Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/261964
SAN JOSE (AP) — It used to be that ''hacking'' was just a type of crime, a computer break-in. But today, the term is also part of a growing — and per- fectly legal — mainstay of the tech sector. Computer program- ming competitions known as ''hackathons'' have spread like viruses in recent years as ways for geeks, nerds and designers to get together to eat pizza, lose sleep and create some- thing new. The formal, marathon group brainstorming ses- sions are focused on every- thing from developing lucrative apps to using computer code to solve the world's problems. This year a record 1,500 hackathons are planned around the globe, up from just a handful in 2010. ''A hackathon is the fastest way to actually do something about an idea,'' said Nima Adelkhani, organizer of the weekend- long Hack for Peace in the Middle East competition in San Francisco this month. Law enforcement has not abandoned the term. Dozens of federally con- victed ''hackers'' are serv- ing prison sentences for computer fraud and other cybercrimes. And the Jus- tice Department's cyber- crime budget this year is $9 million to target offens- es that include ''hacking.'' But the new uses have popped up with increasing frequency since a pair of tech events in 1999 where developers worked togeth- er to write programs. Yahoo gets recognition for the first official hackathon in 2005. And Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg has been largely credited with helping broaden the defini- tions by urging his staff to ''hack'' by ''building something quickly or test- ing the boundaries of what can be done.'' A new Facebook option that went live Thursday allowing users more than 50 ways to identify their gender beyond male and female was conceived dur- ing a company hackathon four months ago. This month, the first global hackathon for Black Male Achievement was held in Oakland, Calif. Music Hack Day is coming in Tokyo and Hackomotive competitors will develop apps in Santa Monica, Calif., that make it easier to buy and sell cars. During these sorts of tech-heavy, weekend com- petitions, teams of comput- er programmers, software engineers and developers huddle over monitors for hours, working up new apps for smartphones or other devices. A panel of judges selects winners, and prizes are usually awarded. ''Developers are a rare breed where they get paid a lot of money to do this job during the week, and they enjoy it so much they want to do it more on the week- end,'' said Jon Gotfriend, who's been going to hackathons for more than three years. As such events have become more popular, a set of rules has coalesced. Teams are typically made up of a handful of people. Designs, ideas and even mock-ups can be worked on in advance, but every- one starts writing code at the same time. And teams own whatever they come up with. The opening stages of a hackathon can be exciting as challenges, prizes, teams and judges are intro- duced. But within hours there's a quiet buzz and lots of keyboard clicking as programmers make their ideas a reality. 8B Daily News – Tuesday, February 18, 2014 VOTE FOR US: BEST OF TEHAMA COUNTY - NEW & USED CAR DEALERSHIP Your Opportunity To Meet Elected Officials & Candidates Red Bluff Community Center, 1500 S. Jackson Street Saturday, March 1, 2014 5:00 pm, Meet & Greet.....6:00 pm Dinner & Program $30.00 person Ticket Info: Sue Gallagher 530-384-2945 John Elshere 530-529-1238 tehamacountydemocrats@gmail.com Paid Political Advertisement California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, Keynote Speaker Tehama County Democrats "Support American Workers" Annual fundraiser Buffet dinner and Dessert Opportunity Drawings & Auction Breakfast: Mon-Fri 9am-11am Lunch & Dinner: Mon-Thurs 9am-9pm Fri-Sat-Sun 9am-9:30pm Everything! 50% OFF! 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