WHYcast history episode 8
Episode 8 – The HIP97 Badge: Digital Photography and On-the-Spot Printing at Hacking in Progress (1997)
Each episode of WHYcast includes a history segment dedicated to the Dutch hacker camp tradition, and episode 8 is no exception. This week’s lesson delves into the fascinating technical feat of producing personalized badges—complete with photographs—on-site at Hacking in Progress (HIP) 1997.
The hosts recall that, in the previous episode, Walter briefly showed his HIP97 badge, which prompted a deeper exploration into how such badges were produced given the technological constraints of the time. Big Red, another community member, provided a high-resolution photograph of his badge, which triggered the hosts’ curiosity about the process and the hurdles involved in creating them in the middle of a field in 1997.
At first glance, the notion of on-demand, personalized badges—with attendees’ photos—might not seem special today. However, in the context of the late 1990s, this was an impressive accomplishment. Digital photography was still in its infancy; consumer-grade digital cameras were rare and expensive. To provide a snapshot of the era: the best available consumer computers boasted Pentium 2 processors, 4GB hard drives, and video cards with a mere 4MB of memory. Laser printers were considered office equipment, while most people at home relied on inkjets.
Digital cameras, crucial to the badge process, were just becoming accessible. In 1997, a camera with a resolution of 320x240 or, if you splurged, 640x480 pixels (just 0.3 megapixels), could set you back $300—a considerable sum, especially in 1997 dollars. The host humorously notes that their current phone boasts a 50-megapixel camera, underscoring the tech leap. Storage was equally limited: a Casio model from the time had only 2MB of memory, enough for a handful of photos at the highest resolution before requiring a slow transfer to a computer and a memory clear-out.
For attendees at HIP97, the badge process involved having your photo taken at the entrance, waiting for the printer, and receiving a personalized, black-and-white badge. To make this possible, the organizers would have had to coordinate a digital camera (likely 640x480 resolution), a computer capable of handling these images, and a laser printer—all set up in a field, away from standard infrastructure.
The hosts reflect on how, just a few years later, digital camera technology would still be considered out of reach for most. The Canon Powershot 600N, with a 0.5-megapixel sensor and a price tag of $1,000, could hold just four images before its memory filled. Professional options did exist—Kodak’s 1.3-megapixel camera debuted in 1991 for $30,000, and Nikon’s space shuttle camera had a one-megapixel sensor—but these were far from accessible for an event like HIP97. The first truly consumer-friendly DSLR, the Nikon D1, would only appear in 1999, at a price of $5,000, and with a 2.7-megapixel sensor.
In summary, the badge-printing operation at Hacking in Progress 1997 was a remarkable achievement, demanding not only technical know-how but also resourcefulness and adaptability. The hosts express regret at not having been there to witness it themselves and invite anyone with more information about the exact hardware used to get in touch for a potential follow-up.
This segment ties into earlier discussions about the importance of badges and personal identification at camps, as well as the recurring theme of Dutch hacker events as hotbeds of innovation, improvisation, and playful engineering under challenging circumstances. The story stands as a testament to the ingenuity and spirit of the Dutch hacker camp tradition, where even the act of checking in becomes a showcase of technological possibility and community creativity.