<p><strong>Emmanuel Goldstein </strong>came up with the idea for HOPE conferences in 1994 after growing tired of constantly having to visit his friends from around the world. By having all of them show up at the same time over a single weekend every couple of years under the guise of attending a trendy conference, he was able to find the time to watch every episode of <em>Dr. Who</em> in order, pursue a career as a public nuisance, and come up with the idea for Windows 7. (Lawsuits are scheduled for the fall.) When not trying to define his life in a paragraph, he publishes <em>2600 Magazine,</em> hosts radio shows <em>Off The Hook</em> and <em>Off The Wall,</em> and spends a few hours a day trying to think of a clever name for the next HOPE conference (not this one), which won’t be necessary if they destroy the damn hotel.</p>