over 8 years ago

Announcing the winners

The votes are in! Go to the gallery to congratulate the winners and check out all of the excellent submissions.

Even though the competition is over, don't stop hacking. Use your portfolio to keep your project up to date and get feedback from fellow makers.

Questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about the challenge, post on the discussion forum or email support@challengepost.com and we’ll respond as soon as we can.

over 8 years ago

Submitter Live Chat Tomorrow

Don't miss out on tomorrow's live chat with six of the Big Data for Social Good Challenge submitters! The action starts at 12pm ET. RSVP here!

And while you're at it - go ahead and RSVP for the April 8th submitter live chat, and the April 15th virtual winners announcement.

over 8 years ago

Meet the submitters

Hey Big Data Gurus!

Voting has ended and now we’d love to take some time to really introduce you to the submitters.

Join us on April 1st (12pm ET) and April 8th (12pm ET) for live chats with the teams and participants from the Big Data for Social Good Competition.  Learn why they chose their projects, hear some of their challenges and delve deeper into the story behind their applications.

Also, don’t forget to mark your calendar for our live, online winners announcement on April 15th at 12pm ET.

See you there!

The Big Data for Social Good…

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over 8 years ago

Last call for votes

If you haven’t cast your vote yet for Big Data for Social Good, there’s still time. The polls will remain open until 5pm ET on March 24th. Spread the word and tell your friends & family to vote for you!

Questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about the challenge, post on the discussion forum or email support@challengepost.com and we’ll respond as soon as we can.

over 8 years ago

Public voting is now open

It’s your turn to pick the winner! Browse the Submission Gallery and vote for your favorite app.

If you entered a submission, be sure to spread the word through your social networks. The last day to vote is March 24th.

Questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about the challenge, post on the discussion forum or email support@challengepost.com and we’ll respond as soon as we can.

over 8 years ago

Last call for submissions

The Big Data for Social Good deadline is just around the corner. Submissions are due March 3rd before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.

Questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about the challenge, post on the discussion forum or email support@challengepost.com and we’ll respond as soon as we can.

over 8 years ago

For last minute questions...

The Big Data for Social Good deadline is pretty darn close, so I bet I know what your weekend project is! It’s not too late to start (and finish!) and we’ve got your back with seven quickstart data/question prompts.

If you’re gearing up to be a weekend warrior, have no fear - we’ll be keeping an eye out for any last minute questions you may have to help you battle out those last lines of code.

To get help from a human:

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over 8 years ago

One week to go - last minute tips!

The countdown is on! There’s only one week between you and the challenge deadline. We know you’re busy and we know you’re interested in Hadoop & big data. We also know there’s $40,000 in prizes on the line. 

Submissions are due March 3rd before 5pm ET. (Find out what time that is in your city.)

Still need to get started?

Why not let us spot you on the heavy lifting? Together it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1) Identify a dataset and ask a question (To lighten the load, we’ve put together some datasets, ready to go…

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over 8 years ago

Haven’t started? Let us help with the heavy lifting.

The average developer spends between 20-50 hours on an challenge submission.Good news for you: there are over 257 hours until Big Data for Social Good deadline and $40,000 up for grabs.

That means it’s not too late to start, finish, AND WIN!

We know that a little guidance goes a long way, so why not get a leg up? Here’s the plan: 

1) Identify a dataset and ask a question (We’ve taken the liberty of putting together a few datasets, ready to go with question options -  in case you’re not sure what data to use or what question…

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over 8 years ago

Two weeks to go – submit early!

There are two weeks left in the Big Data for Social Good Challenge. Submissions are due March 3rd before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.

If you haven't created a draft yet, please do so now. And if you've just recently joined the challenge, explore the Quick-Start guide and draw some inspiration from the competition Resources.

If you still have questions - make sure you join us for tomorrow's Office Hours at 12pm ET. RSVP for the hangout now!

Submission checklist

Before you say "ship it!", make sure you run through this…

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over 8 years ago

Final Hangout: Feb 18, 12pm ET

IBM is hosting it's last Office Hours Hangout on Wednesday, February 18th at 12pm ET.

This is your last chance to get live help from the tech team before the March 3rd deadline!

RSVP for the hangout

over 8 years ago

Three weeks to go — start your draft now!

There are three weeks left in the Big Data for Social Good Challenge. Beat the deadline rush by getting your submission ready early. Submissions are due March 3rd before 5pm ET. Find out what time that is in your city.

If you haven’t already started a draft, you should do it now. And if you’re just getting started, read the official rules and follow the Quick-Start guide.

Questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about the challenge, post on the discussion forum or email support@challengepost.com and we’ll respond as soon as we can.

over 8 years ago

One month left – start your draft

There is month left in the Big Data for Social Good Challenge. Beat the deadline rush by getting your submission ready early. Submissions are due March 3rd before 5pm ET. Please let us know how you're doing here.

Start your draft now

Starting a draft is a good way to make sure that your app meets the requirements. There’s nothing worse than getting to the deadline, only to realize that you’re missing a key component. And remember: once you begin a draft, you can save and edit it at any time prior to the submission deadline.

Prepare your video

…

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over 8 years ago

Reminder - Boston Meetup and Live Hangout tomorrow

Live hangout, Feb 3 at 12pm EST

Tomorrow's live office hours hangout begins at noon EST. If you haven't aleady done so, please RSVP here and join us live at noon ET.

Boston Meetup, Feb 3 at 6pm EST

We can't wait to see you tomorrow at Hack/Reduce (275 Third Street, Cambridge, MA). Don't forget to RSVP. 

See you real soon!

over 8 years ago

Step by Step Hadoop Demo

Get Un-Stuck: A Step-by-Step demo for Analytics for Hadoop Service on IBM Bluemix

Are you having trouble starting with your Big Data for Social Good submission? Not sure where to start with Bluemix or Analytics for Hadoop? Spinning your wheels with BigSheets?

Have no fear! The IBM Bluemix team has created a step-by-step Big Data for Social Good Example Demo to take you through the entire logistics & process of running Analytics for Hadoop (BigInsights) on IBM Bluemix:

  • Loading external data
  • Exploring and visualizing data within BigSheets
  • Performing data transformations in BigSheets
  • Joining at least two datasets together
  • Creating Big…

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over 8 years ago

More office hours & meetups

Office Hours Hangout

IBM's Tech team is hosting another live Google Hangout on Wednesday, February 3rd, at 12pm ET.

Come and chat about whatever you need to get your project started: challenge details, data sets, Bluemix, Analytics for Hadoop — anything!

RSVP for the hangout.

Boston Meetup

Join us for our second Big Data Hack Night at Hack/Reduce on Tuesday, February 3rd, from 6-9pm.

We have a terrific lineup of folks who will provide information, answer questions and help you get started with Hadoop and with the Big Data for Social Good Challenge. Come hear from:

  • City of Boston data leads…

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over 8 years ago

Hangout video posted on YouTube

Thanks so much to everyone who tuned into our live hangout with IBM's tech team. If you were unable to attend, we've posted the video on YouTube.

over 8 years ago

Reminder: Live hangout, Jan 21 at 12pm EST

Our live office hours hangout is begins tomorrow at noon EST. If you haven't aleady done so, please RSVP here and join us live at noon ET.

See you real soon!

over 8 years ago

Live office hours hangout, Jan 21st

Join us on Wednesday, January 21st at 12pm ET for a live Google Hangout.

Chat with IBM Tech team about anything you need to get your project started: challenge details, data sets, Bluemix, Analytics for Hadoop — anything!

RSVP here.

over 8 years ago

Getting the good started

Today, David Lawson, Co-Founder & CEO of NewSci, shares some tips on how to approach the Big Data for Social Good Challenge.

By now you have probably heard about the Big Data for Social Good Challenge: an exciting new opportunity to change the world using your technical skills. As exciting as it is, however, it can also be a little intimidating to think of an idea big enough for big data: first, you have to come up with not just a good idea, but an idea that actually does good, and second there needs to be at least 500MB…

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over 8 years ago

Phoenix Meetup - 1/20

If you're in Phoenix, AZ, please join us for the Big Data Developers Meetup at QCM Technologies Center for Innovation on Tuesday, January 20th. The meetup starts at 6:30pm and we'll be talking about the Big Data for Social Good Challenge, open data, and more!

Please RSVP for the meetup here.

over 8 years ago

How's it going? [Action required!]

Thank you for participating in Big Data for Social Good! We're excited to see what you’ve been working on. The submission period is half over, so we thought it'd be a good time to check in and see how things are going.

Team leaders: please tell us how development is going here.

If you don't plan on entering anymore, let us know.

There's still plenty of time to get your submission in before the deadline. For those of you who haven't gotten started yet check out the Quick-Start guide.

Questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any questions about…

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over 8 years ago

Tips for developing with Big R

The submission deadline for the Big Data for Social Good Challenge is March 3, 2015. As you continue working on your project, the following tips may come in handy if you're using Big R.

Test your application with a small data set first

Some of the machine learning and statistical capabilities of Big R may require significant processing time, slowing down your prototype development. So, while you are incrementally developing and improving upon your project, it may be worthwhile to work with a smaller sample of your data set to verify that the results match your expectations (Use a…

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almost 9 years ago

[VIDEO] - MapReduce Explained

If you're just getting started with Big Data, you might not be familiar with MapReduce, which is the underlying framework that enables Hadoop to rapidly process large datasets.

Watch this short video to learn how MapReduce works using playing cards:

Learn MapReduce with Playing Cards video

almost 9 years ago

Making a great submission video

We know you’re focused on your app right now, but don't forget about your submission video. It's often the first thing that judges and voters review. And don’t forget, your text description and video should explain the insights gathered from the data and the process and method used in order to reach that insight, including the tools and algorithms used.

A good video tells the story behind your submission, providing a clear and concise explanation of what your app is and does. Here are some tips and a list of screencasting tools:

  • Establish your elevator pitch. In the first…

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almost 9 years ago

[VIDEO] Big Data in a Minute

Thanks so much for taking part in Big Data for Social Good. We've got a special treat for you from our IBM leaders!

almost 9 years ago

Reminder - Boston Meetup at 6pm Tomorrow.

We can't wait to see you tomorrow at Hack/Reduce (275 Third Street, Cambridge, MA). Don't forget to RSVP. Thanks!

almost 9 years ago

Boston Meetup - 12/16

If you're in Boston, please join us for our Big Data Hack Night at Hack/Reduce on Tuesday, December 16th from 6-9pm. We'll be talking about the Big Data for Social Good Challenge, sharing ideas, and working on our projects!

Please RSVP for the meetup here. Thanks!

almost 9 years ago

Get started with Analytics for Hadoop on IBM Bluemix

We're thrilled to see so many people interested in Big Data for Social Good.

Setting up Analytics for Hadoop on IBM Bluemix

  1. If you haven’t already, sign up for IBM Bluemix. (If you’ve used Bluemix in the past, you may need to create a unique IBM Bluemix ID to add this service to your dashboard.)

    Sign up for your IBM ID

  2. Fill out the form below to get your Big Data for Social Good passcode. (Your IBM Bluemix ID is the email you used to sign up.)

  3. Sign into IBM Bluemix and add the Analytics for Hadoop service to your dashboard.

    Add Analytics for Hadoop from the dashboard

  4. On the Analytics for…

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almost 9 years ago

New datasets, teammates, and more!

New datasets

IBM has curated an extensive list of datasets for you to explore during the challenge, but here are few more:

And if you haven't signed up for IBM Bluemix yet, get started…

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almost 9 years ago

Quick-Start Guide

Thanks for joining the Big Data for Social Good Challenge. You're now officially registered and we’ll be sending you regular updates throughout the challenge.

Read on and start your project today. Submissions are due March 3rd, 2015 at 5pm ET. (Don’t forget to keep the conversation going with #Hadoop4good)

  1. Plan your attack. Review the challenge requirements and visit the Data page to check out the datasets!
  2. Bluemix it up. Get your IBM Bluemix promo code and sign up for an extended free trial of Analytics for Hadoop.
  3. Get a head start on your submission. Fill out the basic…

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