Hackathons
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Overview
Hackathons are events in which a large number of people with different skills meet and work together on common goals. Hackathons normally last between two and four days and focus on technologies and projects powering Wikipedia and its sister projects, and thousands of MediaWiki installations.
Hackathons can be organized by the Wikimedia Foundation (WMF), local affiliates, or both. They can range in size from small, intimate events for local groups to much larger events aimed at the global community. The goals of a hackathon will vary, but can range from onboarding newcomers, building the skills of experienced contributors, building out a specific tool, or developing connections between community members.
Regardless of the type of hackathon, these events enable participants to work together with others in a productive, fun, and supportive environment. Hackathons play an important role energizing the technical community and connecting it to local groups. The movement always needs more of them in different places!
For information on previous hackathons, see: Hackathons/Previous_hackathons
The Wikimedia Hackathon and the Wikimania Hackathon are both yearly events run by the Wikimedia Foundation in partnership with a local chapter or group.The main distinction between the Wikimedia Hackathon and the Wikimania Hackathon is that the former is more suitable for experienced Wikimedia developers, while the latter is especially welcoming to newcomers in technical spaces. Read on for more details:
- April 9-11, 2027 – Tirana, Albania – Wikimedia Hackathon 2027
What do hackathons achieve?
The technical community usually works towards the following types of goals at hackathons:
- Work on prototypes, sprints, and other collaborative efforts to be showcased at the end of the event.
- Strengthen community health and developer ties through working together on projects and other ways of mingling.
- Reach out to new developers, onboard them during the event, and help them become regular contributors.
- Make progress on the most recent community wishlist, featured projects list or on a project (or projects) specific to the hackathon.
Participate in a hackathon
- Check out the upcoming hackathons listed above
- Information for participants
- Laptop setup