[phendrenad2]

I've never seen an optional hackathon that didn't come with serious "contribute or else" vibes.

[gizmo385]

I’m the exact opposite. I’ve never seen a hackathon with that mentality and you should avoid hackathons that guilt you into working beyond your limits

[wwkeyboard]

It's the cost of failure that's different. If you loose a hackathon everyone gets a high five and goes home empty handed. If you loose at your job(in the US) you have no income, a very high COBRA payment, and possibly a major visa problem. All of which are a fantastic way to start a recession.

[spoils19]

It's fairly common, actually, to have completely optional hackathons. I guess it would depend on the social circles you hang around, or if you falsely believe that there is actually an "or else" consequence.

[seba_dos1]

Hackathons are always completely optional and rather inconsequential. When they're not, they're called "exploitation" instead.

[RickJWagner]

Yeah, true.

All-hands-on-deck after hours work is ALWAYS done under duress.