"27 to 30 December 2026"

I have always wanted to attend CCC in person, but these dates for the main conference only work if you are 20 and single...

Its the perfect date for people who see all of their "real" family once per year, at CCC. Lots of couples attending obv.

21th/24th -> celebrating with family the winter solstice 25th -> visiting the extended family 26th -> visiting friends

27-30th -> congress \o/

31th -> celebrating a new year either close to the congress or with family again

Works very well for very long time. Plenty of families with kids on the congress too and you always have holidays at that time.

Im not single and i'm not 20...

A lot of people spend more than 1 or 2 days visiting family during Christmas time, and travel long distances to do so.

Yeah, works if you're 2h away from the venue.

I have been to a couple of CCC events in my late teens'ish. Around 26C3.

Over all can recommend, at least as a groups. I used it to meet some online friends for the frist time. Wifi / wardriving nerds that I spend a lot of time with online.

But man, I think I have never been at a place with so many small negative experience with other people. Death by a thousand paper cuts. One older man out of nowhere loudly proclaimed I was Anti-semetic, because I was wearing a Palestinian keffiyeh. When sitting in the cellar in the "hacking area", friends of mine and me where coding on kismet or aircrack-ng, when someone from the neighboring desk asked what we where doing. After I told him he only lifted his nose slightly and with a smug smile said "Oh, that's what you call hacking today?"

At one camp, where there even was an event on photography, someone I met almost went into a rage every time he saw a camera. Not pointed at him, just someone with a camera. Off he went to tell the camera owner about how it was last camp and his opinion ..

Everything just minor interaction. But as a whole it's just not people I want to hang around with any more.

That's just Germany for ya. Source: Am German

someone I met almost went into a rage every time he saw a camera.

The rage may be too much but the taboo on taking photo that is real and cultural normal that will be enforced or made to feel embarrassed for doing (i.e. 'lets not be the stasi'). That's the cultural norm of there and that scene. You visited from the states, correct? Bay area but the guess "small negative experience" - the idea of we are going around experiencing things and our life is a product of these experiences we consume and interpersonal politics - that's very california "the personal is the political" or that it's some how a consumption experience we "have" and who we "are" is coloured by these "experiences" etc (a fish in the water "what is water?")

One thing in German culture I very appreciate (as australian) is the "polite complaining" as in - you know a German cares if they will share with you what is wrong (and then they will have solution) as Australian we just complain about the big things (but never on your mates or people on your level) hehe "the government" etc - German - politely complain (and here's the patch) etc hehe In both cases it's a sort of affection or closeness if they tell you what they really think

it's not seen negative it's seen like 'of course we have feelings good and bad' etc

All generalising of course.

This could I see easily clash with american culture where often it's positivity all the time and it's seen taboo to say something bad - as if it's letting down the 'team' or it must be personal again 'you' or something - where as kinda truthfulness and integrity seen as the thing there - say as it is or as feel etc

Also another thing you might notice (probably less in Hamburg but in Berlin or something) in winter you want to go for a swim - that's the spa. Everyone is naked. This can come a shock to, say, a culture like the US that had the puritans - that people being naked is not sexualised any way. Actually the US because the norm is "naked" = "naked fun" that can lead to perhaps the most confusing cultural mishap. This might be related to photos also. For instance - in Australia it's increasingly less common people sunbath naked. In east europe and nordics - being naked in spa is just common.

Also: new years eve - they try to blow up everything. In a civilised city it blew my mind to see folks firing guns in the air.

Yes! There's some differences.

Saying that: there's assholes everywhere and don't let the 5-20% allocation of asshole influence your opinion of the 80% of the cool calm quiet

Hmmm... this comment is long... I may be the asshole. Ok,

Ciao

taboo on taking photo

Do Germans complain/rage every time they see a security camera?

Wasn't Germany the original country that forced google maps to censor all houses unless they opt-IN? And faces, and driving plates.

I think they are quite privacy conscious, as a country.

And quite averse/backwater (choose your version) on using debit/credit cards. Which is mindblowing from my Easter European perspective. I didn't use cash in a decade.

Hacker conference: against authoritarian government, with talk about security, privacy, opsec etc.

Also: can only buy ticket online with credit card and real name, no onsite sell available, your name is probably give to conference administrator for checking ticket, he will probably give it to third parties or keep it for "good reasons", etc.

Don't get me wrong, I like the talks, they are very good. It is just a bit funny for me. They can't try harder to be hackers? Or is it like this in germany always?