This is a panel session. Phill Purdy starts by summarising what a Hack Day is – getting people together for a day, computer programmers, solve problems, think about creative ways of using the collection. Now three presenters talking about different hack days:<\/p>\n
Linda Ellis from Wolverhampton Arts + Heritage<\/strong><\/p>\n Completely new experience. Hack day came out of a much bigger project – about getting Black Country collections online – but the result was a website with an API…<\/p>\n Data is fed into culture grid – so actually 2 APIs available (although on day, everyone chose to use the Black Country website API)<\/p>\n Why a hack day?<\/p>\n Main thing – it had to be fun – asking people to give up their time (a Saturday) to this. First of all got all participants to make badges – engaged them! Brought along objects for them to look at, and also provided small value Amazon vouchers for best hack (voted for by participants)<\/p>\n For the hackers – it was hard work! Started at 10, went through to 4(?) when it came to a natural conclusion – got as far as they could in a day.<\/p>\n 5 hacks created on the day:<\/p>\n Would like to see Black Country fashion app developed further – e.g. enable posting to facebook once you have chosen your outfit.<\/p>\n Lessons learnt:<\/p>\n Would like to take a couple of the hacks forward – but lack of resources is a real issue – not just finding money for more development (sometimes developers will do for free) – but once the hack completed need resource to host etc. Follow @wagwebteam<\/a><\/p>\n Rachel Coldicutt<\/strong> – showing video CultureHack day – see http:\/\/culturehackday.org.uk\/<\/a>. Culture orgs provided data – could be a spreadsheet, could be an API. Rachel mentions that the breadth of organisations and individuals involved:<\/p>\n Very casual environment – but lots of work done Hackday concentrated expertise and effort – 2,484 hours of developer time! Talent attracts talent; opportunity to make new relationships with people who are interested.<\/p>\n Sum up as “Inspiration”; “Creativity”; “Excitement”<\/p>\n The ‘open data’ debate – start to talk about ways in which we could collaboratively get to a point where open data is a more recognised concept in the sector – we may find that the cultural heritage is missing from the internet because we worry about it too much.<\/p>\n Working on Culture Hack Wales (October 2011?) and Culture Hack North<\/p>\n Looking at other kinds of hacking:<\/p>\n Follow @rachelcoldicutt<\/a> Culture Grid Hackday – testing the water with the Culture Grid API. Wanted to investigate the public value in the Culture grid. Also about forming relationships<\/p>\n 60 signed up – 40 attended; 28 coders – 12 ‘non-coders’ Hackday started new conversations (most ideas weren’t developed). 2 usable (inexpensive) ideas – good will shown to cultural orgs publishing data. New relationships – ongoing support and guidance. Take a look at Broadening Hack Days<\/a> Hunt down and embrace your local ‘open data geeks’! – in this case it was @alistair_uk<\/a><\/p>\n Hackdays should not be about prescribed outcomes … although themes can help ensure relevance – ‘dinosaur hack’; ‘history hack’.<\/p>\n Now challenge to build on the new relationships – considering smaller events on a more regular basis (e.g. monthly basis)<\/p>\n\n
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\nDay cost \u00a3500 – not much, but still \u00a3500 they didn’t have in the budget<\/p>\n\n
\nHackday inspired by observation – other people were ‘doing this better’ than arts organisations (e.g. http:\/\/theatricalia.com\/<\/a>). “Showing not telling” – don’t write a business case, make a proof of concept; work like a creative business not a paper-bound bureaucracy; Iterate something quickly to get it right.<\/p>\n\n
\nJohn Coburn – Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nResulted in 5 working prototypes and 2 concepts developed over 8 hours – and funding was awarded to 2 projects to take further<\/p>\n\n
\nThings to think about:<\/p>\n\n
\nComment from a blogger after the even “If the data isn’t in a format that someone can easily access then it’s going to lie fallow, underused”<\/p>\n