A Dateline NBC reporter shows up and tries to go undercover with a hidden camera at DefCon 15, a hacker convention in Las Vegas last weekend, apparently trying to get some coverage of people to make them look bad. DefCon organizers know from the beginning she’s coming, and even offer her a free press pass if she wants to cover the event openly. Instead she tries pass off that she’s just a regular attendee and gets outed in front of a crowd during a ’spot the reporter’ stage gag (specially cooked up just for her).
I’ve never been to a DefCon, and it’s probably way out of my league, but I’ve heard these conferences are full of relentless people who are trying to outsmart each other.
Lesson: if you’re going to try to outsmart a group of people, don’t choose a crowd of computer geeks. And don’t do it at a convention that attracts the uber-geeks.
Here’s a video of the ’spot the reporter’ at the event, including shots of people walking with the reporter as she runs to her car and tries to get away.
