Hackathon Name: Hack the World

Hackathon Website: https://hacktheworld.synhacks.org

1. SPONSORS AND ORGANIZER

(i) Linode

(ii) WEGLOT

(iii) Wolfram

(iv) echoAR

(v) 1Password

(vi) Open Water Accelerator

(vii) next.tech

(viii) Bugsee

(ix) Balsamiq 

2. DATES AND TIMING 

Hackathon Submission Period: July 24,  2020 (12:00 AM PDT) – July 24, 2020 (3:00pm PDT)

Judging Period: July 24, 2020 (3:00pm PDT) – July 25, 2020 (2:00pm PDT)

Winners Announced:  July 25, 2020 (4:00pm PDT)

3. ELIGIBILITY

Must be a current student or a recent graduate

4. SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Participants may choose to partake as an individual or a part of a Team (maximum of 6 people)

Participants must do the following to participate in the Hackathon:

  •     Register through our website (https://hacktheworld.synhacks.org) by clicking “Register” and completing the TypeForm.
  •     Select a pathway 
  •     Create a project corresponding to the pathway
  •     Create a video demonstrating the usage of the project

WHEN YOU REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT YOU HEREBY AGREE TO ABIDE BY ALL OFFICIAL RULES AND CODE OF CONDUCT. VIOLATION OF SAID RULES MAY LEAD TO TEAM DISQUALIFICATION AND EXPULSION FROM THE EVENT WITHOUT ELIGIBILITY FOR A REFUND OR REIMBURSEMENT OF ANY KIND

A. Language Requirements 

All Submission materials must be in English or, if not in English, the participant must provide an English translation of the demonstration video, text description, and testing instructions as well as all other materials submitted. 

B. Submission Requirements

(i) What to Create: Create a project which solves an issue(s) within one of the following 5 tracks: 

  • Education
  • Inequality
  • Health
  • Humanitarianism
  • Sustainability

(ii) Functionality: The Submission must be capable of being successfully installed and running consistently on its intended platform(s), and must function as depicted in the video and/or expressed in the text description. 

(iii) Platforms: The Submission must run on at least one of the following:

  •     a smartphone or tablet  (iOS or Android)
  •     a web browser (mobile or desktop)
  •     a desktop computer (Windows PC, Mac Desktop)

(iv) Original: Submissions must be started and completed by the participant(s) within the time allotted

(v) Testing: The participant must make the Submission available free of charge and without any restriction, for testing, evaluation and use by synHacks, Hack the World, and judges during the Hackathon and until the Judging Period ends. 

(vi) Intellectual Property: Your Submission must: (a) be yours or your team’s own original work product; (b) be solely owned by you or your Team with no other person or entity having any right or interest in it; and (c) not violate the intellectual property rights or other rights including but not limited to copyright, trademark, patent, contract, and/or privacy rights, of any other person or entity. A participant may contract with a third party (i.e mentors) for technical assistance to create the Submission, if and only if the provided assistance of the third party is solely the participant’s work product and the result of the participant’s ideas and creativity, and the participant owns all rights to them. 

A participant may submit a Submission that includes the use of open source software or hardware, provided the participant complies with applicable open source licenses and, as part of the Submission, creates software that enhances and builds upon the features and functionality included in the underlying open source product. By entering the Hackathon you represent, warrant, and agree that your Submission meets these requirements.

C. Video Requirements 

The video portion of the Submission: 

a. should be less than five (5) minutes

b. must include footage that clearly explains the solution features and functionality through a comprehensive demonstration

c. should describe how the solution can help the issue which you identified

d. must be uploaded to YouTube and be made public, and a link to the video must be provided on the submission form..

e. must not include third party trademarks, or copyrighted music or other material unless the participant has permission to use such material.

D. Submission Modifications

i. Draft Submissions: Prior to the end of the Submission Period, you may save draft versions of your Submission on Devpost to your portfolio before submitting the Submission materials to the Competition for evaluation. Once the Submission Period has ended, you may not make any changes or alterations to your Submission, but you may continue to update the project in your Devpost portfolio.

ii. Modifications after the Submission Period. synHacks may permit you to modify part of your Submission after the Submission Period for the purpose of acquiring additional consent forms, adding a Competition hashtag to the demonstration video, or removing material that potentially infringes a third party mark or right, discloses personally identifiable information, or is otherwise inappropriate. The modified Submission must remain substantively the same as the original Submission with the only modification being what synHacks permits. 

5. SUBMISSION RIGHTS

A. Participant Rights: Subject to the licenses described below, any applicable intellectual property rights to a Submission will remain with the participant.

B. Organizer Rights: By entering the Hackathon, you grant synHacks, Hack the World and any other third parties acting on synHacks’s behalf, a royalty-free, non-exclusive, worldwide perpetual license to display publicly and use for promotional purposes the Submission, in perpetuity. This license includes, but is not limited to, posting or linking to the Submission on synHacks’s, Hack the World’s and partners’ websites and applications, including the Hackathon Website, and display and promotion of the Submission in any other media, worldwide.

C. Submission Display: The following Submission components may be displayed to the public: name, description, images, video URL, website URL, team members, the Submission category and platform, and submitter type. Other Submission materials may be viewed by synHacks, Hack the World and Judges for screening and evaluation.

D. Participants represent and warrant that synHacks and Hackathon partners are free to use participants’ Submission in the manner described above, as provided or as modified by synHacks, without obtaining permission or license from any third party and without any compensation to participants.

E. Submissions may be included in customer evidence or case studies for synHacks.

6. JUDGING

A. Judges: Eligible Submissions will be evaluated by a panel of judges selected by synHacks (the “Judges”).  Judges may be employees of synHacks or external, may or may not be listed individually on the Hackathon Website, and may change before or during the Judging Period. Judging may take place in one or more rounds with one or more panels of Judges, at the discretion of synHacks.

B. Criteria: The Judges will score eligible Submissions using the following equally weighted criteria (the “Judging Criteria”):

  • Originality: Has this project been done before at hackathons in the past? How creative is their project in solving the problem at hand?
  • Technology: How technically impressive was the hack? Was the technical problem the team tackled difficult? Did it use a particularly clever technique or did it use many different components? Did the technology involved make you go "Wow"?
  • Design: Did the team put thought into the user experience? How well designed is the interface?
  • Completion: Does the hack work? Did the team achieve everything they wanted?
  • Learning: Did the team stretch themselves? Did they try to learn something new?
  • Adherence to Theme: Does the hack adhere to the track's theme? Does it solve or contribute to a solution for a meaning problem?

C. Judging: 

Each judge will be assessing specific portions of the criteria

Track Judges: Completion, Learning, Design, Adherence to Theme

Overall Judges: Technology 

Innovation Judges: Originality

Track Judges will be assessing projects of one specific track whereas Overall Judges and Innovation Judges will be assessing projects across all tracks. All Judges will be using a Stack Ranking System, where each judge will determine a first (1st) through fifth (5th).

Points will be distributed accordingly as shown below:

1st = 20pt; 2nd = 15pt; 3rd = 7pt; 4th = 2pt; 5th = 1pt

 

The team with the most points will be deemed the winner

D. Submission Review: Judges are not required to test the submission and may opt to judge based on the text answers and video provided in the submission

E. Tie Breaker: If two or more Submissions are tied in points, the tied Submission with a greater number of judges assessing it will be declared higher scoring. If a tie still remains, the standard deviation will be taken into account and the lower standard deviation will be considered higher scoring. If a tie still remains, another set of judges will be brought in to evaluate the Submissions.

7. PRIZES

See “Prizes” tab on Devpost.

8. VERIFICATION OF POTENTIAL WINNERS

A. Verification Requirement: THE AWARD OF A PRIZE TO A POTENTIAL WINNER IS SUBJECT TO VERIFICATION OF THE IDENTITY, QUALIFICATIONS AND ROLE OF THE POTENTIAL WINNER IN THE CREATION OF THE SUBMISSION. The final decision to designate a winner shall be made by synHacks. 

B. Required Forms: Potential winners will be notified by synHacks via the email address used during registration. In order to receive a Prize, the potential winner (including all participating team members in the case of a Team) will be required to sign and return to affidavit(s) of eligibility (or a similar verification document) and liability/publicity release(s), and any applicable tax forms (“Required Forms”) to synHacks. 

C. Deadline for Returning Required Forms: ten (10) business days after the Required Forms are sent.

D. Disqualification: synHacks may deem a potential winner (or participating team members) ineligible to win if: 

(i) the potential winner or any participating member of the team does not respond to multiple emails or fails to sign and return the Required Forms by the deadline listed above, or responds and rejects the Prize;  

(ii) the Prize or Prize notification is returned as undeliverable; or  

(iii) the Submission or the potential winner, or any member of a potential winner’s Team is disqualified for any other reason.

In the event of a disqualification, synHacks may award the applicable Prize to an alternate potential winner. 

9. PRIZE DISTRIBUTION

A. Substitutions & Changes: synHacks has the right to make a Prize substitution of equivalent or greater value. synHacks will not award a Prize if there are no eligible Submissions entered in the Hackathon, or if there are no eligible participants or Submissions for a specific Prize. 

B. Prize Delivery: 

It will be the responsibility of the winning participant(s) to allocate the Prize among their participating members. If an individual submission were to win a Prize will be delivered to the winning participant’s address. If a Team submission were to win a Prize, Team members may opt for the prize to be delivered to a representative’s address, wired to a team representative bank account OR synHacks will split the prize according to the wishes of the Team members and send the divided Prize to each Team member’s address respectively. In the case of a conflict of interests when determining how to split the Prize, synHacks will take charge and split the Prize equally among each Team member. synHacks reserve the right to withhold any portion of the Prize to ensure each team member gets an equal portion.

Prizes will be distributed only after receipt of the Required Forms. 

Failure to provide correct information on the Required Forms, or other correct information required for the delivery of a Prize, may result in delayed Prize delivery, disqualification of the participant, or forfeiture of a Prize.

C. Prize Delivery Timeframe: Within 60 days of receiving all Required Forms

D. Fees & Taxes: Winners (and in the case of a Team, all participating members) are responsible for any fees associated with receiving or using a prize, including but not limited to, wiring fees. Winners (and in the case of Team, all participating members) are responsible for reporting and paying all applicable taxes in their jurisdiction of residence (federal, state/provincial/territorial and local). Winners may be required to provide certain information to facilitate receipt of the award, including completing and submitting any tax or other forms necessary for compliance with applicable withholding and reporting requirements. United States residents are required to provide a completed form W-9 and residents of other countries are required to provide a completed W-8BEN form. Winners are also responsible for complying with foreign exchange and banking regulations in their respective jurisdictions and reporting the receipt of the Prize to relevant government departments/agencies, if necessary. 

synHacks and/or Prize Provider reserve the right to withhold a portion of the prize amount to comply with tax laws of the United States or other sponsor jurisdiction, or those of a winner’s jurisdiction.

10. ENTRY CONDITIONS AND RELEASE

A. By entering the Hackathon, you (and, if you are entering on behalf of a Team, each participating members) agree(s) to the following:

(i) The relationship between you, the participant and synHacks is not a confidential, fiduciary, or other special relationship.

(ii) You will be bound by and comply with these Official Rules, the Code of Conduct and the decisions of synHacks and/or the Hackathon Judges which are binding and final in all matters relating to the Hackathon.

(iii) You release, indemnify, defend and hold harmless synHacks, Promotion Entities, and their respective parent, subsidiary, and affiliated companies, the Prize suppliers and any other organizations responsible for sponsoring, fulfilling, administering, advertising or promoting the Hackathon, and all of their respective past and present officers, directors, employees, agents and representatives (hereafter the “Released Parties”) from and against any and all claims, expenses, and liabilities (including reasonable attorneys’ fees), including but not limited to negligence and damages of any kind to persons and property, defamation, slander, libel, violation of right of publicity, infringement of trademark, copyright or other intellectual property rights, property damage, or death or personal injury arising out of or relating to a participant’s entry, creation of Submission or entry of a Submission, participation in the Hackathon, acceptance or use or misuse of the Prize (including any travel or activity related thereto) and/or the broadcast, transmission, performance, exploitation or use of the Submission as authorized or licensed by these Official Rules. 

B. Without limiting the foregoing, the Released Parties shall have no liability in connection with: 

(i) any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by synHacks or Hack the World’s electronic or printing error, or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Hackathon; 

(ii) technical failures of any kind, including, but not limited to malfunctions, interruptions, or disconnections in phone lines, internet connectivity or electronic transmission errors, or network hardware or software or failure of the Hackathon Website;

(iii) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the Hackathon; 

(iv) technical or human error which may occur in the administration of the Hackathon or the processing of Submissions; or 

(v) any injury or damage to persons or property which may be caused, directly or indirectly, in whole or in part, from the participant’s participation in the Hackathon or receipt or use or misuse of any Prize.

The Released Parties are not responsible for incomplete, late, misdirected, damaged, lost, illegible, or incomprehensible Submissions or for address or email address changes of the participants. Proof of sending or submitting will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by synHacks or Hack the World.

If for any reason any participant’s Submission is determined to have not been received or been erroneously deleted, lost, or otherwise destroyed or corrupted, the participant’s sole remedy is to request the opportunity to resubmit its Submission. Such a request must be made promptly after the participant knows or should have known there was a problem, and will be determined at the sole discretion of synHacks.

11. PUBLICITY

By participating in the Hackathon you consent to the use of personal information about you, if you are a winner, by synHacks, Hack the World and third parties acting on their behalf. Such personal information includes, but is not limited to, your name, likeness, photograph, voice, opinions, comments and hometown and country of residence. It may be used in any existing or newly created media, worldwide without further payment or consideration or right of review, unless prohibited by law. Authorized use includes advertising and promotional purposes. 

The duration of your consent is for a period of three years following the conclusion of the Hackathon. This consent applies, as applicable, to all members a participant’s Team that participated in the winning Submission.

12. GENERAL CONDITIONS

A. synHacks reserve the right, in their sole discretion, to cancel, suspend and/or modify the Hackathon, or any part of it, in the event of a technical failure, fraud, or any other factor or event that was not anticipated or is not within their control.

B. synHacks reserve the right in their sole discretion to disqualify any individual or participant it finds to be actually or presenting the appearance of tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Hackathon or to be acting in violation of these Official Rules or in a manner that is inappropriate, unsportsmanlike, not in the best interests of this Hackathon, or a violation of any applicable law or regulation. 

C. Any attempt by any person to undermine the proper conduct of the Hackathon may be a violation of criminal and civil law.  Should synHacks suspect that such an attempt has been made or is threatened, they reserve the right to take appropriate action including but not limited to requiring a participant to cooperate with an investigation and referral to criminal and civil law enforcement authorities.

D. If there is any discrepancy or inconsistency between the terms and conditions of the Official Rules and disclosures or other statements contained in any Hackathon materials, including but not limited to the Hackathon Submission form, Hackathon Website, advertising (including but not limited to television, print, radio or online ads), the terms and conditions of the Official Rules shall prevail. 

E. The terms and conditions of the Official Rules are subject to change at any time, including the rights or obligations of the participant, synHacks and Hack the World. synHacks and Hack the World will post the terms and conditions of the amended Official Rules on the Hackathon Website and/or Devpost Rules section.  To the fullest extent permitted by law, any amendment will become effective at the time specified in the posting of the amended Official Rules or, if no time is specified, the time of posting. 

F. If at any time prior to the deadline, a participant or prospective participant believes that any Official Rule is or may be unclear or ambiguous, they must submit a written request for clarification.   

G. synHacks failure to enforce any term of these Official Rules shall not constitute a waiver of that provision. Should any provision of these Official Rules be or become illegal or unenforceable in any jurisdiction whose laws or regulations may apply to a participant, such illegality or unenforceability shall leave the remainder of these Official Rules, including the Rule affected, to the fullest extent permitted by law, unaffected and valid. The illegal or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid and enforceable provision that comes closest and best reflects synHacks’s intention in a legal and enforceable manner with respect to the invalid or unenforceable provision.

H. Excluding Submissions, all intellectual property related to this Hackathon, including but not limited to copyrighted material, trademarks, trade-names, logos, designs, promotional materials, web pages, source codes, drawings, illustrations, slogans and representations are owned or used under license by synHacks and/or Hack the World. All rights are reserved. Unauthorized copying or use of any copyrighted material or intellectual property without the express written consent of its owners is strictly prohibited. Any use in a Submission of synHacks, Hack the World or Sponsor intellectual property shall be solely to the extent provided for in these Official Rules.

13. LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY

By entering, all participants (including, in the case of a Team, all participating members) agree to be bound by the Official Rules and hereby release the Released Parties from any and all liability in connection with the Prizes or participant’s participation in the Hackathon. Provided, however, that any liability limitation regarding gross negligence or intentional acts, or events of death or body injury shall not be applicable in jurisdictions where such limitation is not legal. 

14. DISPUTES

A. Except where prohibited by law, as a condition of participating in this Hackathon, participant agrees that: 

(i) any and all disputes and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Hackathon, or any Prizes awarded, shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action lawsuit, and exclusively by final and binding arbitration under the rules of the American Arbitration Association and held at the AAA regional office nearest the contestant; 

(ii) the Federal Arbitration Act shall govern the interpretation, enforcement and all proceedings at such arbitration; and 

(iii) judgment upon such arbitration award may be entered in any court having jurisdiction. 

B. Under no circumstances will participants be permitted to obtain awards for, and contestant hereby waives all rights to claim, punitive, incidental or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees, other than contestant’s actual out-of-pocket expenses (i.e., costs associated with entering this Hackathon), and participant further waives all rights to have damages multiplied or increased. 

C. All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of these Official Rules, or the rights and obligations of participant and synHacks in connection with this Hackathon, shall be determined by synHacks

15. ADDITIONAL TERMS THAT ARE PART OF THE OFFICIAL RULES

Please review the Devpost Terms of Service at https://info.devpost.com/hackathon_terms for additional rules that may apply to your participation in the Hackathon and more generally your use of the Hackathon Website. Such Terms of Service are incorporated by reference into these Official Rules. If there is a conflict between the Terms of Service and these Official Rules, the latter terms shall control with respect to this Hackathon only.

Participation in the Hackathon constitutes participant’s full and unconditional agreement to these Official Rules. By entering, a participant agrees that all decisions related to the Hackathon that are made pursuant to these Official Rules are final and binding, and that all such decisions are at the sole discretion of synHacks and/or Devpost. 

Devpost collects personal information from you when you enter the Hackathon. The information collected is subject to the privacy policy located here: https://info.devpost.com/privacy.

16. CODE OF CONDUCT

We value the participation of each member of the hacker community and hope for everyone to have an enjoyable and fulfilling experience. Accordingly, all staff and participants are expected to show respect and courtesy to others throughout the event. synHacks will be enforcing the Code of Conduct throughout the event.

If you witness violations of the code of conduct or anything that concerns you, please report them here and to Hack the World here

Code of Conduct