A portmanteau of the words “hack” (in the sense of playful, exploratory programming) and “marathon,” the term “hackathon” was coined by developers who abide by the open source credo. A hackathon is the epitome of innovation, as the goal is to create groundbreaking prototypes in record time. It’s a fun, friendly competition, with the winner determined by a panel of judges.
Maxime St-Pierre, Digital Services
The first-ever Digital Media hackathon will be held March 24–26, 2017, at Maison de Radio-Canada in Montreal. It will bring together developers, designers and strategists from both CBC/Radio-Canada and the wider industry. Designed to be eco-friendly, the event inspires participants to harness their ingenuity, curiosity and creativity in pursuit of shared values such as technological innovation and web accessibility (i.e., making our platforms accessible to people with disabilities).
For the occasion, Radio-Canada will provide open access to some of its data so that the 44 expected participants can develop a prototype for a web or mobile app. The winners will take home a cash prize, STM metro passes, Xbox One consoles, Microsoft gift cards, and more!
Maxime St-Pierre, Executive Director of Digital Media, stressed that “the digital transformation is everyone’s business, and we’re always on the lookout for initiatives that help people take their skills to the next level through daring, creative and compelling projects.”
Ready, set, get hacking!