It’s been over a year since I was introduced to my first hackathon in Chicago and since then, I’ve been hooked! Every time I hear about one, I must go. If I can’t make it, I’ll stalk the interwebs to find out what’s happening there. I’ve become so fascinated by these events, that I found a partner in crime to help me organize them! And ever since I entered this world, the number one question I’m asked is “What the heck is a hackathon?”
The way I explain it to others is:
A hackathon is a 1-3 day competition for developers to build a mobile or web application protoype. (there’s my quick definition) If you want the actual definition and a more in-depth explanation, google it. Wait, here, I did it for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackathon
A few answers to FAQ’s:
- No, it’s not illegal.
- Yes, anyone can attend.
- No, you won’t get kicked out if you’re not a developer. (I’m living proof!)
Why I love these events:
Witnessing a group of brilliant and creative minds working together to create new ways to use technology is mind blowing. You’ll never look at a web application like Twitter and Facebook the same way again. You’ll use your mobile apps and truly appreciate the thought, creativity and hard work that went into creating it. You’ll see that all of these new and innovative electronics and “toys” aren’t always just about making money. There is some hardcore passion behind it.
So today, the day before the 2nd hackathon I’m co-organizing, I want to give a BIG shout out and THANK YOU to the people who welcomed me into the “hacking” community.
The first hackathon I ever attended was in April 2010, held by Microsoft. It was the morning after a #latenightcrowd tweetup that ended at 6:30am in a burrito joint. I ate burritos for breakfast, went home, showered and then went straight to my first hackathon that started between 8 & 9am. It was AWESOME.
Thank you to @timcourtney for posting the best geek events in town! (I found out about the hackathon from stalking his facebook page)
Thank you to @petermorano for comic relief and for letting me look over your shoulder while you were coding in languages I didn’t know existed at the time. (I really appreciate not getting made fun of that day!) 
Thank you to @lmaung and @Kluesman for taking the time to explain and educate a random, half asleep, noob that you had never seen before in your lives!
And finally, thank you to @davebost and @briangorbett for asking me to be a judge out of desperation because you were missing one. I knew I was only sitting in to make the numbers fair…but you two didn’t know that I had a big mouth and would argue with the “pros” 
The fact that I had the opportunity to see the event from beginning to end, and know what happens during the judging process, made me realize that “outsiders” can be a very valuable addition to these events. And without that experience, #JiVHack would have never started.
I highly encourage anyone to spend some time at one of these events. It doesn’t matter what you do for a living. If you use any form of technology, it’s highly educational. And pretty fun!
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