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Page history last edited by Jyrki Laurila 13 years, 4 months ago

It all starts with an itch. Something that bugs you. It's usually some kind of "pattern" that you identify. Like, why is it that when I print on my color printer I always have to go the the Page Setup Options to shift it off it's default setting of "Black & White". It's a freaking color printer! Software engineers are inherently lazy. Always looking for way to optimize the world around them, automate repetitive manual tasks. This is the main motivation to hack.

 

To back up, "hack" is not, what Hollywood tells you it is. It's not about breaking into a mainframe to steal data or wreak havoc. No, the modern term for "hack" is the software equivalent of duct taping some things together to try out an idea. You know that site, There, I Fixed It (http://thereifixedit.failblog.org/) - it's kind of like that but with software. Definitely not ready for prime time but it gets you thinking.

 

So why Oulu, why November, who's behind this anyway?

 

This all started when an ex-Yahoo guy named Ian Kennedy (http://everwas.com)  joined Nokia and found himself in Helsinki posting to an internal message board about this thing called a Hackday that was a fun thing they did at Yahoo to let off steam and try out new ideas. Kristian Luoma, (http://kluoma.posterous.com/) bit and the two of them worked together to put on the first, internal Nokia hack event in Oulu which they called a "Hackfest" in November of 2009.

 

http://www.slideshare.net/iankennedy/hackfest-at-nokia

 

A follow-up event was held in Helsinki the following year and then Kristian left Nokia to work at his start-up and Ian got busy with some other projects. With the help of Ville Alatalo, Jyrki Laurila and others from the original Hackfest in Oulu, the project was brought back and because 11-11-10 is a nice pattern falling conveniently on a Thursday, Ville, Jyrki, Kristian, and Ian set the date for the 2nd Annual Oulu Hackfest and got to work.

 

In order to involve the greater Oulu community (why keep all the fun to ourselves?), the group decided to open it to non-Nokia people for a greater exchange of ideas. While no one knows really what to expect at these events, like any good dinner party, we all look forward to it and making it come together as we go along. Who knows what ideas will thought through and tried out? What problems will the group tackle? What is broken in their world? How can we make things better?

 

Join us, November 11th at 11am on the CIE campus.

 

Ian Kennedy - ian (at) ouluopenhack.org

Kristian Luoma - kristian (at) ouluopenhack.org

Ville Alatalo - ville (at) ouluopenhack.org

Jyrki Laurila - jyrki (at) ouluopenhack.org

 

 

Comments (1)

ian kennedy said

at 5:02 pm on Nov 5, 2010

If you're curious to see what past Nokia Hackfests looked like, I've posted two galleries that you are free to use images from with proper attribution.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/clankennedy/sets/72157622885345834/ - hackfest oulu
http://www.flickr.com/photos/clankennedy/sets/72157623531450587/ - hackfest helsinki

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