I've run a non-profit hackerconvention for five years, and participated in the organization of a couple of others. My convention, PhreakNIC, was free and open to the public. The intent was to teach anyone interested basic (and sometimes advanced) computer security, provide a LAN to practice attacks (to understand how they worked) and defenses (to make sure you were really keeping your digital assets secure), expose folks to Microsoft alternatives like Linux and BSD, and generally learn in a safe, laboratory-type environment. Other hacker/geek panels consisted of discussions (and demos) on everything from LPFM to SETI work to DSS security flaws to free and open-source software PBXs to embedded microcontrollers to robot wars to etc.
Attendees consisted of the usual geek crowd, but we also had mommies & daddies who were there with their kids, folks who just wanted to game, reporters, law enforcement folks who wanted to learn more (they were quite welcome, and even solicited to speak occasionally), curious hobbyists. Ages ranged from early teens (and younger when parents brought newborns) to people in their 60's and 70's. People traveled from all over the country, and in a few cases, from outside the US to attend.
When Bush signed the USA-PATRIOT Act at the end of October 2001, my convention technically became a terrorist event and I became a terrorist ringleader. Under the new laws, I can face life in a federal pen (ie - no parole) for organizing this event. For some of my immigrant friends, it's even worse: they can be held without any charges, for an indefinite time, without being allowed to speak to a lawyer, and they can be tried and executed by a military tribunal. Finally, anyone who has ever attended one of these conventions could be held as a terrorist participating in a conspiracy.
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timeasmymeasure
You can start in on me. (was Re: tell me) - pt 1
Date: 2002-01-23 11:41 am (UTC)Let me tell you what I've lost.
I've run a non-profit hacker convention for five years, and participated in the organization of a couple of others. My convention, PhreakNIC, was free and open to the public. The intent was to teach anyone interested basic (and sometimes advanced) computer security, provide a LAN to practice attacks (to understand how they worked) and defenses (to make sure you were really keeping your digital assets secure), expose folks to Microsoft alternatives like Linux and BSD, and generally learn in a safe, laboratory-type environment. Other hacker/geek panels consisted of discussions (and demos) on everything from LPFM to SETI work to DSS security flaws to free and open-source software PBXs to embedded microcontrollers to robot wars to etc.
Attendees consisted of the usual geek crowd, but we also had mommies & daddies who were there with their kids, folks who just wanted to game, reporters, law enforcement folks who wanted to learn more (they were quite welcome, and even solicited to speak occasionally), curious hobbyists. Ages ranged from early teens (and younger when parents brought newborns) to people in their 60's and 70's. People traveled from all over the country, and in a few cases, from outside the US to attend.
When Bush signed the USA-PATRIOT Act at the end of October 2001, my convention technically became a terrorist event and I became a terrorist ringleader. Under the new laws, I can face life in a federal pen (ie - no parole) for organizing this event. For some of my immigrant friends, it's even worse: they can be held without any charges, for an indefinite time, without being allowed to speak to a lawyer, and they can be tried and executed by a military tribunal. Finally, anyone who has ever attended one of these conventions could be held as a terrorist participating in a conspiracy.