The first case is what we call the innovation track and the second case is the integration track.
The magnitude is new for MariaDB Foundation
Finally, I want to thank MariaDB plc for providing us with the additional funding that made this Hackathon possible. MariaDB plc has very similar objectives to MariaDB Foundation in wanting to make MariaDB Server easy to use, and in desiring to engage our user community in making that happen. Thank you, MariaDB plc!
Our objective: Make MariaDB easier to use!
Our objective is slightly different. We want to make MariaDB Server easier to use, in two ways:
When progressing to the development phase, we will underline that you should write elegant code. But for the purposes of picking the right project, the key aspect is – understand what we want to achieve (which is making MariaDB Server even easier to use than currently) and then pick either a MariaDB feature (set) that you wish to illustrate with a cool application, or a framework, tool, or environment that you want to make easily accessible for MariaDB. That’s how you make MariaDB Server easy to use for others.
- By writing sample code. By showing off code that uses cool MariaDB Server features. Reference implementations on GitHub provide an ideal starting point for users to copy and paste from, to extend, to apply to their own situation.
- By writing interface code. By making MariaDB Server easy and convenient to use from existing frameworks, tools, and environments. Pull requests into existing GitHub projects, or separate “connectors” provide the key for users to use MariaDB in whatever setting they need a database.
Robert Silén and I have conducted two AMAs, Ask-Me-Anything sessions together with HackerEarth. You can watch these recordings separately. The key takeaway here, for the purposes of coming with the best possible submission for the ideation phase is: Fulfil the objective of making MariaDB Server easier to use!
What’s in it for you?
Contributors to Open Source make their contributions to scratch their own itches. Here, our Hackathon doesn’t differ much from a traditional one – where the participants hack around on cool code in order to show what they’re made of. There is a huge demand out there for MariaDB talent, and since we will link all good GitHub contributions from our website, the spotlight will be on you. The better your contribution, the brighter the spotlight.
Tips for the ideation phase
Already, we’re quite proud of the results. Last Wednesday, I reported to the MariaDB Foundation Board meeting that we have over 3,000 registered individuals and 250 team idea submissions. This is magnitudes higher than the successful but smaller Helsinki event earlier this spring.
Long story short: Go to mariadb-python.hackerearth.com, register, and submit your idea!
The final days are here for the Foundation’s first large-scale hackathon, the MariaDB Python Hackathon we’re organising in partnership with BangPypers (the Bangalore Python Meetup, a group with about 14,000 members) and HackerEarth (a Hackathon organiser). Do come with your final submissions of ideas at mariadb-python.hackerearth.com within the next two days – in October, it’s development time!
Thank you to MariaDB plc
You can best pick the proper MariaDB feature from MariaDB founder Michael “Monty” Widenius’s blog “Celebrating 15 years of MariaDB Server”. And in order to make your contribution easy to understand, don’t introduce your own sample data and logic – instead pick our existing sample database, Open Flights. Using our easy-to-grasp sample database makes it simple for the reader to focus on the cool code itself, rather than having to learn about your setup.
Call to Action: Submit your idea by tomorrow, end of September
The goal of many large-scale Hackathons is recruitment. It’s an opportunity for participants to show what they’re made of, and for organisers to dip into the talent pool.
