Hi all,

The Wikimedia Hackathon is coming up in two weeks, on May 20-22. The Hackathon is an event by and for technical contributors from around the world. It’s a space to work together on technical projects, learn new skills, and meet others in the technical community. Newcomers are welcome!

A few updates:

The main event will happen in an online game-style space, supported by local meetups organized by community members around the world. Instructions on how to enter the online space will be published shortly before the start of the hackathon. If you would like to attend a meetup, please visit the local meetups page to learn if there is one nearby and how to join. 

If you already know what you are going to be working on or need help on a project, please add your project to the hackathon Phabricator board. If you have tasks that are good for newcomers and are up to helping others, please also tag them with #good first tasks. 

If you have an idea for a session or social activity, you can pick an open slot in the category which fits your topic and add the session directly to the schedule. All topics are welcome, as long as they are connected to the technical environment of the Wikimedia projects! We are particularly interested in sessions that are useful for newcomers. 

If you are new to the technical community or this is your first Wikimedia Hackathon, please check out the list of tips for newcomers.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask on the talk page. If you want to brainstorm ideas or find a co-speaker for your session, the hackathon social channels are a good place to find others. You can also add your name to the participants list and find out what others are interested in. 

Many thanks to the folks who already expressed interest in helping with facilitation or newcomer support! We plan to publish the shift plan early next week. Those up for helping are welcome to pick an open slot once it’s up. 

We are looking forward to meeting you all soon!

Melinda, for the hackathon committee