The Mozilla Science Lab’s GLOBAL SPRINT is just one week away – Thursday and Friday, June 2-3, 2016.
This is our third global sprint, and we wanted to share some answers to frequently asked questions to help you get started.

When is the sprint taking place?

• June 2 – 3, 2016.
• 35+ sites around the world will be open for participants to come by and work on open science projects.
• Each site will be open during normal business hours (roughly 9:00 am to 5:00 pm local time).
• Sites will keep normal hours — no all-nighters, please — and each site will wrap up at the end of regular business hours on Friday, June 3.
• Brisbane & Melbourne, Australia will be the first 2 sites live (UTC + 10), with additional sites coming online at the start of their Thursday.

What projects are currently included in the sprint?

• A list of featured projects can be found here under “Projects”
• Many of the project leads for the featured projects have provided an interview in the lead-up to the sprint – you can read these blog posts here: blog posts
• We have four tracks you can contribute to:
  • Tools
  • Citizen Science
  • Curriculum
  • Open Data
• Head here for a full list of projects furthering open science that will be a part of this #mozsprint.

Do I need to be a programmer?
No – the sprint is designed for all kinds of participants, including researchers, developers, educators and open science enthusiasts. There are a host of projects with something for everyone to help with, from reviewing code or lesson/documentation content, to helping create curriculum and even hack on tools. Take a look at the projects listed here to find out the many ways that you can contribute.

Do I need to register somewhere?
Sure – that would be great. Check out our Site Map – to find a site closest to you and click on the link to the Registration page for that location.
Can’t find a site that’s close? Register as a “Virtual Participant”.

What sites are currently included?
There are sites all around the world. The complete list of active sites is posted here.

Do I have to be at one of the listed sites?
Not at all — many people will be available to help out and answer questions online via web conferencing, IRC, Gitter chat room and Twitter. But if you can get to one of the listed sites, it would be a chance to make some new friends.

Where are those sites, exactly?
Addresses and maps along with site-specific information can be found on each of the sites listed on our Site map.

How will sites be connected?

• We will set up a single Vidyo web conference room to connect all of the active sites and participants, primarily to give people a sense of who’s awake where.
• To join the conference follow the installation instructions here.
• We’ll also be using the #sciencelab IRC channel on irc.mozilla.com, a Gitter chat room that mirrors conversations in IRC (and vice versa) and of course Twitter.
• Need help getting started with IRC? Check out this guide.

If I can’t make it to a site how can I participate remotely?
Join the Vidyo conference room any time during the two-day sprint to connect with project leads, sprint participants and site hosts. To join the conference follow the installation instructions here and join us during your regular working hours. To stay up-to-date on notifications about the sprint Register here as a Virtual Participant.

Where will work take place online?
Each project will use the version control (Github) repository, issues lists, and so on that it usually uses to manage participant contributions. Some may be a little different – just ask the project lead how they’d like you to participate. Details on how to participate in a specific project are provided in their Github repository – all projects are listed here.

How can I make contact with a project I’m interested in?
The names of the project leads are listed in each of the project issues – add a comment to the project issue at the bottom indicating that you are interested and the project lead will get in touch to discuss how you can contribute to their project.
If you still need more information … head to the GitHub repository for the project, the link will be inside each issue and take a look at the README.md and/or CONTRIBUTE.md for guidelines on how the contribute ELSE follow any additional links posted by the project lead.

What should I do to prepare?

• Register either at a specific site or as a virtual participant here:.
• Decide which project you’d like to work on. (We recommend that people focus on just one—two days goes by very quickly.) – all projects are listed here.
• Head over to the project Github repository.
• Have a look at the project’s open issues to find something to start working on.

Have a question? Ping the Science Lab team (Arliss, Abby, Kaitlin) on IRC. We’re happy to help.

What should I do on the day?

• Show up around 9:00 am local time.
• Introduce yourself to the site host and/or the person coordinating the project you’re working on if they are at that site.
• Check your chosen project’s issue list and/or chat with the coordinator to see what needs to be reviewed. (Reviewing is often a gentler way to ease into work than writing or coding.)
• Once you’ve done a review or two, pick some writing, drawing, or coding that needs to be done, check to make sure no-one else is already doing it, and dive in.
• Repeat until it’s time to wrap up for the day, then get a good night’s sleep and come back in the next day to do it again.

Do I need to bring my own computer?
Yes, please. Machines will not be provided.

Do I have to be there on both days?
No, but we do ask that people commit to at least one full day (or two half-days) so that projects don’t spend all of their time getting newcomers on board.

What about coffee, lunch, and dinner?
We suggest that the sites provide coffee (and snacks if they can), but do not need to provide meals. That said, we strongly encourage the people working at each site to get lunch together, and to go out together at the end of the first day: this sprint is meant to help build community, and sharing a meal with someone is a great way to get to know them.

If you have any questions that aren’t covered above please email us at sciencelab@mozillafoundation.org.

Looking forward to seeing you on June 2nd!

– The Mozilla Science Lab Team.