Hac Boston 2016

Hac Boston is simply a fun gathering for anyone interested in Haskell.

Hac Boston is open to all -- you do not have to be a Haskell guru to attend. In fact, you don't even need any Haskell experience at all. All you need is curiosity and a willingness to learn (though having a project in mind that you'd be excited to build and/or help with would go a long way).

There will be Haskell experts in attendance hacking on Haskell libraries, giving talks and short courses, and just hanging around a whiteboard.

Registration

We have room for 80-100 people. If you plan to be in the area and are thinking about attending, please register. Registration is free, and open to everyone; just mark that you'll be attending here on meetup.

Dates and Times

We'll be running Friday, August 5th to Sunday, August 7th:

• Friday 6PM to 10PM

• Saturday 9AM to 10PM

• Sunday 9AM to 5PM

There will probably be some talks (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_Boston/Talks) Saturday afternoon.

Although the hackathon won't officially kick off until 6:00pm on Friday, you are welcome to arrive Friday morning if it makes for easier travel.

Location

We have a Google map regarding transportation and places to stay (https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zZPMYpBMUgqo.kCR-5J9hJRU0), and another with points of interest around Cambridge (http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF&msa=0&msid=211126516447001200668.0004b03844f6a9021991c).

The hackathon itself is in the atrium of Building 46, on the third floor; it is right across the street from the MIT Stata Center.

We will try to keep the doors open, but if you do get lost or locked out, call Greg at 908-797-8281.

Before you arrive

Pick out a couple of projects to work on and familiarize yourself with them, or bring your own project(s) to work on. See the projects page (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_Boston/Projects) for a list of projects people plan to work on.

If you plan to work on your own project, be sure to list it on the projects page (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_Boston/Projects) and set up a public repository if you don't already have one, so that other people can help hack on your project. Install an up to date Haskell toolchain: at least ghc and cabal-install.

If you don't already have these installed (or need to install from scratch on the laptop you're bringing), the easiest way is probably to install the Haskell Platform (http://hackage.haskell.org/platform/).

You do not have to bring a project or a plan for what to hack on, but it helps.

Getting Organized

If you'd like you can also add yourself to the attendees page (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_Boston/Attendees).

You can join #haskell-hacboston on irc.freenode.net to talk to folks about (or during) the event.

We're also happy to answer questions about the event here, or on the general hackathon@haskell.org mailing list.

Talks

If you'd be interested in giving a short (15-30 minute) talk, put your name and the subject of your talk on the talks page (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_Boston/Talks). There will be a projector and whiteboard available off to one side of the main event area.

Getting to the Boston Area

See also Wikitravel (http://wikitravel.org/en/Boston#Get_in).

By air

Logan International Airport (http://www.massport.com/logan-airport/Pages/Default.aspx) (BOS) is the closest major airport. From BOS you can take the Silver Line SL1 (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/?route=SILVER) bus to Boston South Station.

T. F. Green Airport (http://www.pvdairport.com/) (PVD) in Providence is another option, with a (infrequent) rail connection (http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/lines/?route=PROVSTOU) to Boston South Station.

By train

Amtrak (http://www.amtrak.com/) serves Boston South Station, station code BOS. Service from cities in the Northeast is available on both the Northeast Regional train and the marginally faster Acela Express. These trains also stop at Boston Back Bay (BBY). South Station is the better choice if taking transit to MIT, but Back Bay is closer for walking.

From certain points in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, you can take MBTA commuter rail (http://mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/rail/), which arrives at South Station or North Station.

By bus

Boston is served by many bus companies (http://busjunction.com/). From New York City, reasonable and cheap options include Megabus (http://us.megabus.com/), BoltBus (https://www.boltbus.com/), and Lucky Star (http://www.luckystarbus.com/).

Getting to MIT

By human power

Cambridge is a very walkable city. It is feasible to walk to MIT from many points in Cambridge, Boston, and Brookline. Cambridge is also very bikeable.

By public transit

MIT is close to Kendall Station (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/lines/stations/?stopId=12412) on the Red Line subway. The Red Line connects to Boston South Station (and its rail and bus terminals) and the rest of the MBTA rapid transit network (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/subway/). MIT is also served by MBTA buses (http://www.mbta.com/schedules_and_maps/bus/). Google Maps can plan rail and bus trips.

From the Kendall stop on the Red Line, you will need to make your way to Building 46 (http://whereis.mit.edu/?go=46). You'll exit the subway station on Main St, and you want to walk West for a few blocks. For reference, the Marriott and other large buildings are arranged around a courtyard north of Main St. Building 46 is the large boat-shaped building at the corner of Main St. and Vassar St.. Take the entrance on either Main St. or Vassar St. and proceed to the third floor. The local inhabitants are friendly and will be happy to point you in the right direction if you get lost.

See also the line drawn on the transportation map (https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zZPMYpBMUgqo.kCR-5J9hJRU0).

By car

Parking possibilities include:

• The Marriott (http://g.co/maps/w99sy)

• Outside of Building 46, Vassar St.

If it's after 5PM on Friday, you might try the Hayward lot (http://g.co/maps/hvk6v).

Accomodations

There are a number of nearby hotels suggested on the MIT web site (http://web.mit.edu/institute-events/visitor/stay.html). Boston has several hostels (http://www.hostelworld.com/search?search_keywords=Boston%2C+USA&country=USA&city=Boston) as well.

There may also be some local residents willing to accommodate a few attendees. See the attendees page (http://www.haskell.org/haskellwiki/Hac_Boston/Attendees) for more info.

Organizers

The organizers of Hac Boston are:

• Edward Kmett (ekmett)

• Greg Hale (imalsogreg)

• Josh Cough (joshcough)

For any questions or emergencies, you can always call Edward Kmett at +1 857 244 1001.