Code of Conduct

Last updated March 12, 2024

hackMCST is an event intended for learning, collaboration, engagement, and fun. We want to ensure that our participants feel welcomed, included, and safe in our environment. All attendees—including staff, participants, and judges—are expected to conform to the following Code of Conduct.

All participants are expected to show respect and courtesy to others at our event. Be kind, thoughtful, and supportive of everyone and their ideas; encourage and help others when they are in need.

We don't tolerate any forms of harassment, discrimination, or bullying: including physical harassment, sexual harassment, and offensive verbal comments related to someone's gender, sexual orientation, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, age, religion, etc. Attendees asked to stop any behavior deemed as harassment, discrimination, or bullying are expected to comply immediately. If an attendee fails to comply, they will be asked to leave the event.

AI Policy

Prohibited AI Use

  • ❌ AI-Generated Code – Copy-pasting AI-generated code into your project without significant modification or understanding.
  • ❌ AI-Generated Project Structures – Using AI to generate entire files, full project templates, or core algorithmic solutions.
  • ❌ AI-Based Debugging Without Learning – If AI fixes errors for you and you don't understand why, that's a problem.

Permitted Actions

  • ✔️ Learning Before the Event – You can study documentation, tutorials, or concepts beforehand, but not write actual project code.
  • ✔️ Using Public Libraries & APIs – You may use third-party libraries, frameworks, and APIs, as long as your implementation is original and done during the event.
  • ✔️ Code from Official Documentation – Small snippets (e.g., syntax examples from official docs) are fine, but they cannot form a significant portion of your project.

Prohibited Actions

  • ❌ Pre-Written Code – No part of the project's codebase may be written before the hackathon officially begins.
  • ❌ Pre-Built Projects – Forking or modifying an existing personal or public project (even your own) is not allowed.
  • ❌ Reusing Old Code – You may not copy-paste code from previous projects, whether written by you or someone else.
  • ❌ Hidden Preparation – Writing pseudocode that is so detailed it can be quickly converted into working code is prohibited.

Rule Enforcement

  • ⚠️ Code Audits – Judges will inspect commit history to ensure all work was done during the hackathon.
  • ⚠️ Live Coding Checks – Teams may be asked to demonstrate their project live to confirm functionality.
  • ⚠️ Technical Questioning – Judges will ask how specific parts of your code were written. If you can't explain it, penalties will apply.

Essential Software & Hardware Requirements

💻 Development Tools:

  • ✅ Code editor or IDE (VS Code, IntelliJ, PyCharm, etc.)
  • 🔹 We recommend VS Code (free & lightweight)
  • ✅ Git installed locally
  • ✅ GitHub account created and configured

🔌 Hardware:

  • 💻 Laptop with sufficient processing power and memory
  • ⚡ 1.6 GHz or faster processor
  • 🧠 1 GB of RAM
  • 🖥️ Windows or Mac
  • 🔋 Charger and possibly extension cords

📊 GitHub Setup Instructions

🚀 Create a new repository:

# Initialize a new repository git init # Add a remote origin (replace with your actual repo URL) git remote add origin https://github.com/username/repo-name.git

🏁 Initial commit setup:

# Create a README echo "# Hackathon Project" > README.md # Add and commit git add README.md git commit -m "Initial commit" # Push to remote git push -u origin main

⏱️ Instructions for periodic commits:

# Add all changes git add . # Commit with timestamp and description git commit -m "Hourly update - [brief description]" # Push to remote git push origin main

💡 Tips for participants:

  • 📝 Write meaningful commit messages that describe what you've accomplished
  • 🕒 Set timer reminders for hourly commits
  • 📋 Keep a simple log of your progress alongside commits
  • 🔍 Make sure to push after committing to ensure judges can see your work
  • 🧩 Commit logical chunks of work rather than all changes at once

Thank you for making hackMCST a welcoming space for all!