Hacking in Tents
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It was another historic summer.

It was another historic summer. For a good number of us, the accomplishments 
mirrored those of previous years. For many others, it was something entirely 
new. For the hacker community at large, the summer of 2009 represented a 
reaffirmation and a significant expansion into brand new territory.

The concept of a hacker camp was first realized in 1993 as Hacking at the End
of the Universe (HEU) was held in the Netherlands. There, for the first time,
people in our unique community figured out a way to build a mini city in the
middle of the wilderness, complete with power and connectivity, dedicated to
the world of hacking and innovation. It was enough to inspire us to move ahead
with the first HOPE conference a year later in New York. That, in turn, was the
first American conference to draw over 1,000 attendees. History was made.

Another Dutch hacker camp took place four years later in 1997, known as Hacking
In Progress (HIP), held in conjunction with the second HOPE conference (Beyond
HOPE). Then, the German Chaos Computer Club put together the first German
hacker camp in 1999. From that point, HOPE conferences in New York were held
during even years and alternated with the European hacker camps which, in turn,
alternated between Germany and the Netherlands during odd years. The Germans
held Chaos Communication Camps in 2003 and 2007 while the Dutch held Hacking At
Large (HAL) in 2001 and What The Hack in 2005. Add to that list this year's
presentation of Hacking At Random (HAR). Apart from a seemingly neverending
supply of clever names, the spirit of these events also seems limitless. Not to
mention contagious.

For this year also saw something brand new. The first ever hacker camp in
the United States became a reality in early July. ToorCamp took place in the
middle of Washington State at, of all places, the site of a former nuclear
missile silo. It wasn t nearly as big as the European counterparts, but it was
every bit as significant. Just as we once thought it would be impossible to
hold a massive hacker conference in the United States, we also believed pulling
off a hacker camp most certainly would never happen in this country. We're
happy to have been proven very wrong.

With a little ingenuity and a lot of spirit, all kinds of events in the most
unlikely of locations can be successfully coordinated. To have hundreds of
hackers occupying a site that once could have been a trigger to the end of the
world is both surreal and inspirational. We've gotten used to the Germans
having camps and conferences at old military airports or former communist
training centers. How is it possible to measure up to that level of coolness?
This summer, a big step was taken in achieving parity. Not only was ToorCamp
held in an amazing setting, but the sheer amount of responsibility the
attendees displayed rivaled that of the overseas conferences, where everyone is
a volunteer and security is relatively seamless and transparent. The only way
an outdoor hacker conference can possibly work in a place like an old missile
silo is if everyone works together and makes sure safety is a priority in a
potentially hazardous environment. With this accomplished, there is almost no
limit to the potential of where the next outdoor hacker event might take place
in the States. Now that we know it can be done, we have a whole country of
really neat places to hold the next one in. Let's hope the inspiration from
this event leads to many more of them.

Of course, we expected greatness from HAR and there was certainly no shortage
of that. Four full days of talks and gatherings including people from so many
different nationalities made it truly impossible to be bored. The time flew by
incredibly fast. Naturally, an event of this nature has a great number of
challenges and all of them were tackled by a very dedicated group of people,
many of whom had arrived days before and wound up staying days later to ensure
that everything worked out. A few of the tasks included keeping the wired and
wireless connectivity going, managing the actual infrastructure of plumbing and
power, dealing with the steady curiosity of the media and the authorities,
coordinating the speaker schedules, even running two separate phone systems.
Yes, the camp had both a DECT wireless telephone system and its own GSM
network, each allowing attendees to use their phones to call others on site for
no charge. An FM radio station ran around the clock and captured the spirit of
the proceedings with all sorts of interviews, news coverage, and music, every
bit of which was done in a professional and fun manner. There really seemed to
be no end to the innovation and fun that was possible at this event.

While this type of magic has started to become almost routine for those of us
involved in the hacker community, we do need to have this reinforced on a
regular basis. With every one of these milestones, more new people get involved
and become inspired. This is essential in order for our community to continue
to flourish. Having the same people doing the same thing, no matter how great
it may be, would still be a form of stagnation. At all costs, we must avoid
anything that erects barricades to new participants. And those new to the scene
must try and learn from the experiences and mistakes of those who've been
involved in the past.

The kinds of conferences we've seen in ToorCamp and HAR (and we'd like to
assume our own HOPE conferences) are significantly different from those events
that treat their attendees as a mere audience. Some people prefer it that way
because they don't really have to do anything except pay their admission fee
and follow the instructions. The people who run such conferences are very
different and separate from those who attend and the hierarchy is painfully
evident to all. A good hacker conference, however, has only a slight difference
between those organizing the event and those who attend with no previous
involvement. Oftentimes, the latter turn into the former, sometimes in the
course of the event itself. This is how great things are possible - with the
potential for innovation, change, and something completely unexpected and
unanticipated.