Why, in the name of Jesus, is this in Michigan?

It has something to do with the fact that there are next to no other computer conferences and conventions held in the midwest. Suffice to say that a few of us geeks in Michigan got a bit fed up with the lack of activity in the area and took the initiative to set up our own damn con. Besides, Michigan is a nice state. It's out of the way for some, perhaps, but the weather in May is heavenly, and we're attracting a population that doesn't really get the opportunity to go to a groovy computer conference very often.

How much does it cost?

Tickets are $40 at the door, or $35 in advance.

How can I get advanced tickets?

Advanced tickets are no longer available. We stopped accepting forms on April 28, and if you missed out on the ultra-krad and über-elite $5.00 savings, you have only yourself to blame. So there.

What do I get for $40?

Access to Rubi Con, and all speakers and events held within for the entire three days. Free, unlimited pop. A cool ID badge. The privilege of getting to hook into our own ad-hoc ethernet network. You get to meet in person all the people who you've been talking to over BBSs for years. And, the hotel has a pool.

You will not be fed and you will not be provided with a room, although there may be discounts worked out with the hotel. Also, we will not be giving out t-shirts, which brings me to my next point...

What's the deal with the t-shirts?

Well, at first I wanted to be able to give out free t-shirts to everyone who attended Rubi Con. Unfortunately, we just don't have the kind of money that that would require. We are getting prices on shirts in the $15 to $20 range for what we want to do. Suffice to say, we really can't afford to give them away. However, we are going to be printing up some cool Rubi Con shirts with which you can immortalize your experience and shamelessly advertise for us for next year. Anyway, we'll be selling shirts at something close to cost throughout the event for interested parties, but we have no idea what we will have to charge at this point. If you buy advanced tickets you'll be asked if you want a shirt or not, and we'll be using those numbers to decide how many to print, but we expect most people to be at least mildly interested.

Who are you expecting to attend?

Anyone. Hackers, phreakers, phrackers, lamers, wanabes, crackers, and conf whores, feds, sysops, sysadmins, your mom, programmers, and hapless bystanders.

Where is it going to be held?

Rubi Con will occur at the Fairlane-Dearborn Holiday Inn in Dearborn, Michigan. There is more information exactly here. The hotel has really nice highway access, and should not prove terribly difficult to find.

When is it?

Rubi Con will open at 12:00 noon on Friday, May 28, 1999, and close at around 8:00 pm on Sunday, May 30, 1999. In between is Saturday, May 29, 1999 on which, I'm told, the conference will also be occurring.

Is any of this legal?

Yes. Some of it.

We are not attempting to promote individuals to break any laws, or cause damage to intellectual property. All we are interested in is the free dissemination of information, and what the recipients do with that information is their business.

Anything you learn at Rubi Con could be used to fortify and protect systems and technology, or to undermine and compromise it. It's dependent entirely on how you plan on using what you learn. Your conscience, ultimately, determines whether or not you end up in jail because of trying some of the things you will learn about at Rubi Con.

What should I bring?

Business cards, your coolest computer t-shirts, your computer and a monitor and any other gear you want. We will probably be providing 10 - 15 lab machines for those that don't want to haul their boxes to the con. However, they will most likely be in constant use so don't expect that option to be available all the time. I highly recommend that your bring your own computer, as we will be hosting all kinds of games and contests that will involve them. We will be setting up a big, complicated LAN in the hotel, with snaking tendrils of RJ45 weaving about the place. A part of which, I'm sure, everyone will want to be.

Will there be Internet access?

Yes, there will be multiple ISDN connectivity through our LAN. So, again, bring your box if you have any desire to check your mail or download hard-core pornography while at the conference.

Will I sleep?

Not if you're doing it right.

What's this I hear about a party?

On Saturday night we will throw a huge party. There will be five distinct DJs spinning, including DJs Iceman and Elixer. We have enough space to house over 500 people. It should be pretty wild, if all goes well.

Also, we will be setting aside time for people to get ready as well as giving out prizes for the coolest rave outfit, so come prepared with your shiny pants or whathaveyou.

Will I automatically become "31337" if I attend?

Possibly, but I doubt it. It has always been my understanding that the truly elite don't need to be told that they are, in fact, elite. Also, they don't talk about whether or not they are elite; they already know it. So if you, by chance, become elite during the course of Rubi Con, then you're not allowed to tell anyone about it.

Will I be arrested if I go?

I promise I won't arrest you. However, if you don't do anything illegal right in front of a Fed than you should be okay.

Can I arrest people if I go?

Only if you ask me first, and we'll have to take that on a case-by-case basis. But I'll probably say no anyway, so you might as well not bother.

Are you holding the family members of various key Holiday Inn employees hostage, or are they just stupid?

It's okay, there isn't a scratch on them.

This is just a ripoff of DEFCON, isn't it? ISN'T IT!?

Give us a break, just because we're not the first con to start up we're relegated to being posers? I'm a big fan of the DEFCON series, and we were inspired to a great extent by the work of Dark Tangent, but a ripoff might be a bit of an exaggeration.

I have a computer, but I need the guy in the next cubicle to turn it on and I can't tell the difference between the mouse and my ass. Should I be attending Rubi Con?

Please don't.

 

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