I think this is incredible. Kudos to @tamershlash for organizing this. I hope we see a number of innovations coming out of this weekend, and actual products. I would love it if you could post a followup after the event or during so we can stay up to date on this.
Is there any way those of us in the United States can help you guys with this?
Winning entry: an app to detect if the next checkpoint is manned by the Army, the Free Syrian Army, or foreign jihadists so you don't say the wrong thing and get disappeared.
Progress should continue despite the negative events around you!! With technology you have the potential to not just help your country, but also change the world. Keep working hard man and inspire the world. I wait for the day when I see Syria making headlines for the work of its entrepreneurs.
Hey TamerShlash, I'm a hacker from Jordan but now based in New York. I'll be more than happy to help with your event in any way I can. Let me know amjad.masad@gmail.com
Hey there - I'm a software engineer and web developer based in California. I write web apps and infrastructure for a living, and I teach basic web programming concepts at a local hacker space.
It's really inspiring to see this happening. I'd be more than happy to donate my time over the weekend of Feb 22nd-23rd, as a remote engineer, for any/all of the teams taking part in this event. Drop me an email at dan@situnayake.com if you think I could be useful!
Thanks very much DanI-S, I'll mostly ask you for help when the time comes, lots of thanks :)
(And BTW we have a Hackerspace in Damascus as well https://www.facebook.com/WikilogiaHackerspace, it belongs to Wikilogia - the community partner of SWDamascus, and I teach web programming there as well :D ).
I've tried and failed to come up with a single explanation for why this might be a good idea (from a security point of view and also from a "is this really the best thing you can do with your time if you're going to be in Damascus" point of view).
So, what's the rationale (I'd genuinely like to know as I assume it's being organised with good intentions)?
As for the "is this really the best thing you can do with your time if you're going to be in Damascus" point of view, it's missing the essential part of the thing; we are ALREADY in Damascus now, I'm (one of the organizers) writing this comment from the heart of Damascus, all the organizers are living in Damascus, and all the attendees will be from Damascus as well. If we don't found useful startups, what else could we be doing to help our country and people survive?
As for the security point of view, you are right; people die everyday not only in Damascus, but all over Syria, should that mean we have to keep at home?
People die while at home, in job, or in any situation; the best thing you can do is to take whatever chances you have to help rebuild your country and bring ease to your people.
According to a UN survey, more than 500,000 jobs will be needed in Syria by 2015. We have absolutely NO hope in having these jobs unless we found local entrepreneurship culture and successful startups - it is a good idea to start that by a SW event, isn't it? :)
Well, it seemed to me as if you were hoping for people to come to damascus for the event. But since everyone is already there, it seems like a great way to forget the war for a few hours and think about something positiv. Great idea, i wish you and your friends all the best.
You could try to save yourself or your family. Can't you at least flee to another country until the situation stabilizes a bit? It seems suicide to be working on a start-up events while people are being slaughtered on the streets.
Syria is a country full of talented youth especially in the IT field. Most of them are expats living in the UK or here in the US. I hope that this talented youth could progress despite the chaotic context Syria is facing it now.
This might sound like a weird question that I don't expect to be answered, but I was wondering "what side" these guys are on? I'm not making a judgement for one side or the other, because I think there are bad actors on at least two of the sides.
Based on the choice of venue, and the fact that it's been posted openly on the internet, I think the best assessment one can estimate is "superficially loyalist; respectfully apolitical."
Is there any way those of us in the United States can help you guys with this?