The only conference I go to with any regularity is defcon. I understand why they don't want nametags, but this article makes me realize that there is much more

The only conference I go to with any regularity is defcon. I understand why they don't want nametags, but this article makes me realize that there is much more to it than legal issues. The idea of nametags is prima facie dumb. If everyone had their real name and every alias they ever used listed on their badge, it wouldn't have added anything for me because thats not who they are. When I was looking for the registration desk, I saw a guy in a nerdy tee-shirt in the casino and asked him, I realized that that shirt told me everything I needed to know about him: he was there for defcon. Eventually we found the convention center and chatted through the registration line. Every time I leave defcon, I have a moment on the plane where I think back and realize just how much fun it is to be surrounded by people awesomely enthusiastic about the subject matter of the conference (even the vendors I met were). That's what makes that conference unique and special to me, its why I care to go back (I know there are others with the same attitude, but my line of work doesn't bring me to those). That's the kind of spirit that makes a conference worthwhile. I hadn't heard of Wisdom 2.0 before this article, but between the article and some poking around on the web, its seems like a lot of people there are using it as an opportunity to sell themselves. Why would someone even go if that their goal? Do they really think they can pitch the pants off of Eric Schiermeyer in such a way nobody else there will, nor can be done over email? If selling something is your goal and you're not there as a vendor or on stage, your presence is probably doing the rest of the conference a disservice. Its a shame that OP had to buck the nametag trend to have the type of experience everyone there should have.