Sound interesting? Here's how you can become a part of it: Attend the Random Hacks of Kindness Hackathon
and develop software that saves lives, alleviates suffering and helps communities to recover
after natural disasters strike.
Random Hacks of Kindness is a joint effort
founded by Google, Yahoo!, Microsoft, NASA and The World Bank, dedicated to bringing software
developers together to respond to challenges facing humanity in the area of natural disaster
risk. We start with problem definitions created through consultations with NGOs, governments
and experts in the field from around the world, then we invite hackers to a come together to
organize and go to work putting their skills to use to solve those problems with software
solutions that make a difference on the ground. At a RHoK hackathon, new technologies are
born, existing platforms are built upon, and innovative new ideas attract attention and
support. At the close of the hackathon, teams present the technologies they have developed and
prizes are awarded.
The next Random Hacks of Kindness Hackathon is
happening in Washington, D.C. from June 4th through 6th, with global satellite events going on
around the world in Jakarta, Sydney, Nairobi and Sao Paolo. The evening of June 4th, The State
Department is hosting a reception for RHoK to kick off two days of intensive hacking on June
5th and 6th at the Microsoft Offices in Chevy Chase, MD. Check out the full agenda or learn
more about the global satellites right here.
Why Do This?
Save the world: You have the skills to make a difference. Hacks
developed at the last RHoK hackathon were used on the ground in Haiti and Chile following the
devastating earthquakes there in early 2010. The world needs these
solutions.
Exposure: Got a new product, idea or technology to share with
the hacker community? Put it to work at the hackathon.
Assistance: Extend
the function and applicability of your existing products or software through global
crowdsourced development.
Input: Get real-time feedback from Subject
Matter Experts in software and disaster risk.
Insight: Learn about what
other companies and developers are doing in the same space.
