summercon 2008 A new tradition of organization (5/30-6/1)

Summercon 2008

Dates: 5/30/2008 - 6/1/2008

Location:
Wyndham Midtown Atlanta
(Corner of Peachtree St & 10th)
125 10th Street NE
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
+1 (404) 873-4800

Admission: $10

More Information:

web: http://www.summercon.org
irc: #summercon on EFNET
email: info@summercon.org

Summercon 2008 will take place from May 30 - June 1, 2008 at the Wyndham Midtown Atlanta. To help defray the costs, we're charging $10. Shirts will be available for $15. Free stuff will probably be given away, too. We're still the best hacker conference value in the world.

About Summercon:
Face it, the media will never get it. There's only so much you can do with a twenty second sound-bite. The law enforcement community is only just beginning to get it, but mostly because they're up to their eyeballs in spam, identity theft, and credit scams. Institutions that should get it pretend that hackers are evil. Hackers aren't the enemy. In fact, we may be the only people actively trying to make the Internet a better place.

We live in the electronic ecosystem, and frankly, we'd rather dwell in a pristine environment than on the digital equivalent of New York Harbor. Summercon is a part of that commitment. While at Summercon, don't be surprised if you end up explaining this over and over to feds, members of the media, or concerned parents.

Thanks to the ubiquity of electronic communications, we hang out with each other constantly, but almost never in person. A common refrain on #summercon is "I recognize your handle, I just can't put a face to it." Summercon is, above all else, a social gathering bringing our diverse community together to put faces to screen names.

It has always been our contention that cons are for socializing. "Seekret Hacker InPh0" (if there is such a thing anymore) is never really discussed except in private circles, so the only way anyone is going to get any is to meet new people and take the initiative to start interesting conversations.

Because of this, the formal speaking portion of SummerCon will be held on one day, May 31st, leaving plenty of time for people to explore the city, compare hacking techniques, or go dumpster diving and out partying with their heretofore unseen online companions.

Scheduled Speakers:
If you would like to speak, send an email to speakers@summercon.org with information about your chosen topic. We are in the process of compiling the speaker list, but we still need more speakers. Sessions will be given in 30 minute increments. If you have a presentation that sounds interesting and need an hour or more, we will do our best to accommodate you.

Ground Rules:
If you love anarchy, want to break things, set off fire alarms, or generally behave like a twelve year old, you probably should stay away--even if you are a twelve year old. Especially if you're a twelve year old. It's not that kind of event, and we're not those kind of people. Even though we're a group of hackers, breaking the law is still illegal.

If you're interested in meeting your peers in the security world, meeting some of the finest people you'll ever know, putting some names to faces, and learning about the latest trends in security analysis, we'd love to see you. Mingle, socialize, meet people. It's your party.

For more information, online registration, and past conference information, go to www.summercon.org. Questions can be directed to info@summercon.org. For up-to-the-second planning information, join us on IRC (EFNet) on #summercon. We look forward to seeing you.

The Usual Summercon Boilerplate:
SummerCon is the oldest of the annual computer security conferences. It helped set a precedent for more modern "cons" such as H.O.P.E. and DEF CON, although it has remained smaller and more personal, and has been hosted in cities such as Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Atlanta, Washington, D.C., Austin, and Amsterdam. Originally run by Phrack, the underground ezine, and held annually in St. Louis, the organizational responsibilities of running summercon were transferred to 'clovis' in 1998. Members of the media wishing to find out more about SummerCon should send e-mail to media-relations@summercon.org.