Thanks for posting—the article was much more reasonable than normal journalistic ventures on the topic.
The author did slip and prove they were a newbie—and Leslie Kean sniffed it out.
(Newbies have their own “theories” and “explanations” which have long been explored and debunked—but they do not know that because they are newbies.)
I did go to one of these conferences a few years back—and the trick is listen and learn—and ask open ended questions which do not give away your biases.
Then people will be comfortable talking to you.
What are some of the things people felt comfortable telling you?