Kiwicon 8: Hackers just wanna have fun

ATDT 083201234
CONNECT 9600

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%% USERNAME: KIWICON                                                      [ OK ]
%% PASSWORD: gCsBiMPLaNT!1                                                [ OK ]

What you see on these screens up here is a fantasy; a computer enhanced
hallucination!
	- Dr. Stephen W. Falken, WarGames



             KIWICON 8 : CALL FOR PAPERS | CALL FOR TRAINING

                      New Zealand’s Hacker Conference
               11-12 December 2014, Wellington, New Zealand
    Training 09-10 December : Socialising 13 December : Sleeping 14 December




This year, Kiwicon was supposed to be all about nostalgia - for BBSes and
WarGames, for acid-washed jeans and big hair, for anything with Peter Norton on
the cover. Mirrorshades, and purple mohawked cypherpunks skulking in the shadows
of the corporate fiefdoms. We could play up the 1980’s visions of the future,
contrast them against the complications of our current landscape: where
hunter-killer robots are worth a couple of minutes of distraction on youtube.

We wanted to make the point that in computer security, it’s always 1989 -
because the more important something is, the less likely it is to be updated.
Satellite control systems running on Windows 3.1 systems stained nicotine
yellow; radar control systems running on reel to reel emulators; airplane and
hotel and rental car booking systems that are all in caps and the churring whine
of dot matrix printers. 

But it ended up being not quite so lulzy. No wardialing, no password guessing,
no “Would you like to play a nice game of Global Thermonuclear War?” 

Even for a country that’s mostly known internationally as That Place Where
Hobbits Come From, elections are serious business. And ours has been, is, will
be - pretty goddamn weird.

For those of you who only knew about the hobbits: a hacker swooped in, haxt a
right-wing blogger, dumped his message spools and gave it to an investigative
journalist. Who wrote a book about it, and released his book weeks out from the
election. 

At which point the hacker dropped more - purposefully. Slowly. With great and
wonderful opsec. Our Justice Minister resigned. Schadenfreude was had. 

Direct, politicised, and effective hacking, in one of the FVEYs. 

In 2014. People attend our ‘con who weren’t even born in the 1980’s. They feel
no existential horror at high waisted, acid washed jeans and neon eyeliner. The
dystopic imaginings of the 1980’s were limited: they’ve been living all their
lives in one far less stylish, that watches us all far more closely. 

Rawshark - the hacker, the whistleblower - knows all this. They’ve maintained
strict opsec discipline. They’re media savvy and still only communicated with
journalists using PGP encrypted mail. They have technical skills and the sense
to hide them; judging from the flailing of the affected, no one quite knows,
even now, just how they got the information. 

The CFP of a hacker con is supposed to be its manifesto, its call to arms, the
right to bring chaos but this year ours goes something like: in the end, fuck
nostalgia. The kids are OK.

They, like us, respect our tikanga. Opsec first and last and always, skills, and
shells. Whether you’re old school or new school or too cool for school, slap on
your neon eyeliner and tease your hair and come to Kiwicon. Spread your
knowledge. Tell us of your sweet hacks. You could have a quiet pint, or a nice
game of chess. For a few days, maybe we can make believe in simpler times,
listen to a 9k6 negotiate line speed, daydream about jumpsuits and rollerblades.
Before we return to the 2014AD where everything is a computer, everything is
hack(ed|able) and everything is connected.

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   └───────────────────────┘  %% SUBMIT PAPERS %%    └──────────────────────────

                          And so, we call for Papers.

Kiwicon 8 moves to a new venue, the majestic (1200 seat!) St James theatre, a
new date (Thursday - Friday!) and a new price (still $30 student/unemployed, $80
+ whatever you feel like paying for salaried/employed). With the weekday time,
we’re spreading out into the weekend with some social events, and running
training earlier in the week, so plan your travel accordingly. 

To submit a talk for Kiwicon, please email cfp@kiwicon.org with the following:

   Name/Handle:
    Talk Title:
      Abstract:
      Duration: (max 45 mins; if you've 15 mins content, say so. Don't pad it.)
           Bio:
        Origin:

	Plus anything else that the CFP committee should consider. If you do not
	provide a bio, we will provide one for you.

Speakers will be announced in two tranches; the first on the 27th of October,
and the final list on the 10th November. Kiwicon, being a cheapass community
con closer to Antarctica than most, does not pay for speaker travel,
accommodation or provide honorariums other than beer, snacks and thank you
notes on our personalised stationery.

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──────────┘          └─────────────────────────┘ %% TRAINING %%

                        We also call for Training. 

Kiwicon’s training class model is simple; propose a class, run it twice. Once
for paying people on Tue 9 Dec, and once for free on Wed 10 Dec. Charge what you
like, and Kiwicon will sort a venue and takes no cut. If you work in infosec,
you (or your company, if you can weasel it) pay to go. Everyone else can apply
for the free class, and will be selected based on a “most benefit” basis. 

To submit a training class, email cfp@kiwicon.org with:
	
    Name/Handle:
    Class Title:
       Abstract:
       Duration: (half day, full day, two day possible with half/half free/paid)
           Cost: (indicative prices from free - $800/day)
   Max students:
    Venue needs: (classroom? internet? smoke hoods?)
            Bio:
         Origin:

We will be in touch to discuss. If there’s hardware/supplies/material included,
please budget to ensure that free class people get the same experience,
subsidising from the paid class. 

CFT closes and training classes will be announced 7th October.

We look forward to seeing you at Kiwicon 8; where we can take a moment to
pretend that, as Cyndi would say, hackers just wanna have fun. 

Sparkly pink <3
The Kiwicon Crue