The document discusses the concept of hack days, emphasizing their role in innovation and problem-solving through creative use of technology. It encourages collaboration among participants to build functional solutions within a limited time frame, showcasing the importance of practical demonstrations rather than formal presentations. Resources and examples are provided to assist participants in their projects and to foster ongoing communication among hackers post-event.

1. What the hack?
Christian Heilmann
What is a hack and how to survive a hack day.

2. There are a few myths and
misunderstandings about hacking and
hack days...
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3. 3

4. In the Yahoo! sense, hack days are
about innovating and playing with our
own systems.
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5. Hack days to day to day development
is like The Ramones to The Beatles.
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6. We are all hackers.
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7. Hacking means making something work
regardless of the circumstances.
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8. 8

9. 9

10. Hacking is nothing new.
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11. Folding Bridge (Netherlands, 1926)
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12. Early GPS (1932)
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13. Back then, those people were
considered crazy.
Now, we have these products!
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14. Here and now, we are looking for
software solutions to problems.
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15. In a 24 hour period we want you to find
a problem and solve it with an IT
solution.
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16. Preferably we’d like you to play with our
products and see how they work for
you.
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17. Hack days are a great way for you to do
the things you always wanted to do but
your job doesn’t allow you to.
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18. This is for you to play with things you
haven’t before and show that - if you
get the chance - you can be great.
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20. Hacking is not very complex.

21. Find a problem that needs solving and
then have a go at solving it!
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22. Tell each other your skills...
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23. And collaborate as teams.
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24. Don’t concentrate on using your
favourite toys
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25. Concentrate on building one thing.
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26. You only have 24 hours!
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27. Find things that already work.
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28. And then put them together.
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29. Some great resources...
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30. http://developer.yahoo.com

31. Libraries and frameworks.
(...)

32. http://code.google.com/apis/charttools/
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34. http://code.google.com/appengine/
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35. http://github.com
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36. http://heroku.com/
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37. YAP is the pla0orm
h4p://developer.yahoo.com/yap/guide/yap‐overview.html

38. http://isithackday.com/hacks/geo/yql-
geo-library/

39. Do you really want to fix CSS layouts?
http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/grids/builder/

40. http://developer.yahoo.com/yui/

41. YQL h4p://developer.yahoo.com/yql/console/

42. Some examples...
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43. http://icant.co.uk/goohoobi/index.php?research

44. http://vimeo.com/8075850

45. http://keywordfinder.org/

46. http://uk-house-prices.com/

48. http://isithackday.com/hacks/geo/around-you/

49. http://isithackday.com/demos/warwickshire/
http://github.com/codepo8/warwickshire
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uAOyzw50PY

50. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_1sVnNkN2M
http://isithackday.com/hacks/flickrcollector/
http://github.com/codepo8/flickrcollector

51. http://isithackday.com/fifa2010/

52. And when you are done, think about
presenting your hack.
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53. Presenting your hack
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54. It is not about you.
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55. Do not show us slides about your hack
=
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56. Instead show us what the hack does!
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57. Then tell us how you got there.
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58. Technical glitches happen.
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59. Don’t big things up.
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60. Don’t fake things.
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61. Let’s have a demo of that.
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62. And when it all is over?
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63. Reach out to others.
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64. • Publish your code on GitHub
• Tell us when your hacks go further
• Stay in touch with other hackers
• Come and visit us on our forums and
show us what you have done.
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65. ChrisDan Heilmann
h4p://wait‐Dll‐i.com Thanks!
h4p://developer‐evangelism.com
h4p://twi4er.com/codepo8