Onboarding: how newcomers actually get up to speed

Overview

The panel gave practical onboarding advice for first‑time DEF CON attendees, covering etiquette, resource tools, and community interaction. They also announced structural changes (DEF CON 101 panel → Village) and offered a few Queer Con passes.

Key topics

• Onboarding tips for newcomers – 0:00
• DEF CON etiquette & heckling rules – 4:37
• Hacker Tracker app & info sources – 9:05
• CFP review workload, village highlights, Queer Con passes – 13:43
• Vendor Hall dynamics & community introductions – 18:32
• Panel intro & DEF CON 101 Village announcement – 23:02
• Handle anecdotes & club question – 27:38
• Audience member personal‑fact segment – 31:47
• Andy & Max introductions, injuries – 36:40
• Light‑hearted handle banter – 42:25
• Newcomer handle naming – 46:44

Decisions

• Attendees must not heckle speakers except during designated interactive sessions (4:37).
• Disagreements should be addressed privately after the talk, not by interrupting (4:37).
• The DEF CON 101 panel will be discontinued and replaced by a DEF CON 101 Village next year (23:02).

Next steps

• Submit feedback on talks to the email address provided (13:43).
• First three people to claim a Queer Con pass receive one from Speaker 2 (13:43).
• Audience members are invited to share unknown personal facts during the onboarding segment (31:47).