The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center is very excited to be hosting the 2015 Boston Cleanweb Hackathon.  We look forward to a weekend of innovative collaboration and engaging free flow of new ideas.  To ensure we maintain the spirit of the event, we have put together the following rules and code of conduct for the event.  Good luck to all the participants!

 

By participating in MassCEC’s 2015 Boston Cleanweb Hackathon, the Participant indicates his/her agreement to adhere to and be bound by the rules below.  MassCEC and the Hackathon organizers through MassCEC’s “Boston Cleanweb” group (hereafter referred to as the Organizers) reserve the right to ask anyone in violation of these rules to leave the Hackathon and to not participate in future MassCEC or Boston Cleanweb network activities, events, and digital forums.

 

Code of Conduct

 

  1. Participants shall conduct themselves in a way that promotes a safe, respectful and inclusive environment for all participants.
  2. Participants acknowledge that the Hackathon is a place where people are free to fully express themselves and their identities.
  3. Participants acknowledge that the Hackathon is a place where the value of others is presumed; everyone’s ideas, skills, and contributions have value.
  4. Participants shall not assume that everyone has the same baseline level of knowledge, and shall encourage questions.
  5. Participants shall endeavor to listen as much as they speak.
  6. Participants shall work to ensure that the community is well-represented in the planning, design, and implementation of technology at the Hackathon. This includes encouraging participation from women, minorities, and traditionally marginalized groups.
  7. Participants shall actively involve community groups and those with subject matter expertise in the decision-making process at the Hackathon.
  8. Participants shall ensure that the relationships and conversations between community members, the local government staff and community partners at the Hackathon remain respectful, participatory, and productive.
  9. Participants shall work to create a Hackathon environment in which people are free from discrimination or harassment.

 

Team Formation

 

Participants are permitted to form teams in advance of the Hackathon. Please note that every member of the team must register for the Hackathon. Teams may also form at the Hackathon.

 

Requirements for Submissions

 

Hackathon competition submissions shall not contain inappropriate, malicious or illegal content.  Submissions may not contain copyrighted materials that are not owned by the entrant, or that have not been properly licensed.  The Organizers reserve the right to disqualify any submissions that they deem to be inappropriate, malicious or illegal, or entries that contain third-party proprietary materials or information. Please make sure your submission is appropriate for all viewing audiences.

 

All submissions must be original to the Hackathon and the work product must be produced within the time span of the Hackathon.  Teams are not permitted to begin actual coding or other work on their submission until the start of the Hackathon, except that teams are permitted to brainstorm solutions and put design concepts to paper before the Hackathon officially begins.  The Organizers or judges may, in their sole discretion, disqualify any submission that they believe was developed in violation of this paragraph.

 

Representations

 

By entering a submission, each Hackathon Participant represents:

(a) the submission was created by the Participant and his/her team (if applicable) entering it;

(b) the submission does not infringe the rights of any third party;

(c) the submission has not previously been entered in any other contest; and

(d) the submission has not been previously published in any medium.

 

Winner Selection

 

Submissions and oral presentations will be judged by a panel of six judges based upon the following equally-weighed criteria for each category:

 

(1) concept

(2) sustainability

(3) impact

(4) functionality

(5) originality

(6) design

 

In the event of a numerical tie, the winning team will be determined by the judges based on the overall quality of the submission. Each individual member of a winning team, along with all submissions, is subject to validation by the judges, whose decisions are final and binding in all respects.

 

WINNERS MUST BE PRESENT DURING THE JUDING CEREMONY AT THE COMPLETION OF THE DAY ON SUNDAY, APRIL 12, 2015 TO ACCEPT PRIZE OR PRIZE WILL BE FORFEITED.

 

Participants agree that none of MassCEC, the judges the Hackathon Organizers, its sponsors, their respective subsidiaries, affiliates, directors, officers, employees, representatives, agents, and advisors will have any and all liability for any claims, costs, injuries, losses, or damages of any kind (including consequential, loss of profit or lost opportunity damages) arising out of or in connection with the selection process or the decisions of the judges.

 

Tax Reporting Obligations

 

Winning participants are responsible for all taxes associated with accepting a cash prize. Winning participants will be required to complete tax forms (W9) prior to receiving the cash prize. Cash prizes are not transferable.