Ideas for Defcon 15

[converge]

Re: Ideas for Defcon 15

Hardware Village - ... stations on how to solder, how to read a schematic, working with breadboards ...

We will have to bug LosT about logistics for this, because it seems like an awesome way to use some of the space mentioned by DT at closing ceremonies. The folks in Lockpick Village really stepped up and kicked ass; the thought of spreading similar knowledge and opportunity within the hardware hacking realm seems like a great way to bring more folks into the fold on this, maybe get more folks building robots or breaking mysteriously brainbending boxen (Winner of converge's Best Contest Evar Award 2006 tm).

[astcell]

Re: Ideas for Defcon 15

Let's add a new dimension. How about picking a lock while sitting on the dunk tank seat, and see if you can finish before the target gets bullseyed?

[Z^2]

Re: Ideas for Defcon 15

I definitely was very lost the whole time, partly this being my first defcon, partly my inability to discern what the schedule/map booklet was saying.

I know that the booklet organization confused me. Displaying events on separate pages (the b/w balls for example) with a small line about which room they're in that you had to hunt for, inside the descriptor of the event, blew out my brain. It would help if instead a room were listed on top of a page, and then on that page there would be a list all the events and times that the events were at. Especially if that were put in the front of the booklet. I know some events were filled in on the map in the back, but I still found myself confused for some reason.

Oh, and if the Riv let you put something up around the door on the walls through which you had to go to get to the dunk-tank, it would look more like somewhere people ought to go (I had no idea that's where it was being held until I saw a mob of people going out there on the last day). Would they let us modify trash-cans to hold up some signs if all else fails? Or possibly color-coded tape arrows on the floors (they let you put down tape to keep people from tripping on cords, so they shouldn't dislike this either)?

[Deviant Ollam]

Re: Ideas for Defcon 15

well labelled

this was certainly an issue that i kept on encountering. i know it will get better as we return to the Riv in future years, but it would really be terrific to have signs, some HUGE signs, up on the walls indicating which doorways and rooms are the talk tracks, breakout areas, contest area, etc.

i know that the hotel didn't want anything affixed to the walls, however. and we wouldn't want the expense and risk of placing projectors all over the place in hallways, etc. i have an idea which might work, however... it's not expensive (i think) to make what i believe are called graffiti throws. (not "throwies" which are just LEDs and magnets that you toss onto metal walls, i'm talking about a stencil/projection type design) i don't know if they're LCD based or powered by conventional bulbs, but if focused properly they can be very large and highly visible.

what if we erected, in key places, some sort of "you are here" type signs (maybe out of 4x8 plywood) that show the floorplan, etc. we could even mount the image throwers to the top of these. if placed in a hallway between two speaking rooms you'd have a clear indicator in plain sight and large imagery tossed on the walls on either side.

[mfreeck]

So DT asked folks to come up with more ideas to fill some con space. I was really impressed with lockpick village, especially the newbie stations.

A minor idea is to have a small area (it should be visible or it won't get used) as a dedicated breakout area, well labelled, with people highly encouraged to go there and show folks how to do xyz. We may be able to "grow" some good speakers this way. It's possible I may have been able to give a talk on my wearable at one time, but felt way too intimidated by the defcon crowd to even think about it. Maybe put multiple tables and chairs in there so hardware workshops don't have to work on the floor.

Hardware Village - this can contain such things as Robot Village, circuit bending and Newbie Town, with stations on how to solder, how to read a schematic, working with breadboards, etc. I'd like to steer away from really common/low end hardware stuff like taking apart harddrives or case mods. I think this would really help encourage folks who would like to get into hw, but feel intimidated by not having basic skills. How sweet would it be to have station/workshop dedicated to Fun With Gumstix?

With all the amazing work Lost has done with his contest and being so dedicated in trying to get folks into hardware, Hardware Village is a natural extension of what he is already doing. Personally, I nominate Lost and Joe Grand, if they'd like the honor.

Yes, I have to put in a gratuitous plug in for forming a Defcon Borg Collective. There's been some mention of projects DC groups could help propogate and I'd love to see a borg collective develop. If gumstix were used to create a diskless client, a wearable could be made for very cheap (if you used audio as an output device). Yes, there'd definitely be security issues, but hell, that'd be half the fun, since this stuff is gonna have to get ironed out sooner or later. These units would also be very low profile, which would make them more fun and less of a hassle. Imagine going into some place as a flash mob, having one of the server borg running an irc daemon and having everyone communicating that way, enabling the look of functioning as one unit - everybody turning in one direction simultaneously, asking for coffee with one voice, etc. I am sure legitimate uses would turn up as well, such as some borg getting into a talk and others being unable to do so, but being able to get a transcription of the talk from the borg inside. The weak point is that networking would be done over bluetooth, but hey... it's a challenge (security, length of signal vs bulky equipment, etc)!