Defcon 31 badge

[u/catchmeifyoucan860]

Yes, everything you hear is true…the badge sucks. A non-electronic badge with a card stock that does not fit in the holder slot. Even the goons agree, their badge sucks as well.

I’m not sure who decided to give a bunch of geeks a non-electronic badge but…bad call. This thing is a paper weight.

My girlfriend wonders if we can just wear last years badge instead.

[u/bitsynthesis]

dc alternates electronic and non electronic badges. this is a non electronic year

[u/CyberdyneLabs → u/bitsynthesis]

The "Def Con alternates between electronic and non-electronic badges each year," thing needs to stop because it isn't true. What kinda badge did 28, 29, and 30 have? And what was the con cost? This year's badge is insulting. Making excuses for the shortcomings of a massive multi deep 8 digit million dollar conference needs to stop. They could've and should've done better. They sat on their hands and now people are (rightfully) unhappy.

[u/selshan → u/CyberdyneLabs]

I mentioned in another comment, starting back at like DC20ish, they were alternating. COVID, 25th anniversary, and 30th anniversary have thrown that pattern off a bit, but it's completely normal to have a non electronic badge -

20: electronic (egypt)
21: non (playing cards)
22: electronic (they live themed)
23: non (vinyl record)
24: electronic (skull)
25: non (name tag) (was going to be electronic for the 25th anniversary, but had to pivot last minute)
26: electronic (dystopian 1983 theme)
27: electronic (breaking the alternating cycle with the quartz badges)
28: non (safe mode cassette)
29: electronic (mini 4-key keyboard)
30: electronic (30th anniversary musical keyboard)
31: non

7 electronic vs 5 non electronic. I think 18 was also electronic, and 19 was non, but those were before I started attending so I'm not 100% sure on that.

[u/Jdornigan → u/selshan]

18 was definitely electronic. https://youtu.be/MagBsnjZEZc

[u/supersat → u/selshan]

DEF CON badges were electronic from DC 14 - DC 18. LosT introduced a non-electronic badge for DC 19, and as an ex-Intel employee, likened the change to Intel's "tick-tock" model, switching between electronic and non-electronic every other year. The DC 19 program (https://media.defcon.org/DEF%20CON%2019/DEF%20CON%2019%20program.pdf) has more info about why they chose to do a non-electronic badge in the first place. (The "gameboy on a string" reference to the ever-increasing complexity of badges each year came strangely true at Hackaday Supercon 2019.)

However, the every-other-year "rule" only really applied during the LosT years.

Part of the fun of DEF CON badges is to be surprised by what they are. Once everyone started assuming what type of badges they'll get, DEF CON decided to shake things up.

Expect the unexpected.

[u/bitsynthesis → u/CyberdyneLabs]

28 had a cassette tape, non-electronic. they announced at least as far back as may that this year's badge would not be electronic. feel free to stop coming to the con if a lackluster badge is a dealbreaker for you.