Cipher Craft

These rules govern the Cipher Craft 2024 Hackathon. This document is an addendum to the Cipher Craft 2024 Participation and Release Agreement. It explains and expands on the rules detailed in the Cipher Craft 2024 Participation and Release Agreement. All terms and rules listed in this document and the Cipher Craft 2024 Participation and Release Agreement apply.

Should there be a direct conflict between this document and the Cipher Craft 2024 Participation and Release Agreement (i.e., an activity explicitly allowed by one document is explicitly prohibited by the other), the conflicting rule from this document should be disregarded, and the rule in the Cipher Craft 2024 Participation and Release Agreement should be followed. All other terms and rules listed in this document will continue to apply.

Hackathons are like marathons—some people come to compete, but most participate to learn, grow, and have fun. Whatever your reason for attending Cipher Craft 2024, remember to uphold the hacker spirit: collaborate with others, assist beginners, and, above all, enjoy the experience.

• Team Composition: Teams may consist of up to 4 hackers.
• Eligibility: Teams should be exclusively made up of accepted participants who are not organizers, volunteers, mentors, judges, sponsors, or in any other privileged position at the event.
• Guidance: Teams can receive advice and support from organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and others.
• Project Work: All work on a project must be done during the hackathon.
• Pre-Existing Ideas: Teams can use ideas they had before the event.
• Revisited Ideas: Teams can work on ideas that have been done before. Projects will be judged on the quality of the execution, not on the originality of the idea.
• Prior Work: Teams can work on ideas they’ve worked on before, provided they do not reuse code.
• Use of Resources: Teams can use libraries, frameworks, or open-source code in their projects. However, working on a project before the event and open-sourcing it for the sole purpose of using the code during the event is against the spirit of the rules and is not allowed.
• Adding Features: Teams can add new features to existing projects, but only new functionality introduced during the hackathon will be considered by judges.
• End of Hacking: Teams must stop hacking once the time is up. Minor bug fixes and debugging after time is up are allowed, but making large changes or adding new features is not.
• Code of Conduct: Projects that violate the Code of Conduct are not allowed.
• Disqualification: Teams can be disqualified at the organizers' discretion for reasons including but not limited to breaking the competition rules, breaking the Code of Conduct, or other unsporting behavior.

Teams will be judged based on the following criteria:

• Technology: How technically impressive is the hack? Does it tackle a difficult technical problem? Is it innovative in its approach?
• Design: How well thought out is the user experience? How polished is the design, and how easy is it to use?
• Completion: Does the hack work? Did the team achieve their intended goals?
• Ideation: How creative or original is the project idea?
• Applicability: How well does the project fit the track or prize category it’s in?

Judges may use these criteria as guidelines but are free to make decisions based on their overall impression of the projects.

Note: Judging does not consider how clean or well-commented the code is, how well the project was pitched, or how effectively it solves a problem. The focus is on learning, creativity, and the fun of hacking.

The competition is just one aspect of Cipher Craft 2024. To make the most of the event, try something new, teach others, and build connections. Remember, the skills you develop and the people you meet could lead to something bigger, but for now, focus on the fun of hacking.

Happy Hacking from the Cipher Craft 2024 Team!