Last weekend was the 4th annual Shmoocon. Tickets for the event sell out very quickly as they limit attendance. This year, 1200 self-proclaimed hackers came to the event that promised “less moose than ever”. Far from the formality of a regular conference, Shmoocon runs talks by researchers presenting new findings and new tools. Attendees are encouraged to throw “Shmoo-balls” (soft stress balls) at any speaker they disagree with, spawning spirited debate and keeping everyone honest. It’s all done in the best of humour, and results in a gathering of some of the smartest minds in the business working on very difficult problems. There is a true connection and sense of camaraderie among everyone I meet. Great event.
Certainly with over 30 talks, every speaker had new ideas, research or thoughts to share. A few things that I personally found most interesting:
There’s lots more that happened, check the Shmoocon website for presentations in the next few days.