Summercon has been bringing hackers together since 1987, making it America’s oldest hacker conference. The talks matter, but Summercon has always been about more than a stage and a schedule. It is where people exchange ideas, argue about technology, meet future collaborators, reconnect with old friends, and become part of a tradition that has lasted nearly four decades. We have kept it intentionally small, personal, and social — even as the hacker-conference world grew around us.