Code of Conduct and Rules

The following document establishes the rules, ethical principles, and legal terms governing participation in basishacks. It describes the mandatory requirements for project submission and the standards of conduct expected of all participants.

This page is incomplete and may be revised prior to the commencement of the hackathon. All participants bear the responsibility of reviewing the final version before they submit their work.

Project Requirements

The items enumerated below are required for a valid submission . Failure to comply with any single requirement will result in immediate disqualification.

• * Open-source repository with complete source code. Your project must be open-source and publicly hosted on a recognized version control platform. Acceptable platforms include, but are not limited to, GitHub , GitLab , Codeberg , and Gitee . Any platform that permits free public cloning and browsing without authentication is acceptable. The repository must contain the complete source code of your project. Providing only a compiled executable, a compressed archive, or any similar opaque delivery is not acceptable and will result in disqualification .
• * README file. Your repository must contain a file named README.md . This file must be written in clean, professional American English . It must include:
  • A concise description of the project.
  • Clear instructions for using the project (a live website link, download and setup steps, or both).
  • A list of the primary technologies and frameworks employed.
  • A link to the demo video (see below).
• * Public demo URL. Your project must be accessible to any person on any device without restriction. The exact requirement varies by project type:
  • Websites: Deployed on a publicly accessible server. If authentication is required, the system must allow any new user to register freely; a single demonstration account is not acceptable .
  • Desktop applications: Compiled into an executable for at least one of Windows, macOS, or Debian/Debian-based Linux. Providing executables for at least two platforms is strongly encouraged . If you support only one platform, you must supplement the demo video with a thorough visual walkthrough (see Video requirement below). The demo URL must point to a page where the executables can be downloaded (e.g., a release on your repository platform).
  • Games: Playable directly in a web browser (for example, on itch.io ) or available as a downloadable executable. The demo URL must lead to the playable version or to a download page.
  • Mobile applications: Published in the appropriate app store or made readily available via an APK (Android) or IPA (iOS) installer. The demo URL must be the app store listing or a page providing the installation file.
• * Demo video. You must submit a video between two and three minutes that demonstrates the primary features of your project. The video must not contain any audio, speech, or any form of personal identification (including your face, name, or voice) . Any violation of this anonymity requirement will result in immediate disqualification .
  The video file must be encoded with a freely playable codec: H.264, AV1, or VP9 . No other codecs (e.g., HEVC, ProRes) are permitted.
  Hosting must be on YouTube, Bilibili, or OneDrive/SharePoint with a shared view-only link that is fully public . You must verify that the video is accessible from an incognito browser window before you submit the link. If the link is private or access-restricted, your submission will be treated as having no video and will be disqualified.
  Uploading the video to GitHub or any other git-based platform is strictly forbidden; such a submission will be treated as having no video and will be disqualified. This rule helps us all be responsible stewards of shared infrastructure: large video files on Git can disrupt other developers' work and waste storage for people you may never meet. We want to foster that awareness in our community.
  For desktop applications that do not meet the two-platform recommendation, the video must include a thorough visual walkthrough of the application's functionality (still without audio, speech, or personal identification).
  If your project involves a compiled executable, you must display the SHA256 checksum of that executable in the video. This allows us to verify that the file we download matches what you demonstrated. If the checksum does not match, we will treat the submission as potentially malicious unless you contact us with a valid explanation. Confirmed malware will be reported as bullying and academic dishonesty (see the Malware section below).
• * Encouraged: intermediate build artifacts for compiled languages. If your project is written in a language that compiles to native code (C, C++, Rust, Go, etc.) or bytecode (Java, Kotlin, C#, etc.), we encourage you to include human-verifiable intermediate files in your repository—for example, .asm , .ll (LLVM IR), .class files, or similar. This helps judges confirm that your source code corresponds to the demonstrated behavior. It is not mandatory, but it is a sign of transparency that will be viewed positively.
• * Thematic relevance. The project must engage with the hackathon theme. A minimal connection is required; a particularly weak connection will result in point deductions as detailed in the judging rubric.

Accessibility and Evaluation Friendliness

Our judges and community members must be able to experience your project immediately, without barriers . The following rules ensure fair and efficient evaluation:

• * No login walls. Your project must not require evaluators to create an account on a third-party platform solely for the purpose of accessing your work. This includes, but is not limited to, projects that require a Roblox account, a specific game client login, or any other registration that is not part of your own application. If your project is deployed on a platform that inherently requires authentication, you must explicitly state this in your README and understand that such a barrier will almost certainly result in significant penalties .
• * No forced actions beyond common ability. Do not require judges to install uncommon software, purchase hardware, or perform tasks that are unreasonable for a standard evaluation. If your project depends on specific peripherals or environments, you must provide a fully visual video demonstration that captures the complete experience (without audio or speech).

Judging Process and Live Presentation Phase

All submissions will undergo preliminary judging based on the rubric. Additionally, to maintain the integrity and quality of the competition, we will invite certain participants to a live presentation and question-and-answer session . This second phase serves two purposes:

• * Verification of declared AI usage. If a majority of judges believe a submission exhibits overexcessive, undeclared AI usage , the team will be asked to present their project and explain their implementation. Declared, responsible use of AI is entirely acceptable and will not trigger such an invitation. Refusal to participate in this verification will result in automatic disqualification .
• * Prize candidate confirmation. Any project that is selected for First Prize, Second Prize, Third Prize, or an Honorable Mention must also complete this live presentation. If a prize candidate declines or cannot adequately demonstrate ownership and understanding of the work, they will forfeit their prize eligibility and will be treated as a regular non-prize submission.

Maximizing Your Potential for Recognition

We expect every project to provide a demo URL and a demo video . In addition, you may submit a long-form written description (separate from the README) that expands on your design decisions and features. This description is optional but can strengthen your submission .

The competition awards First Prize , Second Prize , and Third Prize , each of which carries a guaranteed prize. Honorable Mentions may also be granted, though these are not guaranteed to include monetary awards. The specific monetary value of all prizes is tentative and subject to confirmation , but we are committed to providing meaningful recognition to the winners.

• * Platform-agnostic projects (e.g., websites): Providing all three elements – demo URL, demo video, and optional long-form description – significantly increases your likelihood of achieving an award or an honorable mention . While only the demo URL and video are mandatory, the additional description aids judges in understanding nuances that a video might not convey.
• * Platform-dependent projects (e.g., desktop apps, mobile apps): You must provide both a demo URL and a demo video . If your project is accessible on only one platform, the video becomes even more critical and must be comprehensive.

Open-Source Commitment

basishacks exists to celebrate and promote open-source development with love . We hold that transparency, collaboration, and the freedom to study and modify code are fundamental to a healthy software community. Closed-source projects are incompatible with the spirit of this competition. We do not disparage closed-source software; rather, we choose to champion openness as the path to learning, innovation, and trust. Your submission must embody that value.

Participant Conduct and Originality

All participants are expected to behave in a professional and respectful manner . Harassment, discrimination, or any form of intimidation will not be tolerated . Any such behavior that surpasses an arbitrary threshold determined by the organizers will be reported to the appropriate authorities .

Submissions must be your original work . Use of pre-existing code, libraries, or assets is permitted only if you have the legal right to use them and you give appropriate credit. Do not use copyrighted materials without a proper license. Directly forking an existing project without meaningful modifications constitutes plagiarism and will be addressed by the upper administration. Such cases will result in immediate disqualification .

The responsible use of artificial intelligence is not considered plagiarism provided that such use is fully documented. We require detailed disclosure of all AI assistance (see the AI Usage Disclosure section below). However, we reserve the right to employ AI detection methods, either now or in the future, to identify overexcessive, undeclared AI usage or submissions that exhibit a level of genericism attributable to unchecked AI generation. In such cases, the organizers may classify the submission as plagiarism , resulting in disqualification.

AI Usage Disclosure

This competition is designed to help you develop real systems and project engineering skills. While we recognize that AI tools can be valuable aids, we require full transparency regarding their use. You must disclose in detail every component of your project that was generated or substantially assisted by an AI tool. A vague statement such as "AI was used in implementation" is not acceptable . Instead, describe:

• Which specific parts (e.g., UI components, backend logic, database schemas) were AI-generated or AI-assisted.
• The tool(s) used (e.g., ChatGPT, GitHub Copilot, local model).
• The nature of the assistance (e.g., "prompted to generate a Python script for data parsing, then manually reviewed and modified").

We encourage you to treat AI as a learning partner , not a black-box abstraction. Demonstrating thoughtful integration and understanding of AI-assisted code is viewed positively; over-reliance without comprehension is not.

Principles of Open Participation

By participating in basishacks, you affirm your commitment to the following principles, which constitute the ethical foundation of your submission.

• * Build with the intent to create benefit and utility , not to cause harm or disruption.
• * Share your work openly and freely , enriching the wider community.
• * Grant others the same freedoms you have received , never restricting access to knowledge or tools beyond what is ethically necessary.
• * Act with integrity , taking responsibility for your work and respecting the contributions of others.

License, Showcase, and Public Listing

By submitting a project to basishacks, you confirm that you have read and agree to the following terms:

• * Automatic MIT license for source code (if no other license specified). We strongly encourage you to include an explicit open-source license file (for example, LICENSE or LICENSE.md ) in your repository. If your repository does not contain such a file at the time of submission , you agree that the source code of your project is automatically made available under the terms of the MIT License . If you include a valid license file that specifies another OSI-approved license (for example, GPL, Apache-2.0, BSD), that license will govern your code, and we will fully respect your choice . This automatic licensing provision exists solely to guarantee that the community can freely study and use your work in the absence of an explicit license.
• * Grant of license for showcase. You hereby grant the organizers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, and sublicensable license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, create derivative works from, distribute, and publicly display your submitted project, in whole or in part, in any medium, for the limited purpose of advertising, promoting, and showcasing the hackathon and its results. This license is independent of the source-code license you choose and does not restrict your rights to continue distributing your project under that license.
• * Public listing of participants and projects. By entering the competition, you agree to be listed in the final public showcase of basishacks (for example, on our website, in promotional materials, or in press releases) along with your project name and a brief description, unless you are disqualified before the showcase is published. If you have legitimate privacy concerns, you must contact the organizers at least 24 hours before the submission deadline, and your submission may be disqualified as described in the Withdrawal of Showcase Consent clause below.
• * Representations and warranties. You represent and warrant that you are the sole owner of all rights in the submitted project or that you have obtained all necessary permissions and licenses to grant the rights described herein, and that the project does not violate the rights of any third party or any applicable law.
• * No obligation to use. The organizers are under no obligation to exercise the rights granted above .
• * Withdrawal of showcase consent. If you prefer that your project not be showcased, you must contact the organizers with a legitimate reason at least 24 hours before the competition submission deadline . In such a case, your submission will be disqualified . If you withdraw your consent without meeting this requirement, the license granted above shall remain in full force and effect.
• * Waiver of compensation. You agree that you will receive no compensation beyond any prizes explicitly awarded by the hackathon in connection with the use of your project as described above.

Malware, Deception, and Reporting

The submission of software intended to harm, disrupt, or gain unauthorized access to any system is strictly prohibited . If we determine that a project contains malware or that a participant has deliberately attempted to mislead judges (including but not limited to providing false source code, mismatched SHA256 checksums without valid explanation, or deceptive AI usage claims), the incident will be treated as bullying and academic dishonesty and will be reported to the upper school administration . This is not simply a competition violation; it represents a breach of the trust and safety our community expects.

Disclaimer of Liability and General Provisions

Financial responsibility. The organizers of basishacks shall not be held liable for any costs, damages, or expenses incurred by participants in relation to the competition. This includes, but is not limited to, fees for third-party services, cloud computing resources, AI tool subscriptions, hardware purchases, or any other expenditure. Any potential reimbursement of offline-event costs by the organizers is purely tentative and not guaranteed . Participants assume full responsibility for all such costs.

Limitation of liability. In no event shall the organizers be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages arising out of participation in the hackathon, including but not limited to loss of data, profit, or business opportunity. The organizers provide no warranties, express or implied, regarding the competition, the judging process, or the prizes. All submissions are made at the participant's own risk.

Right to modify. The organizers reserve the right to modify, suspend, or cancel the competition at any time for any reason, and to amend these rules with reasonable notice. The interpretation of all rules is at the sole discretion of the organizers, whose decisions are final and binding . If any provision of these rules is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall remain in full effect.

Contact for clarification. Should you require clarification on any of these rules, please direct your inquiries via electronic mail or a Teams message to [email protected] . This address will be answered by members of the BISZ Developers' Club leadership.