Chaospatinnen on 34C3

It’s that time again – the Chaos Communication Congress is coming! This year the congress moves to Leipzig and many new people will visit the Congress for the first time, perhaps even you? If so then we want to welcome you and help you get off to a good start.

Who are the Chaos Mentors for?

You’ve always wanted to go to the Chaos Communication Congress and are interested in topics such as privacy, security, hardware hacking or network policies, but have so far had little to no connection to the community? You visit the congress, but you have the impression that you are not one of these “hackers” and the feeling that you do not fit in the right way? Are you a hacker or member of an under-represented group and unsure if you will feel comfortable? Do you have specific needs that make your participation difficult?

Then we would like to welcome you to the Congress and make it easier for you to get started.

Feel welcome at the Chaos Communication Congress and at the Chaos mentors!

You are exactly right here and we would like to help you to have an exciting and beautiful stay. As a “Chaospatenkind” you get a godparent assigned and a group that suits you. The godparents are there in advance for your questions, welcome you on the first day and explore congress with you. Together we will find out where there are interesting workshops and talks for you and are there for you as contact point if you need us. In advance of Congress we also act as the contact person for your questions, concerns, needs or wishes.

How does it work?

*\* Registration until December 3rd **

You have until December 3rd to register, you can do this by sending an email with some information about yourself to chaosmentors at lists dot ccc dot de. But please contact us as soon as possible, as we will begin to create the groups before the 3rd of December. Tell us a bit about you, for example what leads you to the congress, why you turn to the chaos mentors, what you are interested in and if you have specific needs. So we can find a suitable sponsor for you, and put together a group with similar interests. Your chaos mentor will contact you and your group before the congress so you can get to know each other. At the congress you are a reference group and can explore the congress together.

Why are we doing this?

We ourselves have had a great time at the Congress for 1, 2, 10 or 30 years. But we know from our own experience how difficult the first step can be. Thoughts like “A big hacker conference, am I even watching this?” are not foreign to us. But do not worry – is the first step done, waiting for great people and the opportunity to learn a lot about you. But exchange is not a one-way street: even the community at the congress can learn a lot from you and lives from the diversity of the participants. That’s why we want to encourage those who did not dare by themselves with the chaospates.

For chaos mentors:

Of course, we are again looking for energetic support from nice, experienced and reliable mentors this year. If you feel like taking on a group of newbies and looking after them, then contact us by mail at chaosmentors at lists dot ccc dot de.
Tell us something about yourself and what you know well, so that we can find suitable godchildren for you. Thank you in advance for your support.

Please note:

For us too, this year is a venue and we have to find our way around ourselves. Therefore two requests: Sign up until December 3rd, sadly any registrations that come after this date will not be taken into account. Also: Please refrain from spontaneously referring people to us. We do not offer guided tours (Persistent Fake News!) And the program is for those who have registered in advance. If you meet people who are looking for orientation and connection, then support them! Any hacker can become a chaos mentor!

Looking forward:

Ryan, Anja, Nixen, Arne, Fiona, Arne, Martina, Sam, Jiska, Sebastian and many more

Twitter: @chaospatinnen