up yourself, I'm sure the charities would appreciate someone helping bring new blood (literally and figuratively) to the table.
On behalf of Ninja Networks, it is with great pleasure that we celebrate the arrival of DEFCON 20 with one final Ninja Badge and Event.
The last ten years of Ninja Parties and Badges have been an amazing experience, but the momentum is simply impossible (and impractical) to sustain, at least inside the confines of DEFCON. It's time for a change, but not before we have one last hurrah.
With that in mind, we've stepped back and put a lot of thought into this year's festivities, particularly as it applies to the badge. We've always had this "what if we could..." idea in the back of our heads, and this year we finally decided to do it.
The 2012 Ninja Badge is not just a badge, but part of a bigger picture - a retrospective experience that we hope evokes a certain nostalgia for a bygone era of technology. It's more complex and larger in scope than anything we've ever tried.
Will it work? Who's to say? But, if it blows up in our faces, it'll be just as epic.
As usual, the 2012 Ninja Badge will be distributed starting Wednesday or Thursday during the week leading up to DEFCON. It will be important again to get your badge as early as possible.
FAQ below.
We'll see you there...and thanks, everyone.
-barkode
Here's the FAQ:
Q: What is the Ninja Badge?
A: The Ninja Badge is not an official DEFCON badge. It's a special badge distributed by Ninja Networks at no cost to individuals who we feel have made a positive impact on not only us as individuals, but on the hacker community (or the world) at large. It is our way of showing thanks to those who make our world a better place. Consider your Ninja Badge a token of our appreciation.
The Ninja Badge is also an invitation to the annual Ninja Party, held Saturday night.
Q: If I've never had one before, how do I get one?
A: Great question. With likely 15,000 people at DEFCON and 600 Ninja Badges to distribute, it's not a great ratio, particularly considering that a large portion of them go to DEFCON alumni, so to speak. It's very much a friends and family system.
This is a problem we struggle with every year. It's not a perfect system, and it's largely social in nature. If you're someone who positively contributes to the community, we'd love to meet you. Find some friends who already have Ninja Badges, that's a great icebreaker. :)
Q: Is there another way to get a Ninja Badge if I don't manage to socialize myself into one?
A: Yes! Many DEFCON contest organizers are given Ninja Badges to distribute as prizes in their contests. So go to the contest area and dig in!
Q: Can i buy a Ninja Badge?
A: No, they are always given away at no charge. (...and selling them is super, super lame.)
Q: What are the technical specs of the Ninja Badge?
A: That information will be revealed the week of the conference. :)
Q: Will the Ninja Badge be hackable?
A: Oh you betcha.
Q: I need to talk to someone on the Ninja Staff about my badge, how can I find them?
A: Ninja Staff wear black Ninja Badges. You can also find us at the Ninja Table in the vendor area.
Q: I'm with the press/government/interpol/etc, how can I contact you?
A: Visit http://www.ninjas.org/badges/ and dig around for an email address.
Q: If I have a badge, can I bring a friend to the Ninja Party?
A: Yes! Your Ninja Badge comes with a "plus one", so bring a friend. (Note: The plus one is a physical item and needs to be given to your friend.)
Q: (UPDATED) Is it true that donating to charities or causes gets me access to the Ninja Party? (What's that little ribbon I'm seeing people wearing around DEFCON?)
A: Yes! Anyone at DEFCON that donates blood to the Red Cross at the BloodKode drive, or signs up for Be The Match (the Bone Marrow program), or donates to the EFF (at whatever amount/criteria the EFF ultimately decides) can elect to receive a special Ninja-fied "Giving Back" lapel pin. These pins not only show that you're giving back to the community, but also grant you access to the Ninja Party, whether you have a badge or not.
The way this will work is that we're going to give out the pins to the charities and let them decide how to distribute them.
Q: (UPDATE QUESTION) If I already donate to the EFF, Red Cross, Be The Match, etc, does that count?
A: It's up to each charity, but really the idea is to encourage new participation. If you already participate, maybe go recruit someone new to participate. We're trying to help these guys out. There were less than 170 new signups for the Be The Match program last year, and we can do better than that.
Q: (UPDATE QUESTION) I can't donate blood or be a part of the Be The Match program, and I don't have money for the EFF or anyone else for that matter...
A: I can't donate blood or bone marrow either. If it was me, maybe instead I'd go wave the flag a bit and perhaps bring a friend (or a stranger) to sign up for the Be The Match program. Even if you can't sign up yourself, I'm sure the charities would appreciate someone helping bring new blood (literally and figuratively) to the table.
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