[theyCallMeSwift]

Great writeup. I totally agree with a lot of the things you're saying.

I think the simplest fix is to start shifting the focus away from the negative competitive aspects. Large cash prizes are a great example of one that we could do away with. As you suggested, focusing on non-monetary or community incentives would be a great alternative and the whole hackathon scene could benefit from that.

You should check out this talk I gave about hackathons a few months back. We definitely seem to be singing a similar tune. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocY70UORNsk

Also, thanks for the Major League Hacking shout out!

[kcon]

I really liked your talk. Thanks so much for your work in helping to nurture hackathons.