Links

What is a Hackathon?

A brief introduction to the World on Hackathons!
Hackathons are an incredible way to bring your community together to learn new skills, build amazing projects, and share ideas. A hackathon is best described as an “invention marathon”. Anyone who has an interest in technology attends a hackathon to learn, build & share their creations over the course of a weekend in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. You don’t have to be a programmer and you certainly don’t have to be majoring in Computer Science!
MLH Presents: What is a hackathon?
If you're familiar with in-person hackathons and are curious about how the fundamentals translate to the digital space, we've outlined some of the key differences and our recommendations below:
Event
Digital
In-Person
Check-in
Checkin using an online form
In-person check-in process
Opening Ceremony
Pre-recorded, watched on a live stream, viewable anytime
Live presentation, seen once
Workshops
Live-streamed, viewable anytime
Live presentation, seen once
Meals, Snacks, and Drinks
Hackers provide
Organizers provide
Mini-events
Online multiplayer games, trivia tournaments, and more
Cup stacking, trivia, video game tournaments
Swag
Shipped to hackers after the event
Hackers collect swag bag at check-in
Hacker Interactions
Via Discord or Slack across all attendees
Via Discord or Slack, or In-person with hackers nearby
Sponsor interactions
Hackers join office hours dedicated for the sponsor
Hackers approach sponsors at their tables
Judging
Pre-recorded demos submitted on Devpost, available to view after submissions
Live demos
Closing Ceremony
Streamed pre-recorded videos by organizers, viewable during and after the event
Presented live by organizers, with sponsors on stage