Vote - Defcon 12 100$usd

[pezz]

OK so I am back again reading over the posts...

Did I miss the percentage of "worthy" people who could not afford the 25 dollar increase to goto con? Are we talking like 50% broke worthies? 25% broke worthies? or more like 1% broke worthies?

Do we even know? And if the whole ideal of "hacking" is to think and not just seek answers wouldn't those who truly, truly wanted to go and were "worthy" be inventive enough to figure out how to come up with the extra money?

Wouldn't working a minimum wage job part time for 2 weeks pay for con after taxes?

Or even repairing a few computers?

Don't we only need one liver? Couldn't they sell the other one and pay for many many cons?

:D :D :o

Perhaps our local meets could start a con scholarship program for promising newbies...

[blackwave]

we masturbate because it is fun

Originally posted by Chris
But what of the people that get there and are pissed (and rightly so) becuase the paid X dollars to get to vegas, non-refundable hotel, rental car, etc and wanted a live presentation badge, only to get there and find out that those are sold out?

the reg table can give them a big stick that says "boo-hoo" that they can go hunt and whack those whom aren't as fit and trim and retrieve their badges... of course if they get caught whacking someone they are kicked out of the con since it doesn't promote violence... and of course no refunds for whacking.

Originally posted by pezz
Did I miss the percentage of "worthy" people who could not afford the 25 dollar increase to goto con? Are we talking like 50% broke worthies? 25% broke worthies? or more like 1% broke worthies?

If people can't afford the con they should find better jobs. Yeah this economy sucks for everyone, but everyone can't be on top.

[hackajar]

Firemarshall and Long Lines:

This was the first year I had a room at AP (got a connection on the inside :)) And 90% of the talks and extra's I wanted to see, were watched on the tele. Is this the first year this was done? If it was not, are people not apt to just hang out in their room for the talk that they want to see?

I liked the idea of the chill room being spill over to the most popular talk durning that hour. If that information was more public the problem would not be as bad, it think.

Maybe this problem will sort itself out next year with this information disiminated on the website, as it was not this year.

SK's, N00b's, Scene Whore's, etc:

Ok, just one thought from the Matrix: If everything was perfect, we would not accept it. Can there be Uber Utopia? None of these extra's lying around? Is not our clique's in life all determined by a scale of who's on top, and who's on bottom? Are there not shake out to every situation? Is this not what drives us to talk (complain) and move to position ourselfs away from "them". Motivating us to do better at what we do, so as not to be "like them"? Yeah, yeah, - yin-yang ; god - devil ; good - evil. Will rasing money get rid of this behavor, no.

Does anyone suppose that they get "scared" into being real information gatherer's (sp?) seeing all there is to see at the Con? N00b's are there to stop being N00b's, and SK's might just stop and think "Maybe I can do this for real, not just being a lame CS wall hacker".

Let's motivate this people in the right direction, not hold our picket line at the front door finding ways to shun them away.

Input?

[octalpus]

Originally posted by Chris
But what of the people that get there and are pissed (and rightly so) becuase the paid X dollars to get to vegas, non-refundable hotel, rental car, etc and wanted a live presentation badge, only to get there and find out that those are sold out?

If they're the sort that are arriving after the good ones are sold out, then they're probably the sort that doesn't allow adequate time to get to a talk and get a seat, and therefore are the people that would have been waiting outside in line anyway. ;-)

[$-bill]

im new to the forum, dc 11 was my first, and i had a blast! some might know me as 'the israeli dude'.
i can handle 100$ but the age limit... thats too much blackwave...

[boogah]

Fuck this conversation. You people obviously aren't listening or I'm not explaining my case well enough.

*shrug* Guess I'll pack my things and head home.

[blackwave]

Originally posted by $-bill
im new to the forum, dc 11 was my first, and i had a blast! some might know me as 'the israeli dude'.
i can handle 100$ but the age limit... thats too much blackwave...

Good to see you made it back safe.

Originally posted by boogah
Fuck this conversation. You people obviously aren't listening or I'm not explaining my case well enough.

We are keeping this thread going for reasons unknown, it is all pure masturbation, trying to think of situations of where everyone can win... pay a reasonable amount, get a place to sit if desired, not get hurt... all that fun stuff. All everyone can do is chip in their ideas and hope the better ones get driven into fruition one way or another.... something has to make sense.

[Soybomb]

I've never been to defcon. I planned on going this year, but other stuff kept from being able to make it so my opinion probably isn't worth as much but hey....

The idea of limiting the con by age seems wrong. Way too many sharp kids to do that.

As far as raising the price $25 in hopes it would deter sk's from going.....I'm not sure that I think it will help. Whats another $25 if you're going there? Unless you live reasonably close its not going to make a difference probably. If you can gather the funds to go otherwise, even a sk can come up with that. I'll have to take some days off work, get plane tickets, and a hotel room so $25 is a drop in the bucket. Doesn't mean I want to pay it though either. I wouldn't be opposed to paying more if it was going to fund something worthwhile like large conference areas so you see the talks you wanted to, etc.

I like defcon because its a cheap con for hobbyists and professions to gather at. Trying to restrict it by charging more or age rules, or quizzes to get in just seems elitist or something. If the current admission price covers the costs let who ever wants to attend do so.

Of course I realize that all would be in an ideal situation and real world space constraints may not make that the best idea either. Is the con outgrowing its venue?

[blackwave]

Originally posted by Soybomb
Is the con outgrowing its venue?

... most likely, but how many years will it take to find another venue so ... so... so accepting? Got any ideas how to keep the same venue, and within this construct build something where everyone can be happy?

[hackajar]

What other venu would give DefCon Corp as good a rate as they are prob getting? Can't this problem be solved with the A/V direction the con is going in? Well maybe pay-per-view might be a little carried away.

[pezz]

Originally posted by blackwave
... most likely, but how many years will it take to find another venue so ... so... so accepting? Got any ideas how to keep the same venue, and within this construct build something where everyone can be happy?

and with a slight twist this now offers an eerie likeness to MS operating system debates...

".. most likely, but how many years will it take to find another operating system so ... so... so accepting? Got any ideas how to keep the same operating system, and within this construct build something where everyone can be happy?"

[hackajar]

Originally posted by pezz
".. most likely, but how many years will it take to find another operating system so ... so... so accepting? Got any ideas how to keep the same operating system, and within this construct build something where everyone can be happy?"

EEK! Now transfer that back, and it makes AP look bad, wait, that can't be right?

[Famine]

Being people are talking about a test. I think the best way is to just umm ask? All the little kiddies ive seem to have ran into like to brag. So just get someone to ask in a friendly high pitch voice 'Hey guy, are you a scriptkiddie like me?' and 9/10 times they prob will be like 'Hell yeah man, do you color?'

But being I posted this, and all the kiddies have the heads up. It prob wouldn't work now. But hey I tried.

-Famine

[Hazard Toxic]

Personally it woud be my first time at the con if i got to defcon 12 and if the age is upped to 21 it wont be my first time the pric of raising it $25 wont keep away sk's like many of people said they have mummy's and daddy's bank account to rely on, I just think everything should be keptthe same and if they dont have any idea what any of the other hackers are doing they can go sit in the corner and watch

Well just my opinion

[DJ Jackalope]

my .02

so the more I think about it,
the more I dont think raising the price to $100 is gonna do shit.

it will allow some leeway for more space or whatever we would need at the Alexis to run con, and that's about all...

Blackwave was right however with the number of people who are all like "eep I'm scraping for $75" though.

now maybe if we went $150 it might make a difference...and add cool perks for us since there will be 100% additional fundage going around...I dont know how much goes into DT's pocket, I was always kinda curious on the actual percenatage....and i would much rather it go for additional space or more speakers or something than into DTs pocket, since DC is just like a regular entry level con...and not have to worry about the extra percentage to keep the kitties out.

jackalope