Notes and links on the topics we have discussed have been posted above. The recording is available of our meetup on Big Blue Button (full content) and YouTube (no slides).

Summary

We met on occasion of Open Data Day, a global festival run by our parent organization, Open Knowledge. The discussion revolves around the use of hackathons as a tool for collaboration and idea generation, particularly in the context of open data. We started with a short positioning of the anticipated benefits of hackathons, such as bringing together diverse people and organizations to work on practical projects and providing a push for organizations to publish their datasets. The importance of preparation and the role of challenge owners in framing the problems to be solved was highlighted.

Other key topics included:

• The purpose and structure of hackathons, framing challenges, participant engagement, data sensitivity, and how to follow-up.
• How open data hackathons are used to foster collaboration, encourage data publication, and explore real-world challenges.
• Why these events strive to bring together diverse groups, including cultural institutions and energy sectors.
• Example events: specific hackathons were discussed, each with distinct themes and participant demographics.
• The process of defining hackathon challenges involves workshops with stakeholders to ensure problems are specific yet open-ended, allowing for creativity.
• Challenges in ensuring projects continue post-hackathon, with solutions for post-event support and documentation for future use.
• Hackathons attract both domain experts and technical specialists, with efforts to balance these diverse groups.
• Data Handling: Techniques like anonymization and synthetic data creation were discussed to manage sensitive information.

The conversation shifted among different types of hackathons, such as the GLAMhack, which focuses on opening cultural heritage data, and the Energy Data Hackdays, which bring together companies and public institutions to work on energy-related challenges. We discussed the importance of attracting new participants and the need to frame challenges in a way that is open-ended yet directive.

The challenges of sustaining projects beyond the hackathon are also addressed, with Anna emphasizing the importance of documenting the work done during the hackathon and making it available to the community. We mentioned the Prototype Fund, a program that provides funding to support the development of initial prototypes, and the need for a community calendar to avoid event collisions.

Finally, the conversation touches on the research project HackIntegration, which aims to explore the potential of hackathons in helping refugees integrate into the workplace, and the upcoming Hack the Hackathon conference, which will bring together researchers and practitioners to discuss the latest developments in the field.

We briefly teased at the new Technai feature in hackathon platforms that allows us to tag skills and share CVs, aiding participants and organizers to connect, and brainstormed use of calendar coordination tools to avoid event overlaps and support community engagement. To be continued in the next Hack:Org:X ... but first, we look forward to continuing celebration of Open Data Day!

We invite our peers and colleagues, everyone who is interested in the art & science of Hackathons, Hackdays, Hacknights, and all other time-limited open collaborative experimental hands-on workshops, to join us for a convivial discussion of the past and future of the field. Our meetups are free of charge, thanks to our hosts and supporters. Our goal is to create a regular meeting series that gives us an additional sounding board as we plan and execute hackathons, while also giving us a place to share good tools and methods for a seamless experience for participants & sponsors. We believe that with the right level of continued community support, hackathons will continue to be a powerful force for unlocking talents and innovation.

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