
How To Crash A Party - bretthardin
http://www.nevblog.com/how-to-crash-a-party/
======
edw519
So you were dishonest and bragged about it in a blog post with your name and
picture. Some of the very people you tricked may even be reading it now that
it made the front page of Hacker News.

You'd think that you would have learned something after spending so much time
with so many successful people. Apparently not.

~~~
geuis
I have to disagree, kindly of course. Since I don't know the gentleman,
anything I say has to be taken with that in mind.

Most of us come here to laud and admire our fellows that are tenacious and
ingenious enough to invent, create, market, sell, or hack their way to
success. This fellow has done no different.

As he says near the beginning of the article, he knew where he wanted to be
but didn't have the resources or connections to get there. So he figured out a
way to achieve those goals. This is the epitome of what I love about hackers.

I also don't see a problem with his talking about it publicly. His intention
wasn't to spend his entire life sneaking into parties. It was to make
connections with people that would let him do things he'd be unable to
otherwise. Assuming that he's done that, then talking about how he got to
where he is now is perfectly fine.

I'll say that his style of writing does come off with a certain tone of
braggadocio, but otherwise its an interesting and well written account.

~~~
kurtvarner
I don't think this party crashing has brought him significantly closer to his
success goals. Not once did he give an example of a time he was able to
successfully leverage a new connection to his benefit. He basically name
dropped a handful of famous people that he met one time, but that's it.

The only benefit I see is that he's actively stepping out of his comfort zone.
This is valuable, however, it's at the cost of charity. There are better ways
to go about exercising this character trait.

~~~
jriley
I've seen it work for him in person in Austin about 7 years ago. I think
(some) local entrepreneurs value his gusto. His reasons seem different than
party crashers from DC, he just does extraordinary things to be able to talk
to successful people.

That said, most people will not be able to replicate.

------
kurtvarner
This guy is definitely a hustler... but something doesn't sit right with me
about crashing events for charity. Every drink or meal he consumes is money
taken directly out of the charity's pocket. He tries to justify his unethical
actions by saying that crashing these events will make him much more likely to
become successful (rich), and therefore he'll be able to buy lots of charity
tickets in the future.

Sorry dude, crashing parties and ripping off charities is not going to make
you successful.

~~~
mwhite
I hardly see how he's hurting the charity by doing this.

It's not as if he's depriving the charities of money because he would have
paid the large admission fees if he wasn't doing this; he just wouldn't go.
And his presence there is not causing the charity to spend any more money by
hiring more staff. There is the real cost of the food and drink he consumes,
but depending on how the event is catered, if there is food left over, then
he's not effecting anything, and if there isn't food left over, he's taking
money out of the other attendees' pockets, not the charity's.

In fact, maybe he contributed to an enjoyable experience for the other
attendees, which will make them more likely to support that charity in the
future.

Utilitarianism FTW!

~~~
jules
This is the same fallacy that some people use about planes: "Traveling by
plane doesn't result in more fossil fuels burnt because the plane would have
flown anyway".

The way these things work is that after such an event the organizers assess
whether there was enough food, and based on this they order food for the next
event.

~~~
mwhite
I guess you're right, it's a flawed argument. In fact, considering that I use
exactly your argument to support/demand not eating meat, I guess it shows that
I might just be going for a post hoc rationalization of actions that
emotionally appeal to me in this case.

But just to play devil's advocate, might the charity decide that they want to
take in a certain amount of money from an event and set ticket prices
accordingly, thus passing the cost on to attendees? (The implication being
that it's less ethically dubious to leech off of rich people than charities.)

------
s8qnze982y
It's funny. These kind of guys think they're badasses, while in reality, to an
attentive eye, they're the opposite: people with an attention seeking
disorder.

Aside that the attention seeking is very obvious from the formatting of the
text, the interesting thing is that he did really nothing special. Naturally,
credits for getting the right attitude that let him enter, but for the rest,
what he's describing is not different from a socially comfortable (skilled,
for the nerds) person.

~~~
ChrisMac
I agree with your last sentence. The post has a vibe that I've noticed from
some more socially awkward/not-totally-self-aware people, where they'll go to
an event that pushes their comfort zone (usually a party or a club), talk to
some strangers, get in some mild antics, then later they'll report on it like
it was this totally crazy, daring adventure they had.

To them it was totally out there. A more socially comfortable person may do
the same kind of thing, but it feels normal to them and they don't see it as
any kind of big deal or accomplishment.

Actually, what this blog post really reminds me of is a breathless 'Field
Report' by a clueless but eager beginner in that whole Pick Up Artist
subculture. I wouldn't be surprised one bit if the guy was into that stuff.

~~~
GFischer
As a socially awkward person myself, that's what I liked from the article.

Also, the author is of Indian origin, being from Uruguay myself, I'd guess we
might have more class/social status awareness; most wouldn't dare crash an
Elton John party.

I also agree that he found out for himself some things that other subcultures
had already found out, for example I think Kevin Mitnick says something about
suits and the right attire in his book The Art of Deception, the Pick Up
Artists probably say something of the sort, and many books and movies about
scamsters also highlight it (Catch Me If You Can comes to mind).

------
ChuckMcM
I assume the author realizes that the term 'conman' is short for 'Confidence
Man' which is a very, very, old gambit. One conman I knew told me that being a
conman was the second oldest profession, because as soon as there were hookers
there were guys who worked to convince the hookers that they didn't need to
pay.

Of course these days we call them con-artists since the sex of the person is
irrelevant. The motivation for being a con artist is the adrenaline thrill of
knowing at any moment you can be 'caught out.' Sure that makes you feel alive,
but when you are 'caught' you may not have broken any laws but you have really
pissed someone off. When you shoplift from a store they call the cops to
charge you, when you make someone feel stupid for having believed you, they
call their friends to come over and beat the shit out of you.

~~~
wyclif
The conman hustle is _not_ "the second oldest profession."

This is the second-oldest profession: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveying>

~~~
sliverstorm
I think it pretty obvious ChuckMcM was telling a humorous anecdote to support
a point, rather than objectively evaluating the ages of various professions.

------
apike
Besides being entertaining, some of these tactics could also be ethically and
practically useful. How many times have you been made to feel uncomfortable
being somewhere you had a right to be?

Maybe you really are meeting friends at an exclusive restaurant, but the host
is eyeing you suspiciously as you walk in.

Maybe you left your conference badge at the hotel, but didn't realize it was
required for the afterparty.

Maybe you were asked to speak at a meetup, but the doorperson is asking for
$10 in pizza money even though you already ate.

Learning how to look and act like you own the place can save you
confrontation, keep things running smoothly, and lead to the same kinds of
awesome as in the article - without swindling any charities.

~~~
GFischer
That's a good takeaway.

One of my mentors is the organizer of an invite-only meetup which I really
wanted to go to, and while he did add me at the last second to the invite
list, I didn't get a badge. I simply acted as if I belonged (which I did), and
I got by security, into the afterparty, etc.

I do believe the blog author crossed the line, but I also feel it's
forgiveable/acceptable as an experiment, but not as something repeatable.

------
rdouble
This article is a bit dramatic. It's really easy to crash a party. You just
walk in. Unless you are causing a problem, or you really don't look like you
belong there, nobody will notice. As party crashing is sort of a pointless
activity, not many people actually do it. Thus, parties aren't really prepared
for it, and it's pretty easy.

~~~
pavel_lishin
I think a lot of time people do notice; they just don't care.

------
evincarofautumn
Regardless of whether or not these practices were ethical (I don’t think they
were) or had a point (I don’t think they did), the article was a fun enough
read. If that’s how this guy wants to get his kicks and meet new and
interesting people (who seem to be interesting to him only because they have
money), then that’s fine by me. But if I ever see him at an event I host, he’s
getting kicked out whether he deserves to be there or not.

------
burgerbrain
In my experience the best events to crash are art exhibit openings. You can do
it with any attire (so long as you _are_ the attire) and it's not hard at all
to fake an appreciation for whatever art they may be showing.

Furthermore, the faster you drink the less people care about how you act.
People at exhibit openings tend to get positively sloshed.

------
nohat
This is written with the rhythmic style and aggressively varied typography of
ad copy.

~~~
beaker
Agreed, I honestly don't understand how it could be so well received on HN. Do
you really need to use boldface <b>at the end of every sentence?</b> This
article just seems like money-worshiping, social-climbing drivel.

------
drewblaisdell
Here it is in Google's cache:
[http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CiuHx3i...](http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:CiuHx3i_sooJ:www.nevblog.com/how-
to-crash-a-party/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us)

------
tobiasSoftware
Though I might not like what he did, I admire the skill itself, and more
honest applications of it. Anyone who finds the article interesting should
watch "Catch Me if You Can" a movie about a criminal who uses these techniques
to steal money.

~~~
GFischer
The book is also really good (didn't actually watch the movie)

<http://www.amazon.com/Catch-Me-If-You-Can/dp/0767905385>

I also enjoyed Kevin Mitnick's book The Art of Deception, also on "Social
Engineering"/con artists.

[http://www.amazon.com/Art-Deception-Controlling-Element-
Secu...](http://www.amazon.com/Art-Deception-Controlling-Element-
Security/dp/076454280X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1329393790&sr=1-1)

------
littledude
i used to work in a movie theater in high school, same theory applies. you can
actually walk right in without a ticket and no tricks, just confidence and a
sense of entitlement. my coworkers would never stop people with the balls to
do it and it happened many times.

walk close behind a group of at least 2 other customers. as their tickets are
being ripped just keep walking past them at a normal pace, head facing
forward, and without making eye contact. they will notice you but do nothing.

go ahead and try it with a legit ticket in your pocket you can show them if
they do stop you.

------
geuis
I may not ever have the gumption to actually do something like this, but I'll
say its admirable. At a base level, he's really mastered social engineering.

~~~
tomjen3
That is true. But social engineering is mostly about not caring about the
consequences and looking exactly like you belong there.

~~~
DrJ
Don't forget that you have to look the part as well. If you are dressed
correctly, you can crash a party at the White House.
[http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-25/politics/state.dinner.cra...](http://articles.cnn.com/2009-11-25/politics/state.dinner.crashers_1_secret-
service-white-house-dinner?_s=PM:POLITICS)

also:

Lemon: Carol, what are you doing here? How did you get past security?

Carol: You walk briskly in a pilot's uniform, you can go pretty much anywhere.
I've been upstairs at the White House while the Obamas were sleeping.

[http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/30-rock/i-do-
do-1....](http://www.televisionwithoutpity.com/show/30-rock/i-do-
do-1.php?page=9)

------
LisaG
Love this sentence: Think about it, every event likes press coverage….and I
was a quote on quote…“member of the press”!

Cheesy formatting, total misunderstanding of "quote unquote" - the use of
quotation marks afterwards is priceless, and an attitude of having discovered
and revealed some great secret which is in actuality a ploy so tired it has
been in bad movies for decades. This guy is passing, right. Definitely a
dancing monkey.

------
JonnieCache
Come back when you've made and used your own grappling hook, dodged barbed
wire using carpet samplers, hidden in a ditch for two hours and blended into a
samba procession in order to save £180 to get into a music festival.

NB: Not all of the above were necessarily my exploits.

------
freshfey
The funny thing is, if James Bond would do something similar in a movie,
everybody would fall in love with the technique. But if somebody really breaks
this down for you, it's wrong and "attention-seeking". As he says in the last
part of the post, this is just another tactic of being scrappy and wanting to
learn from other people. Why not use it for your advantage?

~~~
kahawe
> _The funny thing is, if James Bond would do something similar in a movie,
> everybody would fall in love with the technique._

Well, James Bond saves the world and doing something like sneaking into a
party is probably a 2/10 on his list of skills. All this guy does is
desperately seek attention, religiously look up to money and then he seeks
more approval and attention about it online.

------
adamrights
I found his characterization of the people getting paid to check tickets --
"I'm scared of Mr. Rich person" -- a bit naive.

------
dragons
Sometimes, doing things like this can get "blown way out of proportion":
<http://www.wtae.com/r/23653787/detail.html> (The blog writer was arrested
along with 2 others for breaking into Pittsburgh Steelers' stadium in 2010.)

------
kjhughes
If you found his party hacking admirable or maybe just entertaining, you'd
probably like the movie, "Wedding Crashers":

<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BchoV-6UHI8>

------
joejohnson
This is the guy: <http://www.nevblog.com/images/prime-minister-of-
malaysia.jpg>

------
coridactyl
So has anyone here crashed a conference or convention? I've wanted to but
haven't for fear of someone recognizing me.

~~~
ricardobeat
And why would you do that?

~~~
waqf
Presumably for the same reason that one would normally attend a conference or
convention, except with the added benefit of being a few hundred dollars
richer.

------
kahawe
> _HEY. Hey you. Studies show if you don't read NevBlog.com everyday, you
> might die_

Really? Excellent! Because after reading that post, I will definitely never
ever read that blog again on purpose, it makes me feel like dieing.

This so reeks of the same annoying "openess" and impertinence I have only come
to experience from typically Indian and Pakistani hagglers on the street
trying to lure you into their clothes store.

Congratulations, you played the monkey for an educated business crowd and they
gave you attention. How surprising, educated and intelligent people are
actually friendlier and forgiving than you thought! But still you were a
dancing monkey, nothing more. You really feel proud of yourself?

Here is a hint: these people are getting approached by the likes of you ever
single day, you really think they didn't see through your "genius" charade you
came up with in 2 seconds? I think rich people can't stand anything less than
people who talk to them just because they "admire" their wealth.

Your demeanor and actions very clearly show... you wouldn't stop at anything
just to get some money and attention. You are the last person on earth I want
to see coming into money because your borderline-religious fascination with it
is dangerous and worrying.

> _Often out of the ghettoness and scrappiness, emerges something more
> refined._

You are not ghetto nor do you accomplish anything actually pretty cool or
worthwhile through shady means... you are just cheap and greedy. And you wrote
a whole blog entry full of proof for that.

And all those "genius" methods of being a cheap, greedy wannabe and what do
you have to show for it? You talked to a couple of people... congratulations.

------
necenzurat
you got to admit, the recording makes it like a fairy tale, i've done crashing
parties (just for the free booze) and will do it in the future!

------
zbowling
How to crash a blog.

------
mhunter
How to crash a blog.

[link doesn't work]

------
edkennedy
Getting HTTP500. How to crash a webserver?

