Shmoocon 2023

This was my second time visiting Washington D.C. for Shmoocon, my first being back in 2022. First thing I was excited about was the theme of this year, which was Broadway. The year prior was picnic. I was pretty excited when I saw the booklet that usually contains the schedule and talks with speakers, as well as some challenges and puzzles was made to look like a playbill. Also, there were three different attendee badges were made to represent three different Broadway theaters. Mine was shaped like the New Amsterdam theater, there was also one that represented the Richard Rodgers theater, as well as one other which I cannot remember. Each badge also had a portion of a QR code on the back which if put together correctly could help you embark on the remainder of the badge challenge. The bag with all the promotional swag was pretty cool this year too, it was a collapsible backpack that folds up really nice and is good for travel. I usually don’t use the given bag during the conference, but I liked this one so much I used it the whole tine. Also, coolest swag was definitely the tech deck.

Another cool thing about Shmoocon this year is they had their first book swap - ran by some of our close friends. There was the option to bring a book and receive a token they can bring back the following day to choose a new book to bring home. Participants also received a cool little Shmoocon themed 3D printed poker chip. I hope next year we remember to bring some of our books so we can contribute as well.

I think my favorite thing about this year’s conference was how good all the different talks were. I mean there were so many different ones that seemed interesting it was hard to go to all the ones I wanted due to being scheduled at the same times. I am hoping I will be able to catch the ones I missed when they are finally uploaded. Though there was always the option to buy a copy of the recordings at the conference, but I didn’t have enough money on me to do so at the time.

Hacker Trivia on Saturday night (Jan 21st) with Lintile, Rand0h, and 0xdade.

One of my favorite things about the talks this year that I may have just not remembered from the year prior is there were more than two durations of talks. Some were an hour, some half and hour and some were like fifteen minutes. It was nice because I think that allowed for more speakers but it also gave attendees more options to see more talks. One of the shorter ones that I really enjoyed this year was the talk on the D.C. helicopters. Some of the other talks I feel like I learned a lot about and was interested in learning more was Social Engineering from the detectives perspective, textiles and technology, Using Parking Apps like Traditional Meters Using License Plate Validation Loopholes, and Balancing Privacy Breach Notifications with Incident Response. Now, even though the talks varied in length, I have come to really understand why it is important not to rush through presentations. I myself am guilty of that, especially when I am nervous, it was my biggest piece of feedback the week prior when I gave my fist solo presentation to a client at work. It can be difficult to make sure you are talking slowly while still getting your point across while people are reading slides and developing any questions they may have. I had a bit of trouble keeping up to take notes during some of the shorter talks but overall I still enjoyed that this conference seemed to have more of them than others I have attended.

Playbill/Playgram booklet of talks, challenges, and schedule. Featuring one of three attendee badges which each represent a different Broadway theater. My badge resembled the New Amsterdam theater. I was hoping to get the Richard Rodgers theater because of Hamilton though.

But speaking of talks, I had a discussion with Dade after the first day about the talks I had seen that day and he asked whether or not I had seen anything that might have sparked an idea or interest for a project. I thought that was an interesting take and inquiry. I think at this point in my career, I do not feel advanced enough where that is the reason I am going to talks. But I do think it is still possible to happen if I found the right area of interest being covered by a speaker. I think I mostly choose the talks I go to based on what overlaps with my areas of interests as well as what looks fun. I really enjoy seeing people discuss their “passion projects” because I believe once I find one for myself I am that passionate about, it would be one worth giving a talk myself about to share that excitement and information with the rest of the community.

On Saturday night there are some options for evening activities. After a lovely dinner, we came back to assist Lintile and Rand0h with the Hacker Bar Trivia game. They also had a board game room with tons of board/table top games for people to play who did not want to participate in the game show or bar. The board game room seemed to replace some sort of “party” that usually took place at the same time prior to covid. This was a nice alternative since masks were required when not directly eating or drinking during the conference.

Lintile made a web app for people to participate this year rather than write on paper and us collect it after each question. It was a pretty neat idea to have done it that way despite some minor hiccups along the way. I ran around the crowd with a microphone for people to give their answers and why - typically I was deployed when someone picked the “obviously” wrong answer.

Following the game show, we met up with some friends in the lobby. The Washington Hilton, where the conference is held, has some really nice bars and open seating for people to hang out and get together. It was really nice to socialize with friends I have not seen in a while though we did not stay too long. With long conferences, especially after a big time zone change and being on a plane most of the day, I try to be back in the room for bed at midnight. Lame, I know. You know what’s not lame? A good night’s sleep.

The final day, I went to a talk in the morning before heading to lunch as Mason’s famous lobster rolls, one of my DC favorites. We got back just in time for the closing ceremonies. The annual “unofficial” game of Rock, Paper, Scissors took place and I did surprisingly well and made it to the finals to earn some extra swag, including my shmoose with a little black hoodie.

After the conference was over I went to the International Spy Museum. I had been as a kid but they have moved to a new location and renovated the entire thing. It was a whole new experience and definitely a lot cooler as an adult than I thought it was as a kid. We got new secret undercover identities and did different challenges throughout the museum which was really fun. I really enjoyed the cipher exhibit most of all. The museum really catered to those of all ages which I thought was pretty neat.

Shmoose won during the annual Rock, Paper, Scissors game taking a visit to the International Spy Museum after the conference finished.

Overall, I had a really good time at this conference. I feel like the vibes were so much better than they were last year (not that they were bad). It was so nice to see so many of my con friends as well as see so many cool talks about things I am interested in learning more about. I really enjoy this conference and I hope it is one I can attend regularly, if I can get tickets that is. Though I will say I was pretty proud of myself for beating the website this year on my own to score two tickets on the first round of ticket sales which was also the same day to sign up for verified fan for Taylor Swift Eras tour and no, I don’t have tickets — YET!