Re: [Libreplanet-us-wa] Thx for a great meetup.

[Lee Fisher]

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On 12/25/2015 01:22 PM, Andrew Kane wrote:
> On 12/25/2015 05:54 AM, Jon Erlichman wrote:
>> I'm not sure how hackathons could possibly be for users. I'd
>> like to
> hear this explanation.
> 
> Not *solely* for users, unless those users are also hackers... but
> a hackathon with user engagement, that is to say one in which
> people use the software and demonstrate problems with it or specify
> desired enhancements to it, is a better guided hackathon than one
> without such engagement IMO. In a way, all hackathons, like all
> software activity, is for users. Unused software is pointless.
> 
>> I've been trying to get activists to come to this meetup for a 
>> while and all I keep hearing is, "oh but I'm not technical." I
>> tell them it's an activist meetup--I would hate to try bringing
>> in serious activists only to drive them away with any kind of
>> coding, etc.
> 
> "Serious activists" aren't a separate category from coders.
> Software hacking is certainly an activity for those who have the
> relevant skills, but proper organization can integrate would-be
> "mere users" of the software. Or we could have separate-ish
> gatherings at the same venue at which the two or more groups could
> intermix.

Projects have code, as well as many other roles.

Documentation (main project user docs, web site, outreach literature),
localization are key, if you can write, or are multi-lingual.

If you can help reproduce problems in the bug database, that's key to
help developers squash bugs.

Having someone from a project who knows the bug database and how to
run their QA tests is pretty key to having a good hackathon, IMO. At
last LibreOffice "Librefest" in Seattle, there were about 30
attendees, many weren't developers, the LO team helped get them all
involved in various bugs.

We have lots of local people with local involvement with projects. We
have multiple companies that use these projects and might be willing
to help with hosting (or sponsoring some pizza/etc), if we can't find
other hosting.

There's a bit to glean from these articles:
http://www.wired.com/2012/06/hackathons-arent-just-for-hacking/
https://medium.com/next-to-launch/how-to-participate-in-hackathons-as-a-
non-tech-hacker-536ad2e8aa69#.nnr0ztmt5
https://blog.parklet.co/four-reasons-why-non-tech-people-should-particip
ate-in-company-hackathons/
https://www.quora.com/Hackathons/How-can-a-non-tech-person-participate-i
n-a-hackathon

http://www.forbes.com/sites/georgeanders/2014/05/12/like-hackathons-cant
- -code-heres-a-contest-for-you/
http://protohack.org/

Funny, Protohack says there is a Seattle, WA branch, but it's link is
to Los Angels, CA.

IMO, FSF needs a Protohack-like branch to LibrePlanet, to orchestrate
involvement in all cities. Having Seattle figure this out is silly,
this should be an upstream project going downstream to all cities.
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