RHoK Project Submission Form

Before various media dimbulbs perverted it to be synonymous with “criminal act,” the word “hack” was a geek term that meant “an appropriate application of ingenuity.” A “hacker” was someone particularly adept at pushing the limits of a system, finding the flaws in it to make it stronger, and discovering new ways to use existing systems for both fun and productivity.

This last weekend Vicky and I took part in the Random Hacks of Kindess 1.0 event in Washington D.C., where code-monkeys and other IT professionals teamed up with assorted Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) to craft solutions to pressing needs. The event was sponsored by Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo, with other events being simultaneously held around the world in Jakarta, Nairobi, Sydney and elsewhere. Developers around the world were able to coordinate via online collaboration and streaming video on open-source solutions to pressing humanitarian needs.