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> An easy example is DEFCON, people treat it like a party with talks, because for over a decade it was unambiguously a party with talks.

I would like to believe that even a party is possible without harassing or discriminating against other people. I don't think it has anything to do with trying to be a "professional" work environment. I just want to see it as being respectful to people around you all the time, everywhere. Fully believing that, I have never ever found a desire to hit on or make derogatory comments to another man unprovoked, put boobs on a presentation slide, or grab someone's crotch even while incredibly drunk, outside of where my partner is concerned when we're in private. I find it incredibly difficult to deal with the fact that I've encountered many men that think doing any of that is perfectly normal until someone says otherwise.

Sadly, I don't think defcon has ever met that standard so I haven't attended except with friends in a very long time and I've always swore off unofficial and after-conference events. Plenty of good people but it's always those couple rotten apples that like to be disrespectful...



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