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Comment by shawnreilly | Hacker News Reader

I've never been to a PennApps Hackathon, but from what you describe (1000+ people), I'd imagine that it's pretty much impossible for event organizers to prevent this. I think the key here is the 'left unattended' part of the scenario. The solution would be to tell the teams not to leave the equipment unattended. It's unfortunate, but a reality of life (even at a Hackathon with a great community); There are bad people out there. I've been to quite a few Hackathon / Startup Events (granted, much smaller), but I've never left my equipment unattended. I consider it a part of Teamwork, Communication, and Organization. If someone from the Team isn't there to watch the equipment, then it comes with me or gets packed up and put away somewhere safe.

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> The solution would be to tell the teams not to leave the equipment unattended

Please no. Don't contribute to this cover-your-ass culture of information clutter by disclaiming the obvious with braindead notices that nobody is expected to read. It's common sense to maintain responsibility for your stuff to the extent you'd like to avoid having it mucked with through malice or ignorance.

Most hackakthons are at the pro level, so it's industry peers and security for this is never a concern.

When you have 1000 students in a hackathon, then yeah it's a good idea to point out the difference.

Security is always an individual's concern, and to the extent one does not think about it just means they are unconcerned. Are bad neighborhoods supposed to have warning signs? Or maybe city-wide address systems should be used to warn people of increased crime every time it gets dark?

Having something rammed down your neck like you're a 10 year old never really helps. Being a victim helps people remember the basic things. Have a couple of people walking around placing stickers on laptops that are unattended. When the owner returns they'll see a sticker saying something along the lines of "your laptop has been stolen", and they'll quickly feel foolish for dropping their guard.

That sticker solution is much more '10 year old' than a general warning to watch out for your own stuff. It gamifies the situation, rather than being direct about it.

Unfortunately, not everyone has common sense. Stating the obvious seems like a simple solution. Sorry for the Clutter.

It's common sense for hot beverages to be hot. But alas, we've crossed that line as well. This one seems less ridiculous, though it's never too let to attempt to reverse the trend I suppose.

Agreed, but there's a way to do it and there's a way to do it.

There's a world of difference between: "Don't leave your equipment unattended, boys and girls" and "heads-up: we've had stuff go missing in the past."

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