The Old MacDonald Hackathon

http://blog.dwolla.com/cows-code-and-money-the-old-mcdonald-hackathon-haveacow/

by joshwprinceton • 14 years ago

51 41 14 years ago

blog.dwolla.com

Falling34• 14 years ago

Really unhappy to see animals being given away as "prizes".

jtchang3• 14 years ago

Why?

There is a long history of animals as gifts/prizes such as for dowrys in marriages.

Falling34• 14 years ago

There is also a long history of parents arranging those marriages - doesn't make any of it a good idea.

zach• 14 years ago

And indeed, an entire charitable organization dedicated to giving animals as gifts to developing communities.

http://www.heifer.org/

VMG2• 14 years ago

The antiquity argument has its problems. There has been a long history of many things that we don't do anymore.

A better argument would be that the animal doesn't care (because it is an animal).

dllthomas• 14 years ago

For a far less contentious example, how about winning a goldfish at the fair?

harrisonweber2• 14 years ago

FYI: Dwolla says it will allow winners to accept their awards in the following formats: alive, meat, or cash equivalent.

scottyallen• 14 years ago

Who's up for a road trip from the Bay Area? Bonus points if you have a livestock trailer or something to tow it with. Somehow I don't think my Prius will cut it...

andyjsong• 14 years ago

I'm down.

smoyer2• 14 years ago

Bay Area ... Prius

Our second stereotype of the thread!

gsibble• 14 years ago

I'm flying out for the hackathon. Any interest in teaming up?

mamoswined5• 14 years ago

Is it a live cow or meat?

mschonfeld• 14 years ago

That's totally your up to you... We'll give it to you anyway you want it.

mamoswined5• 14 years ago

What kind of cow? How was it raised?

jtchang3• 14 years ago

Maybe first prize can be a pardon for the cow. Something like what the president does for turkeys every Thanksgiving.

danso• 14 years ago

This is a terrible idea and perpetuates outdated stereotypes of Iowans for a cheap laugh. Our specialty is pigs, not cows.

harrisonweber2• 14 years ago

They told me they're "a sucker for juxtaposing Iowa rural stereotypes with modern day technology."

hammock• 14 years ago

For the curious: http://www.iowaagriculture.gov/quickfacts.asp

Corn value of production (2011 crop year) $14.5 billion

Soybeans value of production (2011 crop year) $5.50 billion

Cattle and calves, cash receipts (2011) $3.41 billion

Hogs, cash receipts (2011) $6.70 billion

smoyer2• 14 years ago

I had a friend from Iowa who told me it was actually an acronym ... is this true?

mrkmcknz• 14 years ago

This has brightened my Monday up. One question... How do the logistics work out here?

I can't think of anything more amusing than 4 neck-beard hackers winning a cow at a hack.

JagMicker• 14 years ago

As someone born & raised in Iowa, I'm glad to see them embrace the startup culture. Iowa is a great place to live, and it could use some new sharp minds to help it grow.

As for the people complaining about prizes --- why don't you donate something more enticing than cow, chicken, and rooster?

cwbrandsma• 14 years ago

Wait, what type of cow we talking here? Jersey, Guernsey, Holstein, Angus? Male or Female? How old? Sorry, former dairy kid OCD kicking in from a state that has more cows than there are Iowans.

And a rooster? Can I get it processed (plucked, gutted, and in a bag ready for a pot)

mamoswined5• 14 years ago

A rooster is an interesting choice of a prize. Few farmers, even the locavore/small kind, breed their own chickens anymore. And they tend to be banned in a lot of areas. The type of cooking they are perfect for (chicken soup from scratch)is not something the average person tends to do anymore. So not many people want roosters.

tjr• 14 years ago

There has been a lot of commotion around the Cedar Rapids, Iowa area for the past few years, with a legal motion to allow a modest number of suburban chickens on residential personal property being repeatedly brought up for discussion.

Thankfully, the motion has thus far been shot down in my immediate area, but I think it has passed somewhere.

And there are still a few properties that have been owned by the same family for longer than the modern livestock laws have been on the books, and thus they are permitted to keep sundry animals. I rather enjoy the llamas. :-)

JasonFruit• 14 years ago

As a coder who raises his own meat, I want to go to Des Moines --- but I have enough roosters to fill my freezer. That pig, though . . .

littlegiantcap2• 14 years ago

Jordan Lampe is a genius. This is exactly the sort of thing thay makes me miss Dwolla so much. I may actually head back to Des Moines for this.

Also anyone know if butchering services are included?

Ataub24• 14 years ago

Genius he is

littlegiantcap2• 14 years ago

I suspect you had a hand in this too :)

joezhou• 14 years ago

BRB... Waiting for an African Hackathon where I can get an elephant or zebra.

ChuckMcM• 14 years ago

I appreciate that they didn't go for the 'brogrammer' stereotype.

The Old MacDonald Hackathon

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