Hackfests/HackfestTNG

Hackfests, the next generation
PAD at: https://pad.documentfoundation.org/p/hackfesttng

This page is about the next generation Hackfests. Here we are:


 * collecting idea
 * collecting resources
 * organizing the event

This is a wiki, feel free to constructively contribute hints, ideas and comments on the concrete topic below: timeframe, location, topics. We might clean up and consolidate these pages in the end, but for now every helpful hint and idea is welcome.

Timeframe

 * LibreOffice conference 2017:
 * We likely dont want this Hackfest to collide with/split resources away from the LibreOffice conference 2017 in Rome on October 11-13, 2017.
 * Scheduling the event likely would rush things too much (and make it to ad-hoc for volunteers to plan for)
 * Thus, earliest time for the Hackfest is mid-November 2017
 * LibreOffice spring 2017 release:
 * https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/ReleasePlan/6.0 shows end of November is feature-freeze and branch-off for LibreOffice 6.0 an event at this time. Professional developers might be somewhat hamstrung by their day job duties.
 * However delaying further seems ill-adviced.

Location and Participants
So far, members from at least three European countries have signaled interest in supporting an Hackfest logistically on the ground. This is encouraging.

The replies on board-discuss@ suggest there generally will be certified developers available for TDF.

Topics
We should find a topic to give the Hackfest some focus and help selecting certified developers serving as mentors. Given the timefame of a few man days, the topic for the first Hackfest should be something rather small, so we can should progress and results in the end. There have been collections of topics to work on in the past e.g.:


 * Development/Budget2017
 * perhaps the Updater topic is now small enough, with just macOS missing? Thorsten Behrens 2017-08-28T00:42:00 (UTC)
 * Development/GSoC/Ideas

but most of them will bust the scope of the event. So we either need something there that is already of value if it only gets started on the Hackfest (e.g. if there is a commitment by a volunteer to push the topic further after being bootstrapped at the Hackfest). Alternatively, we might also settle on some (advanced) Development/EasyHacks, but topics that teach volunteers to contribute beyond them should clearly be preferred. In the end this also depends on the interests of the volunteers showing up at the event.