DragonCon 2002: Electronic Frontiers Forums:
2002 Program Schedule

(Updated Sunday, February 23, 2003.)

"Electronic Frontiers": Where technology, politics, and online culture meet (and sometimes collide!).

Friday, August 30 - Monday, September 2, 2002
Director: Scott Jones (scott@aprr.org)
Location: Downtown Hyatt, rooms Hanover D & E

Prior years' programs:

Finally!
Yup, it took a while. Pictures and (most of) the audio are now finally posted. Remaining audio coming soon. Thanks for your patience.

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Our Purpose
The Electronic Frontiers Forums is a series of panels devoted to online technology, politics, and culture. We cover pressing issues in online media, including freedom of speech, privacy online, governance and enforcement, new trends in technology, and the latest trends in online culture. Please join us for our next presentation at DragonCon.

Pictures: Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday

Schedule for 2002:
Friday, August 30 Saturday, August 31 Sunday, September 1 Monday, September 2
10:00 AM (Convention Closed) Quantum Computing
MP3

Computing machines developed using principles of quantum level physics promise incredible advances in the fields of medicine, weather forecasting, encryption, and many other areas. It's barely in the vacuum tube stage, but holds immense promise for the future. Come learn about the next revolution in computer technology.

Bob

Attendance: 41

Spyware
MP3

Your own computer is watching you! Buried in many free downloads is software that watches what you do on your computer. Companies are exploiting your loss of privacy for financial gain. Cookies, web bugs, adware, spyware... Who's watching you and what can you do?

Michael McDaniel

Attendance: 34

Hacking 301
MP3

Many folks quietly drinking coffee. Very quietly.

jonnyX
Rhia
Drag0n
Lothar

Attendance: 20

11:30 AM (Convention Closed) Spam Explosion: Drowning in Junk Email
MP3

Attorney Pete Wellborn covers the legal and practical aspects of the unsolicited email (commercial or otherwise) that is clogging up our inboxes virtually every day. Who is responsible, and what can be done?

Pete Wellborn

Attendance: 39

Internet Freedom of Speech Update
MP3 | Powerpoint

The Supreme Court decision that declared part of the Communications Decency Act unconstitutional in 1998 did not end the battle by a small minority to restrict speech on the Internet. Hear about CDA II, COPA, and other efforts to restrict free speech, and learn what can be done to save it.

Lee Tien (EFF)

Attendance: 23

"Piracy" As a Business Model
MP3

The entertainment industry is in panic mode; scrambling to figure out how to keep profit margins on the rise in light of ever increasing online piracy. Shutting down Napster only gave other fledgling peer-to-peer file sharing networks the chance to flourish, so what's the industry to do? Laughing Boy demonstrates why the answer to the industry's dilemma may not be copy protection schemes and more legislation, but an ironic 180 degree turn *encouraging* the swapping of MP3's and other digital media.

Laughing Boy

Attendance: 10

1:00 PM (No Program) MUD/MMORPG Development
MP3

Come talk to the people behind such commercial MUD/MMORPGs as GemStone III, DragonRealms, Underlight, Achaea and Meridian 59 about the unique challenges they face in developing and running massively multiplayer online roleplaying games.

Elonka Dunin
Matt Mihaly
Brian Green
Travis Turner
Mark Salowitz

Attendance: 70

Privacy Rights in a Post September 11th World
MP3

In the heady days after September 11th, Congress quickly passed the U.S.A. Patriot Act. The implications on privacy, including computer privacy, are significant. Attorney Jim Butler explains the legal implications of the new world we now live in.

Jim Butler

Attendance: 40

Steganography
MP3

After 9/11/2001, Elonka Dunin, a prize-winning game developer and cryptographer, contacted the FBI to ask if she could help with the war on terrorism. Come join her in this session, as she shares some of the same information she used in one of her FBI presentations, with the Dragon*Con crowd.

Elonka Dunin

Attendance: 40

2:30 PM Consumer Complaints and Trademarks
RealAudio

A growing number of dissatisfied consumers are taking their complaints to the Internet. Many corporation have responded by using trademark law to silence criticism. We examine one such case. A prerecorded talk by attorney Scott McClain.

Scott Jones

Attendance: 14

Intellectual Property Protection for the Little Guy
MP3

Intellectual property rights apply to every one, not just large corporations. Learn about your legal rights and options for protecting your content on the Internet.

Sam Altersitz

Attendance: 34

Internet Radio in Crisis
MP3

Implementation of the royalty structure for Internet radio mandated by the DMCA could shut down many independent Internet-only "radio" stations. Rates set by the Library of Congress are only affordable to the largest commercial concerns. Learn about Internet radio's exciting past and potentially very dark future.

Laughing Boy
Lothar

Attendance: 22

Everquest: From Newbie to Uber
MP3

A roundtable discussion of Everquest, starting from the newbies point of view out to the highest levels (and beyond). All are welcome.

Waylon Adams

Attendance: 47

4:00 PM Wireless (In)security
MP3

Some personal observations on the limits of wireless security, from Randal Schwartz.

Randal Schwartz

Attendance: 40

Fair Use Rights on the Internet
MP3 | Powerpoint

In the wake of Napster, corporate content owners are lobbying for vastly expanded rights to control content on the Internet. Technologies such as digital rights management go beyond copy protection and provide the content owner strict usage control. What is fair use, and what happens to it in the process?

Lee Tien (EFF)

Attendance: 27

e-books and Free Books
MP3

Can an author make money with unencrypted e-books (no copy protection)? And what if the book is free? Our panelist is a published author who has put each of his books on the Internet before they went into print. Find out how "free" publishing can actually help book sales.

John Ringo

Attendance: 25

Wrap-Up and Comments

Give us your comments, questions, and ideas for next year. Now excuse me while I go take a nap.

Scott Jones

Attendance: none?

5:30 PM Internet Activism Today
MP3

Lee Tien of the Electronic Frontier Foundation tells us about the special challenges facing Internet activists today. Working as an agent for change isn't always easy, but today it's more important than ever.

Lee Tien (EFF)

Attendance: 25

Are You Authorized?: A Cautionary Tale
MP3

A computer contractor runs "crack" on his employer's password file, just to demonstrate inadequate security. Before he knows it, he's charged with computer intrusion. No good deed goes unpunished. Randal Schwartz tells us about his legal troubles and shows how bad laws hurt good people.

Randal Schwartz

Attendance: 60

Wardriving: The Golden Age of Wireless?
MP3

Wardriving is the practice of driving around town with a wireless-network equipped laptop looking for unsecured wireless networks. Learn how it works and how to protect your wireless network from curious eyes. Find out about the risks (both of having an unsecured wireless network and of looking for one).

James Dean

Attendance: 47

(Convention Closed)
7:00 PM My So-Called LiveJournal (.com)
MP3

LiveJournal.com is more than just a web site. It has quickly evolved into a major social phenomenon on the Internet. This will be an open roundtable for web diarists to discuss writing, the shock of having a fanbase, and interesting tales of journaling.

Josh Thomas
BarDiva
Mystrys
sohma g. dawling
Sherrod

Attendance: 80

Web Cam Girls
MP3

Inexpensive web cameras have allowed people to share their lives in a whole new way. Web cams have created a new form of self-expression, and allowed "ordinary" people to become stars in their own home. Coupled with "live" online journals, they have also become a way to make a new global circle of friends. This year's panel is dedicated to the memory of Dawn Marie.

Mystrys
BarDiva
sohma g. dawling
Sherrod

Attendance: 116

I Blog, You Blog, WebLog
MP3

Blogs, online diaries of everyday life. Over a million people have them worldwide. Are they feeble vanity, cultural meme, new journalism, or just another internet fad? Find out what they are, where they came from, and what they could become.

Josh Thomas
Sherrod

Attendance: 40

(Convention Closed)
8:30 PM Gathering of the Guilds
MP3

Gathering of the Guilds is an event whose goal is to attract members of the guild community as well as MMORPG players in general. To facilitate this, we will be inviting organizers of some of the more highly recognized guilds and members of design teams from various gaming companies. We plan to have these teams demonstrate some of the games they have in development, hold discussion panels, and meet the MMORPG community.

Palehorse
Elonka Dunin
Waylon Adams

Attendance: 70

Hacking 101
MP3

A repeat of the popular panel from previous years. Just what is a hacker anyway? Culture, history, contacts, resources, and pointers for more info. Dispelling the myths from the media and the courts. Brought to you by se2600.org.

jonny X
James Dean
Drag0n
Rhia
Lothar

Attendance: 110

The Hacker Work Ethic
MP3

What makes someone work countless hours into the night to solve a problem or make something new, even when it may not pay? Does your 8am-5pm job fit a little too snugly? Come hear why the Hacker Work Ethic enjoyed for so long in academia is finally starting to replace the Protestant Work Ethic of the business world. Partly from a book of the same name by Pekka Himanen.

Bob

Attendance: 30+

(Convention Closed)
10:00 PM Java Chat Role-Playing Games
MP3

Just what is a Java chat game and how does it work? What are the rules and what makes it fun? Our speaker is a Story Teller for the virtual world of New Bremen, from White Wolf games.

Sam Altersitz

Attendance: 30

Movie: Freedom Downtime

A cross-country epic journey to discover the truth about hacker hero Kevin Mitnick. Has law enforcement gone too far? Narrated by Emmanuel Goldstein of 2600 Magazine.

Scott Jones

Attendance: 47

Hacking 201
MP3

Q&A from our panel of experts. Play "stump the hacker", maybe you'll win a prize! Brought to you by se2600.org.

jonny X
James Dean
Drag0n
Rhia
Randal Schwartz
Lothar

Attendance: 110+

(Convention Closed)
11:30 PM Wit and Wisdom of the Internet Elders

Official social gathering of the DragonCon Yahoo message board. Main topic: Hugging practice 101. Your hostess is Empooress.

Empooress

Attendance: 10

(Freedom Downtime continued...) (Hacking 201 continued...) (Convention Closed)
1:00 AM (Wit and Wisdom continued...) MMORPG Get-Together

Join us for a late-night get together for all online role playing game enthusiasts. Ultima Online, Asheron's Call, Everquest, MUD's, and many others. Meet and greet your fellow gamers.

Elonka Dunin

Attendance: 12

(Hacking 201 continued...) (Convention Closed)

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