Wikimedia Hackathon 2019/Program

The Wikimedia Hackathon is run as an unconference which means that most sessions are proposed at or just before the event.

We will have some pre-planned orientation sessions for newcomers so please check this page again later.



Focus areas
Participants are completely free to choose their project(s) during the event but we propose several areas of special interest for this year's hackathon. They reflect some of the main challenges faced by local Wikimedia communities, projects and organisations:


 * 1) New editor experiences | All new Wikipedia editors must learn the technical side of MediaWiki environment, which has over years become more complex and sometimes less intuitive. Findings in this field were recently summarized in New Editor Experiences reports (and taken over by the Growth team). Some are of technical nature and could inspire participants of this year's hackathon to improve the technical environment used by thousands of editors worldwide.
 * 2) Mobile contributions to Wikimedia Commons | Taking pictures for Wikipedia is one of the simplest ways of contributing. We have a fantastic team of volunteer developers from all over the world working on the Wikimedia Commons mobile android app. A lot of work still remains to improve code quality, add some of the most requested new features and promote the app among potential users. We need a team with a very diverse set of skills to keep making this app better.
 * 3) Tool for teaching with Wikipedia | The Program & Events Dashboard is a tool used to administer Wikipedia courses – allowing students to enrol, list Wikipedia articles they work on and collect feedback, among other things. However, the tool does not always get the attention it deserves. We will work with the Wikipedia Education community to define the most pressing issues of this tool, meaning your work will be extremely appreciated by teachers all over the world.

How to plan your sessions and projects
Do you have a project, training topic (to share skills), or session (to present and discuss things) that you plan to run? Make sure to add it to the Phabricator workboard! (more information about Phabricator)

Changes from previous years
In Prague we will have fewer meeting room spaces than we have had in previous years, but instead we will have all sorts of unique and flexible spaces like lounges with bean bags, reservable outside spaces, a café with tables saved for us, and a quiet room. Because of this we are asking session leaders and organizers to help us come up with creative ways to organize their sessions that they would like to run. We WILL have regular reservable meeting rooms with projectors, so that format is still available for those that need it.

Some ideas


 * Try to reduce your need for projectors
 * Consider holding your session at a larger hacking table at a specific time
 * Consider allowing other participants to sign up for 1:1 discussion time-slots with you around your specific topic instead of holding a larger session.
 * We will have quite a few more details about our space available soon.
 * Please share any ideas or questions you have about creative uses of the hackathon space with the organizers. If your idea is great, we would love to share it with other session organizers. If you have a problem that we can help solve, just ask.
 * Discuss newcomer session organization logistics in this task: https://phabricator.wikimedia.org/T219207

How to schedule a session
If you would like to see an example of what the final program might look like, please check out last years program.

If you have any questions or would like some support please email us!

The schedule is open for scheduling as of April 25, once the program is open for scheduling please read and follow these steps!

First! Consider if you need a breakout room and a projector. we have limited rooms! Would it be possible to hold one or a series of smaller sessions at a specific hackathon table or outside.


 * If your breakout session lasts up to 1 hour
 * schedule it yourself in the tables below in one of the time slots with nothing else in it, you can check the details of the rooms above.
 * All sessions need to have an associated Phabricator task with a description linked to the schedule. If you are unsure how to create one. Please add a tag to your Phabricator task associating it with Wikimedia-Hackathon-2019.
 * If your session does not have an associated Phabricator task it will be removed.


 * If your breakout session lasts longer than 1 hour
 * Please email the organizers and ask us don't schedule this session on your own. We need to make sure there is enough space for everyone to organize sessions.
 * Longer sessions will be schedule just before the hackathon

If you already have a Phabricator account and are interested in attending a specific breakout session please subscribe to the associated task on Phabricator by adding a token so that breakout session organizers know how many people to expect.

Rooms in NTK

 * Gallery (ground floor): Two story public hacking space. Open 08:00-02:00.
 * Balling Hall (ground floor): Auditorium. Only used for opening and closing. 196 seats (with power) and 50 balcony seats, audio/video system.
 * Education center 2NP (2nd floor): 30 person flexible space with projector, sound system and smartboard. Open 10:00-20:00. Enter by using the stairs at entrance NTK3 or through the Balling Hall (second floor via the balcony).
 * Computer Room 01 3NP (3rd floor): Static classroom setup, 30-50 people, projector, sound system, whiteboards. Open Fri+Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-17:00.
 * Computer Room 02 3NP (3rd floor): Static classroom setup, 30-50 people, projector, sound system, whiteboards. Open Fri+Sat 10:00-22:00, Sun 10:00-17:00.
 * Café: TBD.
 * Schedule sessions at your hacking table or outside: you can add as many sessions per hour as you would like in this column, just make sure to link to a Phab task explaining your intention. Hackathon tables will have numbers so you can add your exact location once you arrive at the venue. We should have some outside spaces as well in case the weather is good and you would like to have a sunny conversation or meetup.

Thursday, 16 May:
Participants arrive into Prague


 * Participants can self organize or travel from the airport together using this public etherpad
 * Welcome Event: we will meet at 16:00 in front of the venue (National Library of Technology). Together with our team of geocachers we will explore the neighborhood of Dejvice and Letná
 * We will start an unofficial get together at Bar Nálet from 18:00. For those, who arrive later, you can join us directly there!

Monday, 20 May: Participants leave Prague / Editathon

 * No breakfast provided at the venue on Monday, the cafe at the Library opens at 8am in case people want to meet there.
 * WMCZ and campus Dejvice organizes an one day editathon about "Brave women during the fight for democracy", it will take place in the National Technical Library (the Hackathon venue). Hackathon participants are welcome.
 * Participants staying around Prague can self organize or travel to the airport together using this public etherpad

Tuesday, 21 May: Participants self-organize

 * Participants staying around Prague can self organize using this public etherpad

Social and side activities
If you want to visit Barcelona, we encourage to do it on Thursday or Monday, not to lose any valuable time for hacking. However if you would like to explore Prague, the venue is well located and not for away from for instance Hradčany (where the the castle and St Vitus cathedral are) is walking distance away.

Thursday, 17 May
A geocaching walk around the venue area and get together in a local bar will be organized.

Informal social events organized by attendees. Use this etherpad to lead and propose ideas, to share ideas for others or to sign up.

Friday, 18 May
Board games night, please feel free to bring your favourite games and share with others, what you plan to take with you. Use this etherpad to lead and propose ideas, to share ideas for others or to sign up.

Venue: Library (NTK)

Start: tba

Duration: 2-3 hours

Please register here with your signature.

Open House Prague

 * It is a great time to explore Prague through the buildings, which very often are closed during most of the year. During the same weekend as hackathon, Open House Prague festival will be hold. If you are interested in visiting some of them, we could arrange a group a go together. Only around the hackathon venue there are 9 places to see: http://openhousepraha.cz/en/program-of-the-festival-2019/?_sfm_oblast=oblast6

Meeting point: outside the hackathon venue

Time: tba

Please register here with your signature.


 * A bit further, but very interesting from history and architecture point of view there is Strahov stadium. It will be also open to public including possible guided tours thanks to Open House Prague event.

Meeting point: outside the hackathon venue

Time: tba

If you are interested to go to stadium, please register here with your signature.

Party and music
We invite you for the evening part of the program to Cafe u Prostoru, which is in the hackathon venue. We're planning to organize there:

- Czech Cuisine degustation

- party with DJ or live music

Venue: Library (NTK)

Start: 20:00