What's the plan?

The momentum around open government, open data and makers everywhere has seen a huge increase in Saskatchewan recently. Let's keep this momentum going and show the province what's possible when government data is open to developers to experiment, build apps and even build businesses. 

What is a hackathon?

If you've never been to a hackathon before you are in for a good time. We will explore open data sources in the province and those offered be the Federal government, mix and mash it with a little code and a little web tech to create something new. There is an emphasis on taking something from concept to completion, but hackathons are also a great place to meet other people who are interested in open data and start new projects.

Who usually attends an open data hackathon?

The main groups that attend are:

* Programmers

* Designers

* Journalists

* Statisticians

* Citizens interested in changing how we interact with government

What skills are needed?

If you can use google to find what you're looking for, scroll through a google map or use facebook then you have all the skills you'll need to contribute and have a great time at a hackathon. If you know a few programming languages or have the willingness to learn, this is for you as well.

Any examples of what can be accomplished at a hackathon?

Examples from previous International Open Data Day and Open Data BC hackathons include:

* Waterly.ca: An app for the environmentally conscious to recommened whether or not to water your lawn

* OpendSpending.org: An application for tracking public expenditure around the world

* MoveTo.Me: Winner of the HackREGINA hackathon held March 17th, 2012. Uses open data and the YellowAPI to give information on neighbourhoods to people thinking of making a move.

* Fixstarter.com: Startup based out of Regina, SK that began at the HackREGINA hackathon in March 2012. Fixstarter helps you report infrastructure problems around the city and get it fixed.

Some other ideas that might work well in Saskatchewan would be applications to:

* Track fishing/hunting regulations by area and time-of-year

* Map mineral exploration

* Explore demographic trends by city throughout the province

* Identify areas of city by proximity to schools/hospitals/fire stations

* You dream it, you design it....

What did I hear about the sponsors?

While the main focus of an open data code fest is to have fun and make cool apps, winning stuff is pretty fun too. Takt Communications, the organizer of the Sask 3.0 Summit will be the primary sponsor of this hackathon, with support for great food, drinks and a venue. The Sask 3.0 Summit will be a landlark event in putting the value of open data firmly on the government radar. You can learn more, including how to be a part of the summit and show off your awesome work, at the event homepage.

We are currently looking for additional sponsors and putting together potential prizes for the event as well. If you are interested in sponsoring grass roots innovation in Saskatchewan or inspiring someone through donating prizes, please contact me.

Hackathon themes? 

For this hackathon we are going to try running with a few things to make things interesting. Let's try to focus our projects around these three themes:

Anything else?

The event will be held on April 28th, 2012 from 9am - 5pm at a location to be determined. Follow @opendatask, the opendatask.ca blog or the mailing list for updates on when a venue is selected. Don't forget your laptop! This is not a spectator sport.