The Next Generation

June 27, 2011 12:30 PM

DEFCON Kids!

"It is interesting to follow the process of other people's backup units; how they are coming along."

posted by jeffburdges (15 comments total)

Eeee! Dark Tangent had a baby!?
posted by cavalier at 12:49 PM on June 27, 2011

Great. How will I ever hide my pr0n now?
posted by troll at 12:53 PM on June 27, 2011

Honest to god LOL at the schedule page:

10:00 Meet the Keynotes
Steven Levy

11:00 The History and Future of DEFCON and TIPS
The Dark Tangent & Jennifer Granick

12:00 Puzzlesolving
Marc Tobias & Tommie Blackwell

13:00 The Wall of Sheep Workshop
Joseph & Alec

14:00 Becoming a Spy
A Spy
posted by XQUZYPHYR at 12:58 PM on June 27, 2011 [5 favorites]

XQUZYPHYR: The Wall of Sheep Workshop

Reference: ZDNet: Defcon 2007 Wall of Sheep (Shame), and Wall of Sheep.com
posted by filthy light thief at 1:09 PM on June 27, 2011

I'm all for mandating |33t skillz training in grade school. As the article mentions, most kids are going to use the knowledge to protect themselves from online exposure, not cause mayhem. The kids who would cause mayhem would already be learning how to do so anyway.
posted by Horselover Phattie at 1:13 PM on June 27, 2011

I would go see Stephen Levy I guess.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:19 PM on June 27, 2011

Or even Steven Levy.
posted by Ad hominem at 1:28 PM on June 27, 2011

Sponsored by SHODAN, I guess? (based on the background image)
posted by boo_radley at 1:45 PM on June 27, 2011

14:00 Becoming a Spy
A Spy

This will make it rather easy to win Spot the Fed.
posted by twirlip at 2:11 PM on June 27, 2011

(Ditto for the "Meet the Feds" talk happening later that afternoon.)

It's cool that this is happening. I spent the weekend volunteering at Vancouver's Maker Faire, and the best part was watching kids interacting with robots, learning to sew or solder, and showing off the cool projects they had worked on. DEFCON is less DIY-oriented, but the principle is the same. Start 'em young, provide constructive outlets for their curiosity, and they will end up with much more understanding and control of the technologies that shape their lives.
posted by twirlip at 2:31 PM on June 27, 2011

I love it! Yet another reason to have a kid. The other being all the awesome toys that are out now.

Start 'em young, provide constructive outlets for their curiosity, and they will end up with much more understanding and control of the technologies that shape their lives.

Exactly, encourage a healthy curiosity and even rebelliousness in them that is missing in a lot of today's parenting.
posted by formless at 3:54 PM on June 27, 2011

As one long-time DefCon attendee said on another forum:

Kids at defcon are cute but really don't belong at the event. I'm sure this is going to piss people off, but it certainly changes the experience. I mean really do you want your kid to be a pool 3 girl?

posted by scalefree at 5:05 PM on June 27, 2011

What is a pool 3 girl?
posted by delmoi at 8:08 PM on June 27, 2011

things you don't want to know for 100
posted by effugas at 11:08 PM on June 27, 2011

I understand they'll be having an event for senior citizen hackers too. Gonna call it DeafCon.
posted by scalefree at 8:08 PM on June 28, 2011 [1 favorite]