This weekend marks the , and a chance for you to meet up with other people working to use technology to make the world a better place. Once again, cities around the world will host two days of meetups.
The , with film screenings, talks from developers working on projects started or inspired by Aaron, a mini-conference of privacy-enhancing technologies, and a two-day hackathon.
The hackathon will focus on , an anonymous whistleblower document submission system originally developed by Aaron, and now maintained by the . SecureDrop has grown significantly in the years since Aaron began the project—it is now installed in newsrooms around the world—and it benefits from a robust community of developers and supporters who help build and document the project. Lead developer Garrett Robinson will lead the hackathon and explain where people with different skillsets can pitch in.
SecureDrop will not be the only thing to work on. The will also be there to lead prospective hackers on developing that app. Developers from our own will be there hacking, and EFF staff technologist Cooper Quintin will present during the privacy mini-conference.
Also at the privacy mini-conference on Saturday: presentations on ; former EFF staffer Micah Lee, now with , presenting on encryption for journalists; and Brad Warren on exciting developments with the certificate authority.
Starting at 6pm after the first day of hacking, the where people can meet. At 7:30, there will be a rare opportunity to see excerpts of the upcoming “From DeadDrop to SecureDrop,” a documentary about that software and Aaron’s role in developing it.
Finally, on Saturday night from 8 to 10pm an impressive line-up of speakers, including EFF Executive Director Cindy Cohn and co-founder John Perry Barlow, will present on their work and Aaron’s legacy. —including the reception, screening, and talks—are available on a sliding scale.
The hackathon and mini-conference continue on Sunday, with more talks from and Restore The 4th’s Zaki Manian.
For friends of EFF, and people who want to advance the causes Aaron dedicated his life to, this weekend’s event is a can’t-miss. If you can make it, so the organizers can plan accordingly. We hope to see you there.