Cons
Tue, Mar 05
Guest Speaker: Tweety Fish (Cult of the Dead Cow)
Hacker conventions (or cons, as they are commonly known as) have been a fun and distinctive feature of computer hacking since the 1980s. To help guide us through the history of these meetings, we'll be joined today by our friend Tweety Fish, a member of the Cult of the Dead Cow – one of the most storied computer hacking groups of all time. Tweety Fish will share some stories with us about what it was like to attend one of these events during the heyday of the underground hacking scene in the 1990s. We have two learning goals for today. By the end of our lecture class, you will:
- Learn why virtual interactions between hackers were insufficient to support a viable subculture, which later became an entire corporate industry.
- Appreciate the differences between the amateur-driven hacker cons of the 1980s and 1990s and today's more corporate-influenced events guided by the needs of the computer security industry.
The digital artifact for today is the Defcon Badge.
The slides for today's lecture are available here.
Read This:
The anthropologist and expert on all things computer hacking Gabriella Coleman provides a scholarly perspective on hacker conferences as A Ritual Condensation and Celebration of a Lifeworld
Do This:
Technical Homework 03
See the instructions posted on the assignment's page.
This technical homework is due on 3/19 at 5pm.
Once you have completed the readings, fill out the following quiz. It is based on both the reading and video for today's class. If you can't see it, try this direct link.