How would one become a Goon?

[astcell]

Now an illegal casino guard, THAT would rock.

[klarencio]

out of arizona.

[stringslayer]

Don't f**k with me dude

Hey, it sounds like he was trained by Flea.
Maybe he should be given a chance. On the surface, it sounds like he would be pretty good.

[TheCotMan]

Hey, it sounds like he was trained by Flea.
Maybe he should be given a chance. On the surface, it sounds like he would be pretty good.

Perhaps I am paranoid, but I worry about people's motives when they seek to become security goons without having someone who is well known at DC to vouch for them. IMO, the security goons I have seen in action have enough DefCon Experience (TM) to know when a heavy hand is needed, when strong words are needed, when a person might need to be helped to their room, and when to just let things go as part of a normal DefCon "thing."

A lack of this experience can ruin DefCon for many people.

If I were a goon, my first question would be, "Why do you want to be a security goon at DefCon, when you could be partying with everyone else?"

[klarencio]

Im not really a heavy hand, I can be if one is needed. I can be Teddy Bear if one is needed, just depends on which one a person choses. Its all about discretion, some people have it, and most are just a**holes who push their authority around. Oh yeah, good question Cot... I really don't like hangovers tho.

[astcell]

On one hand asking to Goon after you have a whopping six posts on the board may show your allegiance to Defcon, or you may be just another asshat who wants to goon/hack/show off. Heaven knows the planet has enough of those, and if you have been to a firearms training class you truly know the definition of asshat by folks who want to be a guard just so they get to carry a gun (insert your favorite Beavis and Butthead quote here).

The "Don't f*ck with me dude" appears, I hope, to be an overreactive statement which Goons may do but they really cannot afford to do. Goons have to be quite the diplomat until the higher ups authorize eviction of ejection. The overreaction is what we see from the AP security staff every year who feel a need to issue commands every 10 minutes.

If you truly want to goon you will probably have to ask to meet with some of the security goons and let them learn more about you. Gooning at next Defcon? It is a possibility but rare. Even Nulltone was only a probationary goon last year.

And since most folks would rather drink they cannot goon. I'd rather take pictures so I'll not goon anytime soon.

Some of the goons ought to post some of the incidents online so we now how hard they work. They have the appearance of cruising around getting offers of unlimited sex and alcohol, and I am sure there is more to it than that.

[highwizard]

Im not really a heavy hand, I can be if one is needed. I can be Teddy Bear if one is needed, just depends on which one a person choses. Its all about discretion, some people have it, and most are just a**holes who push their authority around. Oh yeah, good question Cot... I really don't like hangovers tho.

To be honest, my recommendation would be to get to know the other security goons and then have them introduce you to Noid. In many atmospheres it's not about what you know, but who you know. If you ever signed up for Security at one of my events I wouldn't take you without personal references from people I knew. Please the "don't fuck with me" comment, would lead me to believe that you take things too seriously and wouldn't be good at security in any event type atmosphere.

I think CotMan ask the best question, why you would want to do it. Beyond that, how many Defcons have you attended? Beyond that, what are you involved with in the Community? Are you part of DCG? Are you into Computers at all?

[klarencio]

To be honest, my recommendation would be to get to know the other security goons and then have them introduce you to Noid. In many atmospheres it's not about what you know, but who you know. If you ever signed up for Security at one of my events I wouldn't take you without personal references from people I knew. Please the "don't fuck with me" comment, would lead me to believe that you take things too seriously and wouldn't be good at security in any event type atmosphere.

I think CotMan ask the best question, why you would want to do it. Beyond that, how many Defcons have you attended? Beyond that, what are you involved with in the Community? Are you part of DCG? Are you into Computers at all?

I attended this year's DC for like a day, I was in town school shopping for my kids, not a part of any DCG, I am reading books about it (computers), I'm familiar with them. I started reading in feb. on networking, then will move to TCP/IP, C++, Computer Forensics is my fav, the main reason why I want to do it is because I love working this position, my whole life is mainly based around it. I do take being in a security position seriously. And the "don't fuck with me dude" was a bit over the top, i hear ya. I was just asking how I would go about doing it. I'll attend a few more DC's and get to know people, hopefully.

[klarencio]

Some of the goons ought to post some of the incidents online so we now how hard they work. They have the appearance of cruising around getting offers of unlimited sex and alcohol, and I am sure there is more to it than that.

That would be kool to hear stories from Goons. I've seen the AP Security Officers, what's the deal there? I'm not dissin' them but can't they do any better?

[astcell]

If the AP security folks could do better they would be working for another company that pays much much more, like TWENTY cents an hour over minimum wage. You get what you pay for!

[TheCotMan]

That would be kool to hear stories from Goons. I've seen the AP Security Officers, what's the deal there? I'm not dissin' them but can't they do any better?

Goons exist to make the con work well. Hotel Security exist to protect hotel interests.

It is partly a matter of, "who's the boss," but mostly an issue of, "quality of people/skill" -- DefCon security goons are just much better at solving con problems as volunteers than AP barely-above-minimum-wage Security.

My guess? Volunteers do it for the joy they get from the community- They really want to be there, and like what they do.

[Quiet]

They have the appearance of cruising around getting offers of unlimited sex and alcohol, and I am sure there is more to it than that.

Besides avoiding the poster of pool2girl as much as possible, there isn't much more to that.

[Xodia]

Besides avoiding the poster of pool2girl as much as possible, there isn't much more to that.

At PoolCon Kallahar and I were talking to one of the gaurds. He said we were a nice group of people and he enjoyed when we came every year. I offered him a drink and he said, "No, I can't do that on duty and keep my job. Don't worry though, I'll be back later." About two hours later he was there. I found that hilarious.