---
layout: post

title: "18F open source hack series: Midas"

image: /assets/blog/midas-oct-hacking/coding.jpg

description: "We're building the future of government, but we need your help! Join us for a session of coding or UX design. Feel free to come for the afternoon or evening session or both! You can work solo, in pairs or groups that will form when we get there. "

excerpt: "18F invites designers and developers from inside and outside of government to join us for a flurry of coding and sketching.  Midas is an open source project in active development by 18F, Health & Human Services (HHS) IDEA Lab and the State Department.  A small cross-agency team, dedicated to launching this product to empower passionate civil servants and aspiring diplomats all over the world."

authors:
- sarah

tags:
- open source
- how we work
- midas
- open opportunities
- hackathons

---
![Two developers coding together]({{site.baseurl}}/assets/blog/midas-oct-hacking/coding.jpg)
**Do you know JavaScript?  Or do you have UX or visual design skills?**

**One evening can make an impact!**

18F invites designers and developers from inside and outside of government to [join us](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/18f-open-source-hack-series-midas-tickets-13365270885) for a flurry of coding and sketching.

 Midas is an open source project in active development by 18F, Health & Human Services (HHS) IDEA Lab and the State Department.  A small cross-agency team, dedicated to launching this product to empower passionate civil servants and aspiring diplomats all over the world.

## What is Midas?
[Midas is an online marketplace of skill building opportunities]({{site.baseurl}}/2014/07/16/midas-a-marketplace-for-innovation-in-government) which matches people to projects that they’re passionate about.  Our goal is to foster innovation across team boundaries by connecting projects or challenges that need help within federal government agencies to people who want to work collaboratively on the solution.

"It's like a Kickstarter for people's time." –Joe Polastre at [18F Demo Day](https://speakerdeck.com/18f/innovation-toolkit-18f-demo-day-9-may-2014?slide=3)

## Please join us
**Monday, October 6, 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.**
18F/GSA Headquarters, 1800 F St. NW [(map)](https://goo.gl/maps/WUSCO)

* 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. afternoon session: write code, create designs, paper prototyping
* 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.: How will Midas improve government? Special guests plus Q&A
* 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.: write code, create designs, paper prototyping session
* 8:30 p.m.: demos and sharing what we've learned

We're building the future of government, but we need your help!  We have a stable [backlog](https://github.com/18F/midas/issues) and a few individuals can make a huge difference. Feel free to come for the afternoon or evening session or both!  You can work solo, in pairs or groups that will form when we get there.

[Sign up now!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/18f-open-source-hack-series-midas-tickets-13365270885)

**Designers, UX or usability folks:** We have a lot of issues tagged [design](https://github.com/18F/midas/labels/design). You can work on mockups or detailed deisgn suggestions.  If we have enough people we could even do some informal usability test sessions!

**Developers** Check out our [contribution guide](https://github.com/18F/midas/blob/devel/CONTRIBUTING.md) -- all of our code is [public domain](https://github.com/18F/midas/blob/devel/LICENSE.md).  For coders, we'd love some experts to join us, but open source is also a great place to learn and hone your skills.  Here's a list of some of the tech we use:

* [Node.js](http://nodejs.org/)
* [Backbone](http://backbonejs.org/)
* [Sails.js](http://sailsjs.org/)

[Sign up by Thursday, October 2, 2014 to reserve your spot!](https://www.eventbrite.com/e/18f-open-source-hack-series-midas-tickets-13365270885)


![Designing at the
Whiteboard]({{site.baseurl}}/assets/blog/midas-oct-hacking/whiteboard_design.jpg)