Thursday DC101 could have been better

[student_T]

Let me first say that I liked DC20 a great deal.

I wanted to observer that as a n00b I really could have benefited by a more comprehensive and less jocular DC101 talk.
Sure it was amusing to watch a bunch of really talented people cut loose on stage but as a first timer I really would have preferred to have been told about things like the alphabetizing of the presenters in the program by their names. I would have enjoyed finding out that the 25,000 cent pyramid and HJ were events to go to early because of how much fun they were.

In essence I would like to have been given a preview of how the show would be run so that I could set my expectations and plan my activities better.

To further clarify my position I would say less talks like how the Python one manifested and more like the "Hack the Hacker" presentation.


Having made this criticism I do want to reiterate that all the contributions of all the volunteers is greatly appreciated and I feel that my experiences at DC20 were memorable and valuable.

Thank you.

[wrøng!]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

I would have enjoyed finding out that the 25,000 cent pyramid and HJ were events to go to early because of how much fun they were.

You want to be told which events to attend? That isn't really something anyone can tell you, you have to decide for yourself. It's impossible to do EVERYTHING at DEFCON, and you just have to get out there any try new things -- which in my experience has been the exact message delivered at DC101.

[YenTheFirst]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

To further clarify my position I would say less talks like how the Python one manifested and more like the "Hack the Hacker" presentation.

I didn't catch DC101, but I did see about half the python 'talk'.

Getting drunk is a defcon tradition, I know, but this hour really did end up a waste of time. I was attending with a first-timer, who actually wanted to hear about python, whether it was a thing worth learning, etc. I was able to describe to them more about python in the 5 minute walk to the car than in the half hour we were in the talk.

I was interested in seeing how 1o57's talk went, but unfortunately had a schedule conflict. How did that one go? It looks like the DC101 talks weren't recorded, unfortunately.

[astcell]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

There is so much to do and time never stops. I am sure your input is appreciated. In my opinion the best DC101 input is on these here forum pages. What to bring to defcon, how to not be an asshat at defcon, who is who at defcon. There is something for everyone and if there is nothing for you, then start it. That is exactly how DC101 got started, I watched it unfold. Some years back you just had to dive in cold!

I think if you have a point about something that went wrong, try to come up with a solution too. Saying the sound sucks is one thing, asking for another speaker in the center of the room is different. Maybe we need a Defcon 101 for starters and a Defcon 099A for the greenest of the green. Would that be a solution maybe? Think it out and see if you can actually find the need to be filled for many, not just your own preferences. We are oly as good as our best ideas and the next one may very well be yours.

[HighWiz]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

Let me first say that I liked DC20 a great deal.

I wanted to observer that as a n00b I really could have benefited by a more comprehensive and less jocular DC101 talk.

Sure it was amusing to watch a bunch of really talented people cut loose on stage but as a first timer I really would have preferred to have been told about things like the alphabetizing of the presenters in the program by their names. I would have enjoyed finding out that the 25,000 cent pyramid and HJ were events to go to early because of how much fun they were.

If you're looking for someone to "hold your hand" then a hacker con is probably not the right place for you. We had an hour to do go over everything we needed to and put the primary message out of "you get out of DefCon what you put into it". Since there were 100's of people who came up to me and the others on stage throughout con and said they loved the way it went down, I'll probably continue to stick with that format.

In essence I would like to have been given a preview of how the show would be run so that I could set my expectations and plan my activities better.

This leads more into the "time" thing. This year we only had an hour, in years past we had two. Don't get me wrong, I will take your idea's under advisement, but we're not trying to tell people exactly what to do, just how to make the most of their defcon experience.

To further clarify my position I would say less talks like how the Python one manifested and more like the "Hack the Hacker" presentation.

Yea, the Python presenter won't present again (at least at 101), this wasn't the first complaint I received about him.

The being said, since this was the first time we tried n00b talks under the DefCon 101 banner on Thursday, I was pleased with how things turned out (python talk and technical difficulties aside).

[student_T]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

I hear you and I feel heard as well.

I agree with the primary message of you get what you put in.
I for one could not have squeezed more in to my time.

Judging by the strong tone in some of the responses to my initial comments I don't want to continue sharing my ideas other then to say that as a n00b I had an extraordinarily fulfilling time. I look forward to attending future Defcons and I hope to become more active in the DC community as my experience grows and I carve out a niche.

Best regards to all.

[mstc]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

For me it's really easy to feel completely overwhelmed and feel like if you didn't do a ton of research before the event you are missing out on something. I mean even some goons where asking me what Sky Talks were and the only reason I knew is because I heard vaguely about them last year and made a big effort to find out more this year.

Maybe a solution would be to have a regular newsletter that goes out for a few months before the conference and details whats been going on with different competitions, groups, parties, talks, etc.. Just something to ease everyone in to the overload that is Defcon. I know something like this would take a ton of work, but I think it would be very helpful for everyone.

[HighWiz]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

For me it's really easy to feel completely overwhelmed and feel like if you didn't do a ton of research before the event you are missing out on something. I mean even some goons where asking me what Sky Talks were and the only reason I knew is because I heard vaguely about them last year and made a big effort to find out more this year.

Maybe a solution would be to have a regular newsletter that goes out for a few months before the conference and details whats been going on with different competitions, groups, parties, talks, etc.. Just something to ease everyone in to the overload that is Defcon. I know something like this would take a ton of work, but I think it would be very helpful for everyone.

I don't know if a newsletter is the right way to go with it, but I think the general concept is pretty good and something to definitely look into.

[Chris]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

I don't know if a newsletter is the right way to go with it, but I think the general concept is pretty good and something to definitely look into.

Isn't that kind of what this sub forum is for? I haven't checked them all, but didn't most contests/events/etc provide info here about their contest/event/etc?

[HighWiz]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

Isn't that kind of what this sub forum is for? I haven't checked them all, but didn't most contests/events/etc provide info here about their contest/event/etc?

It pretty much is, but I kinda see his/her point. Some of the contest/events don't post any info on the forums.

[AlxRogan]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

Judging by the strong tone in some of the responses to my initial comments I don't want to continue sharing my ideas other then to say that as a n00b I had an extraordinarily fulfilling time. I look forward to attending future Defcons and I hope to become more active in the DC community as my experience grows and I carve out a niche.

Best regards to all.

I'm glad you had a good time, and I will echo the comments also made before, THIS is the right place to voice your concerns about DC101 and Defcon in general. If we had more than a fraction of the Defcon attendees show up on the forums and contribute, it would be much easier to communicate about what's going on and what everyone thinks about it.

[OM5]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

I'm glad you had a good time, and I will echo the comments also made before, THIS is the right place to voice your concerns about DC101 and Defcon in general. If we had more than a fraction of the Defcon attendees show up on the forums and contribute, it would be much easier to communicate about what's going on and what everyone thinks about it.

I loved the new DC101 talks. I must admit that I left before the Python one (to meet up with my ScavHunt team), which I was regretting, but I can see now that I didn't miss much. Most definitely, more more MORE!

[astcell]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

For a newsletter we really need to post here more often. A while back you could not go two days without losing track of your latest post here. Today there were only 20 new posts from 2 days ago. Meh.

THIS is where to POST info, this is where to GET info.

[br007]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

I was a first time attendee and felt like the 101 talk provided some good information. I felt like the overall message was pretty clear: there's a lot from speakers to villages to games, but essentially it is up to you on what you want to do.

Ultimately to me Defcon seemed like something where it is part discovery and that to be walked through what to do, would essentially make you loose some of that experience.

[mstc]

Re: Thursday DC101 could have been better

On Topic: I loved the DC101 talk btw. The message was clear and set the tone for the rest of the event really well.

Isn't that kind of what this sub forum is for? I haven't checked them all, but didn't most contests/events/etc provide info here about their contest/event/etc?

I would like to see something that focused more on the most interesting or actionable updates. Like the twitter feed. I know that most contests/events are on the forums, but:

1. If I was looking for something new to try out and I didn't know where to start all I get is a list of things with titles like "Crash and Compile" and "Mystery Challenge". As a noobie (and having been absent from Defcon for a few years I feel like one) I have no idea what I'm getting in to.

2. I have no idea how to involved or if the chance to register has already passed. If there was something that gave updates like "Social Engineering CTF registration closes in 3 days check it out!" It would be way easier to get involved and not miss the boat.