Hack Ottawa is here!
We had a blast at HackMTL and HackTO. The applications developed were awesome, the prizes and judges fantastic and the connections we made will last us a lifetime. So it is time to head to Ottawa – skating on the canal anyone? – and launch HackOTT.
We are super excited to be visiting Ottawa. We are not afraid of the cold! We are hoping that like Montreal, the Ottawa dev community is going to represent and build some killer applications.
What you need to know:
- Date: Saturday February 26th, 2011
- When: this is an all day event starting at 9 AM and ending at 6 PM
- Registration is now open.
HackOTT is brought to you with the help of our awesome sponsors:
If you have not attended a previous hacking event and are wondering what the fuss is all about, let us answer all your questions!
What is HackOTT?
A gathering of geeks, developer and hackers. We will spend the entire day building applications on top of some great APIs. These APIs will be announced prior to the start of HackOTT. Support for the APIs will be provided the entire day so if you have any questions while working with the APIs, assistance will be right there.
Who attends HackDays events?
This is a developer event. So when you arrive, you will be expected to roll up your sleeves and start coding or join a team that’s coding an application and get involved to the best of your abilities. All developer levels are welcome. So don’t feel like you can’t participate because you are just learning, come and join us. If you have any questions, please reach out to us.
What can I build at HackOTT?
Anything you wish provided it is using some of the APIs provided. The applications you build will be your application.
Why do developers participate in HackOTT?
Well as Paul Graham said: “The way to create something beautiful is often to make subtle tweaks to something that already exists, or to combine existing ideas in a slightly new way.” We want to create many beautiful things hence HackDays!
Am I allowed to use third party APIs (APIs not provided via HackOTT) for my application?
Yes. But your usage of the third party APIs needs to be in addition to the HackOTT APIs. Also keep in mind that judging is partially based on utilization of the provided APIs, though, so their use should be prominent.
What if I don’t have an idea for an application by Saturday?
No problem, there will likely be many people who could use an extra brain for their ideas. Ask around during breakfast or open planning.
How large can the teams be? Can I work solo?
Teams can be as large or as small as you like. Solo is okay, too!
What is the Saturday schedule?
This is a full day event. HackOTT is being held at Shopify. The Shopify team has been wonderful at supporting us in Ottawa and making their space available to us for the entire day. The day’s schedule is as follows:
- 9:00 – Breakfast and introductions
- 9:30 – API presentation: learn about the APIs available
- 10:15 – Open Planning: come up with hacking idea and build a team
- 10:30 – Hacking setup and start
- Noon – Lunch
- 1:00 – Hacking
- 5:00 – Application presentation – 5 minutes for each presenter!
- 6:00 – Judging and prizes
- 6:30 – Off to nearby pub for celebrations!
Will you feed us?
Yes! Awesome breakfast and lunch will be provided. Drinsk, snacks, cookies, fresh fruits will be available throughout the day. Beer after 5 PM.
What do you need to bring?
- Your Guestlist receipt (HackOTT will be sold out)
- Your laptop
- Your mobile device if you are developing a mobile app
- Cables, chargers and connectors for any of the above
What happens at the end of HackOTT?
We will wrap up HackOTT between 6:00 Pm and 7:00PM and will then head to a near by pub for a few celebratory drinks.
What will the HackOTT prizes be?
We will officially announce them prior to the start of the event. HackMTL prizes were awesome and included a Macbook Air, an ipad, a Kindle and more!
I am coming from Toronto, Montreal or some other city to join HackOTT, can you help with accommodations?
We will do our best to connect you with local developers attending HackOTT who would be interested in hosting you. Leave us a comment below or get in touch with us.
See you in Ottawa! and Register now!
