What we are doing for DEAF CON this year + How you can help!

[arose4beni]

Greetings!

I've decided to post (finally) about the work we do at DEAF CON.

Our mission
DEAF CON's purpose is to encourage many Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HH) hackers to attend DEFCON, help provide these hackers with partial or full services, and provide a place for Deaf/HH to meet up and hangout. We often get mistaken for this, but DEAF CON is not affiliated with the CART services provided in the Speaker tracks. Those are provided by The Dark Tangent and DEFCON, so please send your thanks and praise their way!

What do we have planned for this year?
This year we have four interpreters coming out to lend their services to DEAF CON. Our interpreters are coming for various parts of the U.S. and volunteering their time. They will roam the convention floor and be available for ASL interpreting services. Our interpreters, however, will not appear on stage in the speaker track.

How can you help?

1) Volunteer

If you would like to work as a volunteer for DEFCON, you may be helping with one or more of the following things:

• Maintaining the website and blog posts
• Organizing the meetup and fundraising efforts
• Keeping up to date with team emails and meetings (we usually meet online via Hangouts)
• Able to come out to DEFCON and float around the convention floor to assist with attendees.

Volunteers will get a DEAF CON t-shirt featuring our logo on the front and "Volunteer on the back" Volunteers will also get one of our DEAF CON badges to denote their level of ASL skill. Volunteers do not have to know ASL. I do not know ASL and I'm one of the lead organizers! If you would like to volunteer or be a volunteer interpreter, please email us at d3afc0n at gmail dot com.


2) Support & Fundraising

Another way you can help is by your on going support of DEAF CON. You can spread the word about DEAF CON and encourage others to come. You can also come to the meetup and get a cool DEAF CON badge. Besides spreading the word, you can also donate money to the DEAF CON Interpreter Fund: http://www.d3afc0n.com/donate/

Your contribution helps bring our interpreters to DEFCON. Our interpreters are volunteering their time to come out to Las Vegas. While they are volunteers, we still are providing reimbursement for their travel expenses. Your donation will fund the following:

• Flight costs: Flight is the biggest expense we have this year since our interpreters are coming from various parts of the United States. Our cost this year for flight fees (plus tax) is about $1400.
• Hotel costs: Hotel costs are the next big expense. However, this year we booked early and got a good rate for the interpreter rooms. Our total cost for hotel fees (plus tax) is about $900.

This brings our grand total to $2300. Any additional funds raised beyond $2300 will go to buying t-shirts, DEAF CON badges, and fundraiser perks in that order.


On behalf of our team, I want thank everyone for their continued support. We are truly grateful for everyone's generosity and kindness. We are looking forward to a great DEAF CON meet up!




Thanks again!

~arose4beni

[TheCotMan]

Re: What we are doing for DEAF CON this year + How you can help!

Greetings!

I've decided to post (finally) about the work we do at DEAF CON.

Our mission
DEAF CON's purpose is to encourage many Deaf and Hard of Hearing (HH) hackers to attend DEFCON, help provide these hackers with partial or full services, and provide a place for Deaf/HH to meet up and hangout. We often get mistaken for this, but DEAF CON is not affiliated with the CART services provided in the Speaker tracks. Those are provided by The Dark Tangent and DEFCON, so please send your thanks and praise their way!

What do we have planned for this year?
This year we have four interpreters coming out to lend their services to DEAF CON. Our interpreters are coming for various parts of the U.S. and volunteering their time. They will roam the convention floor and be available for ASL interpreting services. Our interpreters, however, will not appear on stage in the speaker track.

How can you help?

1) Volunteer

If you would like to work as a volunteer for DEFCON, you may be helping with one or more of the following things:

• Maintaining the website and blog posts
• Organizing the meetup and fundraising efforts
• Keeping up to date with team emails and meetings (we usually meet online via Hangouts)
• Able to come out to DEFCON and float around the convention floor to assist with attendees.

Volunteers will get a DEAF CON t-shirt featuring our logo on the front and "Volunteer on the back" Volunteers will also get one of our DEAF CON badges to denote their level of ASL skill. Volunteers do not have to know ASL. I do not know ASL and I'm one of the lead organizers! If you would like to volunteer or be a volunteer interpreter, please email us at d3afc0n at gmail dot com.


2) Support & Fundraising

Another way you can help is by your on going support of DEAF CON. You can spread the word about DEAF CON and encourage others to come. You can also come to the meetup and get a cool DEAF CON badge. Besides spreading the word, you can also donate money to the DEAF CON Interpreter Fund: http://www.d3afc0n.com/donate/

Your contribution helps bring our interpreters to DEFCON. Our interpreters are volunteering their time to come out to Las Vegas. While they are volunteers, we still are providing reimbursement for their travel expenses. Your donation will fund the following:

• Flight costs: Flight is the biggest expense we have this year since our interpreters are coming from various parts of the United States. Our cost this year for flight fees (plus tax) is about $1400.
• Hotel costs: Hotel costs are the next big expense. However, this year we booked early and got a good rate for the interpreter rooms. Our total cost for hotel fees (plus tax) is about $900.

This brings our grand total to $2300. Any additional funds raised beyond $2300 will go to buying t-shirts, DEAF CON badges, and fundraiser perks in that order.


On behalf of our team, I want thank everyone for their continued support. We are truly grateful for everyone's generosity and kindness. We are looking forward to a great DEAF CON meet up!




Thanks again!

~arose4beni

They asked if they could post a fund-raising link and request, and I approved this. Any mod or admin can approve something that would be classified as "spam" and a rule violation as not a problem.

For this, I reason, this is an advertisement for a fund-raiser, which will improve DEF CON, and is very closely associated with DEF CON experience.

If someone were to want to advertise their book, even if it is a "Book about security" I would not see that as something "specific to DEF CON" but if such a seller can convince any other mod to approve it, then that might get an OK to break the spam rule.

I write this as a reply so people understand that there are exceptions for people that ask and can argue the relevance to DEF CON. (I've also made exceptions for Deviant Ollam with the advertising of "lane space" for the DEF CON Shoot, as this splits equipment rental among those that are using it, and helps provide resources for volunteers, and is something I see as closely related to DEF CON, even if it is an unofficial event.

I've also made an exception for converge (when he was an admin, so there would be no abuse of his authority to self-promote) when there was going to be sale of tee shirts in an early "Wireless Village"

Mods have tons of experience with DEF CON and the forums, and can each identify when an advertisement might be closely enough related to DEF CON, as to be an exception to the "No Spam/Ads" rule.

Thanks!

Good luck with your event and fund-raiser!

-Cot

[arose4beni]

Re: What we are doing for DEAF CON this year + How you can help!

Just wanted give any update here on some progress. As of Friday May 29th, The DEAF CON Interpreter Fund reached it's goal of $2300. One behalf of the team, I just wanted to thank everyone for their generosity and support.

In the coming weeks we should have updates with precise details about the meet up.

~arose4beni