I can't edit my original comment anymore, but I'll add: OG DEF CON stuff still happens, too. Parties, secret parties, parties that take a full day or two of codebreaking a badge to get to, demoscene stuff, drinking, public art, you name it, it's there -- it takes a back seat because DC does have to focus on mass appeal these days (I believe, because of its accessibility promise coupled with the number of people coming out).
I forgot these when I wrote my original post at 1AM :)
I have always hated the secret parties. As soon as I found out about them, I set about infiltrating them just to fuck with them. One of the reasons I left the hacker community was the toxic elitism and posturing.
I forgot these when I wrote my original post at 1AM :)