40 Years Of Phrack: Hacking, Zines & Digital Dissent -richinseattle, Netspooky, Chompie
Rich in Seattle, Net Spooky, Chompy
DEF CON 33 · Day 1 · Main Stage
The DEF CON talk "40 Years Of Phrack: Hacking, Zines & Digital Dissent" offered a comprehensive journey through the history, evolution, and enduring cultural significance of **Phrack**, arguably the most iconic and longest-running hacker zine. Presented by Rich in Seattle, Net Spooky, and Chompy, with contributions from past authors and staff, the session celebrated Phrack's four-decade legacy as a crucible for groundbreaking technical research, a platform for digital dissent, and a vital community builder. The speakers not only meticulously chronicled Phrack's pivotal role in shaping the hacker ethos from the BBS era to the modern internet but also unveiled the ambitious revitalization efforts by its new editorial staff.
AI review
A loving retrospective on Phrack's 40-year run that earns its place on a DEF CON stage by virtue of subject matter alone — this is cultural history that matters. But the talk is fundamentally a celebration and a recruitment pitch, not a technical research session, and it should be graded accordingly: it does its job competently without doing anything that will stick in memory beyond the nostalgia hit.