Defcon so far has been total hit or miss.

Outdoor Location + 110 F heat = Miss
"Hacking Google AdWords" = Hit
"Everything you ever wanted to know about credit cards" = Big Miss
Shmoo group in an air conditioned tent = Big Hit

The Shmoo group alone made yesterday's long long lineups of sweating nerds worth joining. These guys were awesome - they really represent today's hacker mindset. They appear to be some of the few people who actually appreciate the symbiotic relationship hackers have with vendors. The also create things, in contrast to groups that only break things. I really look forward to learning more about the Shmoo Group - and recommend anyone who doesn't know them, to look them up.

"Hacking Google AdWords" had the potential to be another Cisco versus hacker-guy saga, but thankfully for everyone involved the show went ahead. The material was not groundbreaking, but it brought information to the community that was new to most. I know I learned a lot - however I will need to have a site to advertise to really use it. I found the stenographic segment to be really disturbing even without the casual mention of the T word. The most positive thing to say about this presentation is that it will most certainly cause changes over at Google, and really that is better for everyone.