Ask HN: Running a hackathon and someone's laptop got stolen, what should we do?

What kind of computer was it ? What OS ?

I've never been to a PennApps Hackathon, but from what you describe (1000+ people), I'd imagine that it's pretty much impossible for event organizers to prevent this. I think the key here is the 'left unattended' part of the scenario. The solution would be to tell the teams not to leave the equipment unattended. It's unfortunate, but a reality of life (even at a Hackathon with a great community); There are bad people out there. I've been to quite a few Hackathon / Startup Events (granted, much smaller), but I've never left my equipment unattended. I consider it a part of Teamwork, Communication, and Organization. If someone from the Team isn't there to watch the equipment, then it comes with me or gets packed up and put away somewhere safe.

If I was the participant with the stolen laptop, I'd first of all be really bummed out over not having the opportunity to participate in the hackathon because of stolen gear. I'd try to find them a computer they can use to hack on, and hopefully they didn't lose any work.

I don't know what to say about the stolen gear itself. People should take responsibility for protecting their own stuff, but that's a real challenge over a weekend non-stop sort of event, especially of that size. People need to eat, sleep, etc. I guess it's a lesson learned to have clear disclaimers of responsibility for future ones, and I'm not sure what to say about replacing that participant's computer. Not a fun situation, and it's hard to find fault on anyone (except the thief, of course).

Taking up a collection is a good idea, gets everyone on their toes about watching each other's backs, and puts the responsibility on the entire community. If each participant threw in a buck or two, that's a new MacBook Pro.

On a community-basis, reporting widely and promptly about unfortunate events via your typical channels is important and a strong community-safety-measure, as well as an opportunity for safety-awareness and for participants and others to make-whole and contribute toward the losses that one or more community- or event-participants have had.

It is not so great that the possibility of the difficulty described by the original poster had not been thought of in advance, and that a clue and a policy is now needed after the fact.

Standard cautions to participants as a matter of policy are appropriate for all public events and occasions.

This is because no project or event can afford to suggest or create a culture that implies that the project is able to assume that participating individuals will be made whole from failing to attend to their valuable assets, whether they be computers, mobile phones, wallets, coats, hats or their bodies; further it is appropriate to warn all participants that civil authorities may be called upon to intervene or participate when inappropriate activity is discovered or reported.

A project or event code-of-conduct is appropriate, and having a policy guiding organizers and empowering all volunteers and participants to act against against miscreants with inappropriate behaviors is also a community-building and safety-building experience, in addition to the event's particular mission.

More generally, as a community-empowering project and event, an important measure, towards community-building, safety, and inclusiveness includes noticing populations that are desired and not always well-recognized, and dedicating your event toward providing a harassment-free conference experience (since property-stealing is a harassment) for all individuals, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, physical appearance, body size, race, or religion. This invites all participants to act individually when inappropriate behavior occurs.

This is a typical class of policy and notice that universities resort to, in anticipation of an occasion when a member of its population of students, staff, or professors is discovered to be acting beyond social, legal or ethical norms.