Guilds: Debugging the Mystery
So… you’ve been hearing the term guild thrown around in the last year. Maybe you’ve been to a Local Hack Day or INIT and participated in one or perhaps you’ve just seen chatter about them on our Community Discord Well, the MLH Team is here to help you understand what they are and if organizing one is right for you!
What is a guild?
A guild is a smaller group within the larger MLH Community. Often organized by hackathon organizing teams and local tech meetups, these groups are great ways to make new friends with similar passions and interests as you! Whether you live on the same side of the globe or not, this is an opportunity to expand your horizons and your network.
What is Local Hack Day? How do guilds come into play at these events?
Local Hack Day is our week-long celebration of hacking. We host them three times a year and they are centered around the MLH principle of Learn, Build, and Share. Our upcoming event, Local Hack Day: Learn is October 10th through 18th and will center around learning new skills. No matter your experience level, there will be plenty for you to do. There will be challenges varying in difficulty and topics, ranging from coding to design to entrepreneurship and beyond, and you will earn points for yourself and your guild by completing them. Other ways to earn points include attending live technical sessions run by the MLH team, panels, mini-events, and guild members.
Make sure to sign up for the other two events, Local Hack Day: Build (January 9th — January 17th) and Local Hack Day: Share (April 3rd — April 11th)!
Guilds are a great way to make friends. Earn points for your guild and see how well you do! It’s so much fun to code with new friends and learn new skills to add to your resume.
Should I organize a guild? What does that entail?
Organizing a guild is not as intimidating as it may sound. All you have to do is fill out a form and you’re on your way. We will provide you with pre-made templates and graphics to make it easier for you to spread the word. You can promote your guild on social media, via email, and on the MLH Discord in the LHD-Learn-Join-My-Guild channel.
If you belong to a hackathon organizing team or a local club, forming a guild is a great way to engage with your community in a fairly hands-off way. With all of the programming pre-planned for you, all you have to do is spread awareness and MLH will take care of the rest. We highly recommend this and sprinkling in some fun meetups or coffee hangouts to get to know your guild members better.
So what is holding you back? Start your guild now!
We hope this helped you to understand what guilds are and if organizing one is the right move for you. Make sure you are all signed up for Local Hack Day: Learn to join in on the fun and check out the event website to learn more! If you have any outstanding questions, feel free to email us at localhackday@mlh.io and we’ll respond within 2–3 business days. Thanks again and happy hacking!
