Phreaknic 7 Report

Phreaknic 7 was, by far, the poorest hacker/infosec conference I have yet attended. Perhaps I was jaded by the 12 hour drive down from Baltimore to the host city of Nashville, but I think that only colored the perceptions of myself and my traveling companions a touch. It really was abysmal.

The talks were almost entirely non-technical. They consistently began late, ended early, and were of blindingly poor quality. I have no notes because there was nothing worth taking notes on. The attendants had little to add, and the organizers little to encourage other than drinking to excess. Ultimately, the only thing separating it from your average local 2600 meeting was its size, duration, and localization to a mediocre hotel in Nashville with a bedbug problem (I kid you not).

We tried to make the most of the Friday sessions and the evening’s parties, even Nashville’s restaurants. But Saturday morning the consensus was clear: the conference was miserable, more miserable than another 12 hours in my Civic. So we drove back. And there’s just not much more tell about the ordeal, other than that I won’t be going back for Phreaknic 8, and that Interz0ne connections to the Phreaknic organizers make me very tentative about attending that con this coming April.

But, dear reader, we both know I’ll go. Baltimore is killing me.