From 2fe7871d233de1e0e8389d13711f2413fb516467 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Andrew M Farrell Date: Mon, 5 Jul 2010 17:31:56 -0400 Subject: [PATCH] --- runninghackathons.mdwn | 158 +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 158 insertions(+) create mode 100644 runninghackathons.mdwn diff --git a/runninghackathons.mdwn b/runninghackathons.mdwn new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0e92340 --- /dev/null +++ b/runninghackathons.mdwn @@ -0,0 +1,158 @@ +leonidg's notes for running a hackathon +======================================= + +This is basically just a braindump I made while running Pterohacktyl +(2010-06-26). + + +Before: +======= + +Announce the hackathon at the SIPB meetings coming up to it. + +Send out an email to sipb-announce@mit.edu, mentioning date, time, +place, name, etc. Sound excited and enthusiastic. Add a "tl;dr" for +lazy people. + +Create a Facebook event. You probably want to be an administrator of +the SIPB Facebook group for this. + +Add it to the SIPB Google Calendar. You need to get bits for this as +well, obviously. + +Advertise the event on your Zephyr class. + +Send a reminder email the day before. + + +Expenses: +========= + +SIPB allocates $150 to a hackathon. Most of this should be used on +food (see below). If you have extra money, you can be creative. For +Hackasaurus Rex and Velocihacker, we purchased prizes off of ThinkGeek +and raffled them off on the hour. It was reasonably popular. + +You should expect to spend, out of pocket, most of the $150. You will +be reimbursed by SIPB. Make sure to collect itemized receipts for all +purchases and put them in an envelope in the treasurer's drawer +("incoming" folder). + + +Food: +===== + +Purchase snack food at La Verde's. Two 2-liter bottles of soda, two +large bags of chips and two jars of salsa have served us well in the +past. Greg Price also suggests hummus and baby carrots as good +alternatives. + +You will also want to purchase dinner food. Ask around for +preferences. In the past, we have purchased large amounts of Indian +food, including 20 mango lassis. If you call and ask to talk to the +manager, you can likely get a small discount. + +(N.B.: Dhesi Daba is not a good choice for cost efficiency reasons.) + +It is generally a good idea to have a good idea what people actually +want. In particular, take note of spiciness and vegetarian +preferences. + +You should order food well enough in advance that the restaurant has +time to prepare and deliver it by the time you want it, but also not +so early that you don't have a good sense of how many people are at +the Hackathon and what they want to eat. Probably around 2-3 PM is +the best time. + + +Technical stuff: +================ + +Login script: +------------- +(Make sure you are on moira group sipb-www, as you will need to create +files in that locker). + +For statistical purposes, it is useful to know how many people came to +the hackathon. A simple Python app is available at + + /afs/sipb/project/sipb-www/web_scripts/hackathon-signin/ + http://sipb.mit.edu/hackathon-signin + +The file + + /afs/sipb/project/sipb-www/web_scripts/hackathon-signin/HACKATHON_NAME + +contains the name of the current Hackathon. This script will record +the users' input in YAML-encoded text in the file + + /afs/sipb/project/sipb-www/web_scripts/hackathon-signin/records.txt + +You can use this file for raffles (for prizes), statistics, spam, +stalking, etc. + +Wiki: +----- + +After this, you should create relevant pages: + + http://sipb.mit.edu/hackathons/ + Take a look at, e.g. http://sipb.mit.edu/hackathons/velocihacker/ + for ideas. Also, have http://sipb.mit.edu/hackathon and + http://sipb.mit.edu/ redirect to this page. + + http://sipb.mit.edu/hackathons//projects This + should be a list of projects that are being worked on, including + people and locations. Have an item for "your project here!" or + similar. + + Also have http://sipb.mit.edu//projects redirect + there. + +Note that the wiki has no "create page" button, and there is no "edit" +button on pages that don't exist. To create a new page, go directly +to + + https://sipb.mit.edu:444/ikiwiki.cgi?do=edit&page= + +To add a redirect on a page, the wiki code you want is + + [[!meta redir=]] + +Zephyr: +------- + +Encourage discussion on zephyr, either on -c sipb or +-c . + + +Social stuff: +============= + +A hackathon is every bit as much a social event as a technical one, if +not more so. It provides a unique opportunity for people to meet each +other and work together in informal environments, and for people to +get to know SIPB (and vice-versa). + +As organizer, you should make every effort to talk to new people. +Make sure they feel welcome, answer their questions (and ask them +some!), and generally try to make sure they are engaged and +entertained. It is very easy, especially near the end, for SIPB +regulars to get into a niche and for new people to feel excluded. Try +to make sure that that doesn't happen. + + +Afterwards: +=========== + +In general, it seems that Hackathons end with mostly hardcore SIPB +members sticking around the office (which is, of course, +understandable). You should make sure that you clean up the office +(if you have to leave early, either clean up before going or delegate +someone else to do so). If you want, you can try to organize a small +event (e.g. movie night). Note that movie nights should not be +organized as official, public SIPB events (which the hackathon is) for +legal reasons. + +Send a follow-up email, discussing stats, thanking people for coming, +etc. Mention it at the following SIPB meeting. -- 2.45.0