Be Gentle - would this be fun for 13 yr old?

[Justj]

My first trip and my nephew would like to go, he is 13. Would he be bored to tears, is there an age limit? I am thinking he would like to see any hacks and such, but the technical would bore him. Hes a geek, but not a deep geek. Any suggestions?

[astcell]

Any suggestions?

Set him by pool 2 after 8pm.

[TheCotMan]

My first trip and my nephew would like to go, he is 13. Would he be bored to tears, is there an age limit? I am thinking he would like to see any hacks and such, but the technical would bore him. Hes a geek, but not a deep geek. Any suggestions?

Getting people to show off "hacks" at DefCon sometimes requires a social skill that is lacking in most 13 year olds. Hackers often hear, "can you show me a hack" or "can you teach me to hack" and it gets old fast.

There is often at least one "newbie" presentation each hour. (the present lineup.)

There are people who attended DefCon young, who found value and continue to come back year after year.

How much fun your 13 year old nephew may have[,] depends on your nephew and their idea of fun. Being egotystical, arrogant, and self-centered often results in less fun. Being less than genuine is risky, and has consequences.

[Abby_Normal]

My first trip and my nephew would like to go, he is 13. Would he be bored to tears, is there an age limit? I am thinking he would like to see any hacks and such, but the technical would bore him. Hes a geek, but not a deep geek. Any suggestions?

There is no age limit. I've always found defcon to have something for all levels of geeks, and I always learn something, but I only started going in my 20s.

Have him look over the website and see if anything grabs his attenion.

Keep in mind that dispite what tv and the movies tell you, watching most hacks is really boring.

Most people at con are really nice and tend to be helpful as long as you aren't a total choad.

Remember that things sometimes get pretty wild at night, so I wouldn't let him wander around alone after dark.

[Xodia]

I think there are alot of ways he could have fun if he is moderately geeky as long as he sticks with you for some guidance. He would learn alot and his interests may be peaked by some of the more fun to watch events (Robot Warez and the lock picking contests come to mind).

But like Abby Normal said, be very careful if he has virgin eyes for defiling once it gets to be about 9:00PM. Heck, just steer clear of Pool 2 and beyond.

[EvilMoFo]

at my first con, i was 17, my eyes were opened to both the good and the uh interesting....
beware: odd and bizare things, at con, do not only come out at night....
heed everyones advice..... once the talks are over for the night, around 9, get the kid inside (and away from the general attendees) as fast as you can

at age 13 i was a script kiddie, i would not have done well at defcon.... as long as he is not in that (pain in the ass, leet haxor, script kiddie) phase, he will have no trouble at con

if he listens well and can be a spectator for a bit... spend some time in the chillout area, i learned quite a bit that night i sat there fucking around on my laptop

[Deviant Ollam]

once the talks are over for the night, around 9, get the kid inside (and away from the general attendees) as fast as you can

i feel that remarks like this are a bit over the top. while all of us who come to defcon certainly like to cut loose and turn up the party knob as the sun goes down, it's not like people lurk in the bushes waiting for unsupervised kids to wander by so they can snatch them and head off to unscrupulous parties where innocence is deflowered. (well, maybe some people did that before... but i don't know if they are coming this year. j/k)

all in all, i think that if your nephew is interested in technology in any way he would have a lot of fun at defcon. i would also consider reading this thread, which discusses a theme very similar to your question. all in all, if your nephew likes any of the following: the discovery channel, building things with legos or erector sets, science classes, doing interesting things on the internet (read: not just "IM-ing mah pimpz and ho's, d00d!") he would find much of defcon rewarding.

check that other thread for advice on what to see and where to go, especially if someone is just starting out in the tech scene.

[zero]

My son's first DC was 9....he was 14 at the time. Just keep in mind that you will probably want to monitor his behavior and where abouts. If he's a geek, and really into computers, building things, and tech in general he should have a good time. Some of the speakers will bore him - hell some of them bore me! The CTF is interesting to watch, as is lockpicking, scavenger hunt, and the vendor areas. Keep him away from the parties, and I'd be at least slightly wary of Hacker Jeopardy. The late night movie night with DT though is a good alternative. The B&W ball is...um...interesting, and may or may not be appropriate.

YMMV

[Twigman]

I am waiting until I am 21 for my first con I think. As you can't drink until 21 over there I feel I wouldnt get the full experience if I went before.
Well thats my excuse anyway

[astcell]

I am waiting until I am 21 for my first con I think. As you can't drink until 21 over there I feel I wouldnt get the full experience if I went before.
Well thats my excuse anyway

We're not buying it either.

[meee]

I am waiting until I am 21 for my first con I think. As you can't drink until 21 over there I feel I wouldnt get the full experience if I went before.
Well thats my excuse anyway

With your luck DefCon will be cancelled by then