You can be taken advantage of simply by participating. Hackathons that are tacked on to events are a great example: they're simply a way to sell more tickets. I've been guilty of this in the past on shows we've done (Twitter's Chirp conf, etc).
Can good things happen at these hackathons? You bet. That doesn't mean Developers shouldn't be careful though.
As for "20-hour days", that's just a number you've thrown out. Who's to say you couldn't have a great work/life balance at a hacker mansion?
The whole point of a "hacker mansion" is to work 7 days a week for three months straight.
Can good things happen at these hackathons? You bet. That doesn't mean Developers shouldn't be careful though.
As for "20-hour days", that's just a number you've thrown out. Who's to say you couldn't have a great work/life balance at a hacker mansion?
The whole point of a "hacker mansion" is to work 7 days a week for three months straight.