# Conference-learning notes

Crestcon — Serallo Domains Ltd
Published 2 November 2026. Source: https://crestcon.co.uk/resources/conference-learning-notes/

You may copy and adapt this original template for your organisation’s planning and learning. Retain the source link when sharing an adapted copy. Keep fictional examples separate from your own facts.


Use this template during a conference session or while reading surviving material. It separates what the source claims, what you can inspect and what you intend to do next. A completed note should still make sense to someone who did not attend the event.

## Download or print

- [Editable notes template and worked example — Markdown](https://crestcon.co.uk/downloads/crestcon-conference-learning-notes.md)
- [Blank response fields and worked example — CSV](https://crestcon.co.uk/downloads/crestcon-conference-learning-notes.csv)

Print the page or edit the downloads locally. This site does not receive your notes. Store any restricted information according to the event's and your organisation's rules; use public or synthetic material for a public portfolio.

## How to use the template

Record the material type first. Reading a programme description, watching a recording and inspecting source code are different activities. If a slide deck is unavailable, say so instead of writing as though you have seen it.

During a live session, capture a small number of claims and questions. After the session, check the references and complete the relevance and action fields. Use your own words; distinguish any brief quotation from your interpretation and respect sharing restrictions.

## Blank learning note

| Field | Prompt | Your note |
|---|---|---|
| Your learning question | What do you want this session or source to help you understand? | |
| Event and year | Identify the event; keep event date separate from your reading date | |
| Session and speaker | Record the title and named speaker as the source gives them | |
| Source and version | Add the original URL, document version or repository reference | |
| Material examined | State live attendance, recording, slides, programme, author page, paper or code | |
| Access or reading date | Record when you actually examined the material | |
| Central claim | Summarise one specific claim, attributing it to the source | |
| Evidence available | What observation, description, data or method supports the claim? | |
| Conditions and limits | Which versions, assumptions, environments or missing materials matter? | |
| Your interpretation | Explain your reasoning separately from the author's claim | |
| Current relevance | What current documentation or local facts need checking? | |
| Unanswered question | Name the most important remaining uncertainty | |
| Follow-up reading | Add the next primary source and why it matters | |
| Proposed action | Define a small authorised task or a reason to take no action | |
| Owner and review point | Who will follow up, and when or after which event? | |
| Result | Record what the follow-up established, including its limits | |

## Worked example: reviewing an archived research topic

This example is a reading exercise based on sources examined for this publication on 2 November 2026. It is not a claim of conference attendance, and no extension was installed or tested. The proposed follow-up is illustrative.

| Field | Completed example |
|---|---|
| Learning question | How can an old security-tool description be useful without becoming an unchecked recommendation? |
| Event and year | CRESTCon, 2019; see the site's separate programme record for event details |
| Session and speaker | Rewanth Tammana's author record for the browser-extension session |
| Sources | Author page, linked `vuln-headers-extension` repository README and current MDN documentation, all linked below |
| Material examined | Public author record and documentation; no live session, recording or runtime test |
| Reading date | 2 November 2026 |
| Central claim | The project describes an extension that checks for certain header-related issues |
| Evidence available | The author record describes the subject; the README documents intended checks |
| Conditions and limits | Historical project documentation does not demonstrate compatibility or accuracy in a current browser |
| Interpretation | The source can teach an approach, but each proposed present-day check needs its own current justification |
| Current relevance | The README's reference to `X-XSS-Protection` should be read alongside MDN's current deprecation notice |
| Unanswered question | How would a specific current browser and a reviewed project version behave in an authorised lab? |
| Follow-up reading | Current browser-extension documentation and relevant header documentation before considering any local experiment |
| Proposed action | Write a short comparison of one historical claim with current documentation; do not assess unrelated live services |
| Owner and review point | The learner using this example; review in their next scheduled learning session |
| Recorded result | Documentary comparison completed: a historical reference requires updated context. Runtime behaviour remains untested |

The author record, repository and current documentation support different parts of that note. The [research-reading guide](https://crestcon.co.uk/careers/reading-security-research/) explains the comparison in more detail and links each claim to the relevant source.

## Turn the note into a useful next step

Choose an action whose result you can observe: clarify one assumption, compare one source, revise one fictional report finding or ask a service owner whether a scoped exercise would be appropriate. Avoid an open-ended task such as “learn everything about browser security”.

If no action is appropriate, record why. The source may be outside your present work, too incomplete for a conclusion or valuable only as historical context. That is still a useful result because it prevents the same uncertainty being rediscovered without progress.

For live events, the [conference guide](https://crestcon.co.uk/careers/getting-value-from-conferences/) adds preparation and follow-up planning. For a longer project, use the [portfolio guide](https://crestcon.co.uk/careers/building-an-evidence-portfolio/) to preserve your method and evidence.

## Primary references

- [Rewanth Tammana: CrestCon — Creating Browser Extensions To Hunt Low Hanging Fruits](https://rewanthtammana.com/talk/crestcon-creating-browser-extensions-to-hunt-low-hanging-fruits/) — accessed 2026-11-02.
- [Rewanth Tammana: vuln-headers-extension repository and README](https://github.com/rewanthtammana/vuln-headers-extension) — accessed 2026-11-02.
- [MDN Web Docs: X-XSS-Protection response header](https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/HTTP/Reference/Headers/X-XSS-Protection) — accessed 2026-11-02.