**Mac OS X:** [Xcode](https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/xcode/id497799835?mt=12) (or **OS X 10.9+**: `xcode-select --install`)
- 
**Windows:** [Visual Studio Code](https://code.visualstudio.com) + [Windows Subsystem for Linux - Ubuntu](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install) OR [Visual Studio](https://www.visualstudio.com/products/visual-studio-community-vs)
- 
**Ubuntu** / 
**Linux Mint:** `sudo apt-get install build-essential`
- 
**Fedora**: `sudo dnf groupinstall "Development Tools"`
- 
**OpenSUSE:** `sudo zypper install --type pattern devel_basis`
**Note:** If you are new to Node or Express, you may find [Node.js & Express From Scratch series](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad2ngx6CT0M&list=PLillGF-RfqbYRpji8t4SxUkMxfowG4Kqp&index=3) helpful for learning the basics of Node and Express. Alternatively, here is another great tutorial for complete beginners - [Getting Started With Node.js, Express, MongoDB](https://www.freecodecamp.org/news/build-a-restful-api-using-node-express-and-mongodb/).
## Getting Started
**Step 1:** The easiest way to get started is to clone the repository:
```bash
# Get the latest snapshot
git clone https://github.com/sahat/hackathon-starter.git myproject
# Change directory
cd myproject
# Install NPM dependencies
npm install
# Then simply start your app
npm start
```
**Note:** I highly recommend installing [Nodemon](https://github.com/remy/nodemon). It watches for any changes in your node.js app and automatically restarts the server. Once installed, instead of `node app.js` use `nodemon app.js`. It will
save you a lot of time in the long run, because you won't need to manually restart the server each time you make a small change in code. To install, run `sudo npm install -g nodemon`.
**Step 2:** Obtain API Keys and change configs if needed
After completing step 1 and locally installing MongoDB, you should be able to access the application through a web browser and use local user accounts. However, certain functions like API integrations may not function correctly until you obtain specific keys from service providers. The keys provided in the project serve as placeholders, and you can retain them for features you are not currently utilizing. To incorporate the acquired keys into the application, you have two options:
1. Set environment variables in your console session: Alternatively, you can set the keys as environment variables directly through the command prompt. For instance, in bash, you can use the `export` command like this: `export FACEBOOK_SECRET=xxxxxx`. This method is considered a better practice as it reduces the risk of accidentally including your secrets in a code repository.
2. Replace the keys in the `.env.example` file: Open the `.env.example` file and update the placeholder keys with the newly acquired ones. This method has the risk of accidental checking-in of your secrets to code repos.
_What to get and configure:_
- SMTP
- For user workflows for reset password and verify email
- For contact form processing
- reCAPTCHA
- For contact form submission, but you can skip it during your development
- OAuth for social logins (Sign in with / Login with)
- Depending on your application need, obtain keys from Google, Facebook, X (Twitter), LinkedIn, Twitch, GitHub. You don't have to obtain valid keys for any provider that you don't need. Just remove the buttons and links in the login and account pug views before your demo.
- API keys for service providers that you need in the API Examples if you are planning to use them.
- MongoDB Atlas
- If you are using MongoDB Atlas instead of a local db, set the MONGODB_URI to your db URI (including your db user/password).
- Email address
- Set SITE_CONTACT_EMAIL as your incoming email address for messages sent to you through the contact form.
- Set TRANSACTION_EMAIL as the "From" address for emails sent to users through the lost password or email verification emails to users. You may set this to the same address as SITE_CONTACT_EMAIL.
**Step 3:** Setup an HTTPS proxy to access the app with an https address:
See
- [HTTPS Proxy](#https-proxy)
**Step 4:** Develop your application and customize the experience
- Check out [How It Works](#how-it-works-mini-guides)
**Step 5:** Optional - deploy to production
See:
- [Deployment](#deployment)
- [prod-checklist.md](https://github.com/sahat/hackathon-starter/blob/master/prod-checklist.md)
## HTTPS Proxy:
If you want to use an API that requires HTTPS (for example, GitHub or Facebook), you need to run the app with an HTTPS URL. You can do this by setting up an HTTPS proxy using either ngrok or Cloudflare.
Note: When using an HTTPS proxy, you may get a CSRF mismatch error if you try to directly access the app at `http://localhost:8080` instead of the HTTPS proxy address.
### ngrok
- Download [ngrok](https://ngrok.com/download).
- Start ngrok.
- Set your BASE_URL to the forwarding address from ngrok (i.e., `https://3ccb-1234-abcd.ngrok-free.app`). This will be the HTTPS address for accessing the app.
### Cloudflare
- Download and install [cloudflared](https://developers.cloudflare.com/cloudflare-one/networks/connectors/cloudflare-tunnel/downloads).
- For a quick, free tunnel with a random subdomain under `trycloudflare.com`, execute:
```
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8080
```
- Set BASE_URL to the HTTPS address for the tunnel.
#### Cloudflare with your own domain name
If you own a domain managed by Cloudflare, you can use Cloudflare's Zero Trust portal to set up a tunnel to your app that is activated by a system service. Alternatively, you can create a tunnel and route a subdomain you like to your app using their CLI:
```
cloudflared tunnel login
cloudflared tunnel create myapptunnel
cloudflared tunnel route dns myapptunnel myappsubdomain.mydomain.com
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8080 run myapptunnel
```
Then set BASE_URL to the HTTPS address for the tunnel.
Note that the tunnel and DNS route are a one-time setup. To reactivate the HTTPS tunnel to your app later, such as after a system restart, just rerun:
```
cloudflared tunnel --url http://localhost:8080 run myapptunnel
```
To clean up your own domain's related configurations when you're done:
- Delete the tunnel by executing `cloudflared tunnel delete myapptunnel`
- Remove the `myappsubdomain` DNS entry from your domain through the Cloudflare web UI.
- Remove `%USERPROFILE%\.cloudflared` (Windows) or `~/.cloudflared` (Linux/macOS) if you want to clear local credentials.
# Obtaining API Keys
You will need to obtain appropriate credentials (Client ID, Client Secret, API Key, or Username & Password) for API and service providers which you need. See Step 2 in the Getting started section for more info.
## SMTP
Obtain SMTP credentials from a provider for transactional emails. Set the SMTP_USER, SMTP_PASSWORD, and SMTP_HOST environment variables accordingly. When picking the SMTP host, keep in mind that the app is configured to use secure SMTP transmissions over port 465 out of the box. You have the flexibility to select any provider that suits your needs or take advantage of one of the following providers, each offering a free tier for your convenience.
| Provider | Free Tier | Website |
| -------- | -------------------------- | ----------------------- |
| SMTP2Go | 1000 emails/month for free | https://www.smtp2go.com |
| Brevo | 300 emails/day for free | https://www.brevo.com |
- Visit 
- Go to 
- Go to 
- Go to 
- Visit 
- Go to 
- Go to 
- Go to 
- Go to 
- Sign in at 
- Go to 
- Visit 
The OpenAI moderation API for checking harmful inputs is free to use as long as you have paid credits in your OpenAI developer account. The cost of using their other models depends on the model, as well as the input and output size of the API call.
- Visit 
- Visit 
- Go to 
- 
- Visit 
- Sign up or sign in to your trakt.tv account and go to 
- Go to 
- Visit the 
- Go to 
- Sign in at
Hello ${addressTo.name},
We would like to welcome you to the community! Thanks for being a part of the team!
Cheer,
${addressFrom.name}
### How do I create a new page? A more correct way to say this would be "How do I create a new route?" The main file `app.js` contains all the routes. Each route has a callback function associated with it. Sometimes you will see three or more arguments for a route. In a case like that, the first argument is still a URL string, while middle arguments are what's called middleware. Think of middleware as a door. If this door prevents you from continuing forward, you won't get to your callback function. One such example is a route that requires authentication. ```js app.get('/account', passportConfig.isAuthenticated, userController.getAccount); ``` It always goes from left to right. A user visits `/account` page. Then `isAuthenticated` middleware checks if you are authenticated: ```js exports.isAuthenticated = (req, res, next) => { if (req.isAuthenticated()) { return next(); } res.redirect('/login'); }; ``` If you are authenticated, you let this visitor pass through your "door" by calling `return next();`. It then proceeds to the next middleware until it reaches the last argument, which is a callback function that typically renders a template on `GET` requests or redirects on `POST` requests. In this case, if you are authenticated, you will be redirected to the _Account Management_ page; otherwise, you will be redirected to the _Login_ page. ```js exports.getAccount = (req, res) => { res.render('account/profile', { title: 'Account Management', }); }; ``` Express.js has `app.get`, `app.post`, `app.put`, `app.delete`, but for the most part, you will only use the first two HTTP verbs, unless you are building a RESTful API. If you just want to display a page, then use `GET`, if you are submitting a form, sending a file then use `POST`. Here is a typical workflow for adding new routes to your application. Let's say we are building a page that lists all books from the database. **Step 1.** Start by defining a route. ```js app.get('/books', bookController.getBooks); ``` --- **Note:** As of Express 4.x you can define your routes like so: ```js app.route('/books').get(bookController.getBooks).post(bookController.createBooks).put(bookController.updateBooks).delete(bookController.deleteBooks); ``` And here is how a route would look if it required an _authentication_ and an _authorization_ middleware: ```js app.route('/api/twitch').all(passportConfig.isAuthenticated).all(passportConfig.isAuthorized).get(apiController.getTwitch).post(apiController.postTwitch); ``` Use whichever style makes sense to you. Either one is acceptable. I think that chaining HTTP verbs on `app.route` is a very clean and elegant approach, but on the other hand, I can no longer see all my routes at a glance when you have one route per line. **Step 2.** Create a new schema and a model `Book.js` inside the _models_ directory. ```js const mongoose = require('mongoose'); const bookSchema = new mongoose.Schema({ name: String, }); const Book = mongoose.model('Book', bookSchema); module.exports = Book; ``` **Step 3.** Create a new controller file called `book.js` inside the _controllers_ directory. ```js /** * GET /books * List all books. */ const Book = require('../models/Book.js'); exports.getBooks = (req, res) => { Book.find((err, docs) => { res.render('books', { books: docs }); }); }; ``` **Step 4.** Import that controller in `app.js`. ```js const bookController = require('./controllers/book'); ``` **Step 5.** Create `books.pug` template. ```pug extends layout block content .page-header h3 All Books ul each book in books li= book.name ``` That's it! I will say that you could have combined Step 1, 2, 3 as following: ```js app.get('/books', (req, res) => { Book.find((err, docs) => { res.render('books', { books: docs }); }); }); ``` Sure, it's simpler, but as soon as you pass 1000 lines of code in `app.js` it becomes a little challenging to navigate the file. I mean, the whole point of this boilerplate project was to separate concerns, so you could work with your teammates without running into _MERGE CONFLICTS_. Imagine you have four developers working on a single `app.js`, I promise you it won't be fun resolving merge conflicts all the time. If you are the only developer, then it's okay. But as I said, once it gets up to a certain LoC size, it becomes difficult to maintain everything in a single file. That's all there is to it. Express.js is super simple to use. Most of the time you will be dealing with other APIs to do the real work: [Mongoose](http://mongoosejs.com/docs/guide.html) for querying database, socket.io for sending and receiving messages over WebSockets, sending emails via [Nodemailer](http://nodemailer.com/), form validation using [validator.js](https://github.com/validatorjs/validator.js) library, parsing websites using [Cheerio](https://github.com/cheeriojs/cheerio), etc.
### AI Agent Controller LangChain v1 ReAct agent intended as a starting point for building new AI agents. The end-to-end implementation supports: - **Tool execution** with automatic retry middleware for transient failures - **MongoDB session persistence** - Chat history persists across page reloads (authenticated users: permanent until account deletion; unauthenticated: tied to Express session lifecycle) - **Input guardrails** - Prompt injection/jailbreak detection using a guard model (e.g., Llama Guard 4) - **Conversation summarization** - Long conversations are condensed to stay within context limits - **Real-time streaming** - Server-Sent Events (SSE) for live responses To build your Agent using this controller as a starting point, you need to do two things: #### 1. Define the agent's role Edit the `systemPrompt` in `createAIAgent()` to describe what the agent does and which tools it can use. ``` systemPrompt: `You are a helpful [... e.g. travel, personal assistant, exam grading] agent. Your responsibilities: 1. [YOUR_RESPONSIBILITY_1] 2. [YOUR_RESPONSIBILITY_2] 3. [YOUR_RESPONSIBILITY_3] Available tools: [LIST_YOUR_TOOLS_HERE]` ``` --- #### 2. Replace the tools Add tools specific to your project by replacing the existing tools in the `tools` array inside `createAIAgent()`. The existing tool functions can be removed. Tools follow this structure and use a Zod schema for input validation: ```js const myTool = tool( async ({ input }, config) => { config.writer?.({ message: 'Calling my service...' }); // Call your API or database const result = await callYourAPI(input); return JSON.stringify(result); }, { name: 'my_tool', description: 'Does something specific', schema: z.object({ input: z.string().describe('The input'), }), }, ); ``` --- #### Other Functions in ai-agent.js These functions handle streaming, parsing, and session management and typically do not need modification: - `promptGuardMiddleware()` : LangChain middleware that classifies user input before the agent processes it. Blocks unsafe prompts and redirects the conversation. - `getCheckpointer()` : Initializes the MongoDB checkpointer for session persistence. - `cleanupOrphanedTempSessions()` : Cleans up checkpoint data for unauthenticated users whose Express sessions have expired. Called on app startup. - `getAIAgent(req, res)` : Express route (GET /ai/ai-agent) - Renders the AI agent demo page and loads prior messages. - `postAIAgentChat(req, res)` : Express route (POST /ai/ai-agent/chat) - Main SSE endpoint. Streams AI responses, tool progress, and debug data. - `postAIAgentReset(req, res)` : Express route (POST /ai/ai-agent/reset) - Clears the user's chat session from MongoDB. - `deleteUserAIAgentData(userId)` : Called when a user deletes their account to clean up their chat data. - `sendSSE(res, eventType, data)` : Sends typed SSE events to the frontend. - `extractAIMessages(data)` : Extracts user-visible AI messages from agent stream updates. - `extractStatus(data)` : Derives tool call and completion status messages. #### Environment Variables The AI Agent requires these environment variables: - `GROQ_API_KEY` : Your Groq API key - `GROQ_MODEL` : The main LLM model (e.g., `llama-3.3-70b-versatile`) - `GROQ_MODEL_PROMPT_GUARD` : The guard model for input safety (e.g., `meta-llama/llama-guard-4-12b`) ### How do I use Socket.io with Hackathon Starter? [Dan Stroot](https://github.com/dstroot) submitted an excellent [pull request](https://github.com/dstroot/hackathon-starter/commit/0a632def1ce8da446709d92812423d337c977d75) that adds a real-time dashboard with socket.io. And as much as I'd like to add it to the project, I think it violates one of the main principles of the Hackathon Starter: > When I started this project, my primary focus was on simplicity and ease of use. > I also tried to make it as generic and reusable as possible to cover most use cases of > hackathon web apps, **without being too specific**. When I need to use socket.io, I **really** need it, but most of the time - I don't. But more importantly, WebSockets support is still experimental on most hosting providers. Due to past provider issues with WebSockets, I have not include socket.io as part of the Hackathon Starter. _For now..._ If you need to use socket.io in your app, please continue reading. First, you need to install socket.io: ```js npm install socket.io ``` Replace `const app = express();` with the following code: ```js const app = express(); const server = require('http').Server(app); const io = require('socket.io')(server); ``` I like to have the following code organization in `app.js` (from top to bottom): module dependencies, import controllers, import configs, connect to database, express configuration, routes, start the server, socket.io stuff. That way I always know where to look for things. Add the following code at the end of `app.js`: ```js io.on('connection', (socket) => { socket.emit('greet', { hello: 'Hey there browser!' }); socket.on('respond', (data) => { console.log(data); }); socket.on('disconnect', () => { console.log('Socket disconnected'); }); }); ``` One last thing left to change: ```js app.listen(app.get('port'), () => { ``` to ```js server.listen(app.get('port'), () => { ``` At this point, we are done with the back-end. You now have a choice - to include your JavaScript code in Pug templates or have all your client-side JavaScript in a separate file - in `app.js`. I admit, when I first started with Node.js and JavaScript in general, I placed all JavaScript code inside templates because I have access to template variables passed in from Express right then and there. It's the easiest thing you can do, but also the least efficient and harder to maintain. Since then I almost never include inline JavaScript inside templates anymore. But it's also understandable if you want to take the easier road. Most of the time you don't even care about performance during hackathons, you just want to _"get shit done"_ before the time runs out. Well, either way, use whichever approach makes more sense to you. At the end of the day, it's **what** you build that matters, not **how** you build it. If you want to stick all your JavaScript inside templates, then in `layout.pug` - your main template file, add this to the `head` block. ```pug script(src='/socket.io/socket.io.js') script. let socket = io.connect(window.location.href); socket.on('greet', function (data) { console.log(data); socket.emit('respond', { message: 'Hey there, server!' }); }); ``` **Note:** Notice the path of the `socket.io.js`, you don't actually have to have `socket.io.js` file anywhere in your project; it will be generated automatically at runtime. If you want to have JavaScript code separate from templates, move that inline script code into `app.js`, inside the `$(document).ready()` function: ```js $(document).ready(function () { // Place JavaScript code here... let socket = io.connect(window.location.href); socket.on('greet', function (data) { console.log(data); socket.emit('respond', { message: 'Hey there, server!' }); }); }); ``` And we are done! ## Cheatsheets ###
ES6 Cheatsheet
#### Declarations
Declares a read-only named constant.
```js
const name = 'yourName';
```
Declares a block scope local variable.
```js
let index = 0;
```
#### Template Strings
Using the **\`${}\`** syntax, strings can embed expressions.
```js
const name = 'Oggy';
const age = 3;
console.log(`My cat is named ${name} and is ${age} years old.`);
```
#### Modules
To import functions, objects, or primitives exported from an external module. These are the most common types of importing.
```js
const name = require('module-name');
```
```js
const { foo, bar } = require('module-name');
```
To export functions, objects, or primitives from a given file or module.
```js
module.exports = { myFunction };
```
```js
module.exports.name = 'yourName';
```
```js
module.exports = myFunctionOrClass;
```
#### Spread Operator
The spread operator allows an expression to be expanded in places where multiple arguments (for function calls) or multiple elements (for array literals) are expected.
```js
myFunction(...iterableObject);
```
```jsx
JavaScript Date Cheatsheet
#### Unix Timestamp (seconds)
```js
Math.floor(Date.now() / 1000);
```
#### Add 30 minutes to a Date object
```js
var now = new Date();
now.setMinutes(now.getMinutes() + 30);
```
#### Date Formatting
```js
// DD-MM-YYYY
var now = new Date();
var DD = now.getDate();
var MM = now.getMonth() + 1;
var YYYY = now.getFullYear();
if (DD < 10) {
DD = '0' + DD;
}
if (MM < 10) {
MM = '0' + MM;
}
console.log(MM + '-' + DD + '-' + YYYY); // 03-30-2016
```
```js
// hh:mm (12 hour time with am/pm)
var now = new Date();
var hours = now.getHours();
var minutes = now.getMinutes();
var amPm = hours >= 12 ? 'pm' : 'am';
hours = hours % 12;
hours = hours ? hours : 12;
minutes = minutes < 10 ? '0' + minutes : minutes;
console.log(hours + ':' + minutes + ' ' + amPm); // 1:43 am
```
#### Next week Date object
```js
var today = new Date();
var nextWeek = new Date(today.getTime() + 7 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000);
```
#### Yesterday Date object
```js
var today = new Date();
var yesterday = date.setDate(date.getDate() - 1);
```
:top: [**back to top**](#table-of-contents)
### Mongoose Cheatsheet
#### Find all users:
```js
User.find((err, users) => {
console.log(users);
});
```
#### Find a user by email:
```js
let userEmail = 'example@gmail.com';
User.findOne({ email: { $eq: email.toLowerCase() } }).then((user) => {
console.log(user);
});
```
#### Find 5 most recent user accounts:
```js
User.find()
.sort({ _id: -1 })
.limit(5)
.exec((err, users) => {
console.log(users);
});
```
#### Get the total count of a field from all documents:
Let's suppose that each user has a `votes` field and you would like to count the total number of votes in your database across all users. One very inefficient way would be to loop through each document and manually accumulate the count. Or you could use [MongoDB Aggregation Framework](https://docs.mongodb.org/manual/core/aggregation-introduction/) instead:
```js
User.aggregate({ $group: { _id: null, total: { $sum: '$votes' } } }, (err, votesCount) => {
console.log(votesCount.total);
});
```
:top: [**back to top**](#table-of-contents)
## Deployment
Using a local instance on your laptop with ngrok is a good solution for your demo during the hackathon, and you wouldn't necessarily need to deploy to a cloud platform. If you wish to have your app run 24x7 for a general audience, once you are ready to deploy your app, you will need to create an account with a cloud platform to host it. There are a number of cloud service providers out there that you can research. Service providers like AWS and Azure provide a free tier of service which can help you get started with just some minor costs (such as traffic overage if any, etc).
---
### Hosted MongoDB Atlas
- Go to [mongodb.com](https://www.mongodb.com/)
- Click the green **Try free** button
- Fill in your information then hit **Create your Atlas account**
- You will be redirected to Create New Cluster page.
- Select a **Cloud Provider and Region**
- Set the cluster Tier to Free Forever **Shared** Cluster
- Give Cluster a name (default: Cluster0)
- Click on the green **:zap:Create Cluster button**
- Now, to access your database you need to create a DB user. To create a new MongoDB user, from the **Clusters view**, select the **Security tab**
- Under the **MongoDB Users** tab, click on **+Add New User**
- Fill in a username and password and give it either **Atlas Admin** User Privilege
- Next, you will need to create an IP address whitelist and obtain the connection URI. In the Clusters view, under the cluster details (i.e. SANDBOX - Cluster0), click on the **CONNECT** button.
- Under section **(1) Check the IP Whitelist**, click on **ALLOW ACCESS FROM ANYWHERE**. The form will add a field with `0.0.0.0/0`. Click **SAVE** to save the `0.0.0.0/0` whitelist.
- Under section **(2) Choose a connection method**, click on **Connect Your Application**
- In the new screen, select **Node.js** as Driver and version **3.6 or later**.
- Finally, copy the URI connection string and replace the URI in MONGODB_URI of `.env.example` with this URI string. Make sure to replace the Privacy Policy for Hackathon Starter
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Version 1.0
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Subject to these Terms. Company grants you a non-transferable, non-exclusive, revocable, limited license to access the Site solely for your own personal, noncommercial use.
Certain Restrictions. The rights approved to you in these Terms are subject to the following restrictions: (a) you shall not sell, rent, lease, transfer, assign, distribute, host, or otherwise commercially exploit the Site; (b) you shall not change, make derivative works of, disassemble, reverse compile or reverse engineer any part of the Site; (c) you shall not access the Site in order to build a similar or competitive website; and (d) except as expressly stated herein, no part of the Site may be copied, reproduced, distributed, republished, downloaded, displayed, posted or transmitted in any form or by any means unless otherwise indicated, any future release, update, or other addition to functionality of the Site shall be subject to these Terms. All copyright and other proprietary notices on the Site must be retained on all copies thereof.
Company reserves the right to change, suspend, or cease the Site with or without notice to you. You approved that Company will not be held liable to you or any third-party for any change, interruption, or termination of the Site or any part.
No Support or Maintenance. You agree that Company will have no obligation to provide you with any support in connection with the Site.
Excluding any User Content that you may provide, you are aware that all the intellectual property rights, including copyrights, patents, trademarks, and trade secrets, in the Site and its content are owned by Company or Company’s suppliers. Note that these Terms and access to the Site do not give you any rights, title or interest in or to any intellectual property rights, except for the limited access rights expressed in Section 2.1. Company and its suppliers reserve all rights not granted in these Terms.
Third-Party Links & Ads; Other Users
Third-Party Links & Ads. The Site may contain links to third-party websites and services, and/or display advertisements for third-parties. Such Third-Party Links & Ads are not under the control of Company, and Company is not responsible for any Third-Party Links & Ads. Company provides access to these Third-Party Links & Ads only as a convenience to you, and does not review, approve, monitor, endorse, warrant, or make any representations with respect to Third-Party Links & Ads. You use all Third-Party Links & Ads at your own risk, and should apply a suitable level of caution and discretion in doing so. When you click on any of the Third-Party Links & Ads, the applicable third party’s terms and policies apply, including the third party’s privacy and data gathering practices.
Other Users. Each Site user is solely responsible for any and all of its own User Content. Because we do not control User Content, you acknowledge and agree that we are not responsible for any User Content, whether provided by you or by others. You agree that Company will not be responsible for any loss or damage incurred as the result of any such interactions. If there is a dispute between you and any Site user, we are under no obligation to become involved.
You hereby release and forever discharge the Company and our officers, employees, agents, successors, and assigns from, and hereby waive and relinquish, each and every past, present and future dispute, claim, controversy, demand, right, obligation, liability, action and cause of action of every kind and nature, that has arisen or arises directly or indirectly out of, or that relates directly or indirectly to, the Site. If you are a California resident, you hereby waive California civil code section 1542 in connection with the foregoing, which states: "a general release does not extend to claims which the creditor does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release, which if known by him or her must have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor."
Cookies and Web Beacons. Like any other website, Hackathon Starter uses ‘cookies’. These cookies are used to store information including visitors’ preferences, and the pages on the website that the visitor accessed or visited. The information is used to optimize the users’ experience by customizing our web page content based on visitors’ browser type and/or other information.
Disclaimers
The site is provided on an "as-is" and "as available" basis, and company and our suppliers expressly disclaim any and all warranties and conditions of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including all warranties or conditions of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, quiet enjoyment, accuracy, or non-infringement. We and our suppliers make not guarantee that the site will meet your requirements, will be available on an uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free basis, or will be accurate, reliable, free of viruses or other harmful code, complete, legal, or safe. If applicable law requires any warranties with respect to the site, all such warranties are limited in duration to ninety (90) days from the date of first use.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you. Some jurisdictions do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitation may not apply to you.
Limitation on Liability
To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event shall company or our suppliers be liable to you or any third-party for any lost profits, lost data, costs of procurement of substitute products, or any indirect, consequential, exemplary, incidental, special or punitive damages arising from or relating to these terms or your use of, or incapability to use the site even if company has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Access to and use of the site is at your own discretion and risk, and you will be solely responsible for any damage to your device or computer system, or loss of data resulting therefrom.
To the maximum extent permitted by law, notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, our liability to you for any damages arising from or related to this agreement, will at all times be limited to a maximum of fifty U.S. dollars (u.s. $50). The existence of more than one claim will not enlarge this limit. You agree that our suppliers will have no liability of any kind arising from or relating to this agreement.
Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above limitation or exclusion may not apply to you.
Term and Termination. Subject to this Section, these Terms will remain in full force and effect while you use the Site. We may suspend or terminate your rights to use the Site at any time for any reason at our sole discretion, including for any use of the Site in violation of these Terms. Upon termination of your rights under these Terms, your Account and right to access and use the Site will terminate immediately. You understand that any termination of your Account may involve deletion of your User Content associated with your Account from our live databases. Company will not have any liability whatsoever to you for any termination of your rights under these Terms. Even after your rights under these Terms are terminated, the following provisions of these Terms will remain in effect: Sections 2 through 2.5, Section 3 and Sections 4 through 10.
Copyright Policy
Company respects the intellectual property of others and asks that users of our Site do the same. In connection with our Site, we have adopted and implemented a policy respecting copyright law that provides for the removal of any infringing materials and for the termination of users of our online Site who are repeated infringers of intellectual property rights, including copyrights. If you believe that one of our users is, through the use of our Site, unlawfully infringing the copyright(s) in a work, and wish to have the allegedly infringing material removed, the following information in the form of a written notification (pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(c)) must be provided to our designated Copyright Agent:
- your physical or electronic signature;
- identification of the copyrighted work(s) that you claim to have been infringed;
- identification of the material on our services that you claim is infringing and that you request us to remove;
- sufficient information to permit us to locate such material;
- your address, telephone number, and e-mail address;
- a statement that you have a good faith belief that use of the objectionable material is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or under the law; and
- a statement that the information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that you are either the owner of the copyright that has allegedly been infringed or that you are authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.
Please note that, pursuant to 17 U.S.C. § 512(f), any misrepresentation of material fact in a written notification automatically subjects the complaining party to liability for any damages, costs and attorney’s fees incurred by us in connection with the written notification and allegation of copyright infringement.
General
These Terms are subject to occasional revision, and if we make any substantial changes, we may notify you by sending you an e-mail to the last e-mail address you provided to us and/or by prominently posting notice of the changes on our Site. You are responsible for providing us with your most current e-mail address. In the event that the last e-mail address that you have provided us is not valid our dispatch of the e-mail containing such notice will nonetheless constitute effective notice of the changes described in the notice. Any changes to these Terms will be effective upon the earliest of thirty (30) calendar days following our dispatch of an e-mail notice to you or thirty (30) calendar days following our posting of notice of the changes on our Site. These changes will be effective immediately for new users of our Site. Continued use of our Site following notice of such changes shall indicate your acknowledgement of such changes and agreement to be bound by the terms and conditions of such changes. Dispute Resolution. Please read this Arbitration Agreement carefully. It is part of your contract with Company and affects your rights. It contains procedures for MANDATORY BINDING ARBITRATION AND A CLASS ACTION WAIVER.
Applicability of Arbitration Agreement. All claims and disputes in connection with the Terms or the use of any product or service provided by the Company that cannot be resolved informally or in small claims court shall be resolved by binding arbitration on an individual basis under the terms of this Arbitration Agreement. Unless otherwise agreed to, all arbitration proceedings shall be held in English. This Arbitration Agreement applies to you and the Company, and to any subsidiaries, affiliates, agents, employees, predecessors in interest, successors, and assigns, as well as all authorized or unauthorized users or beneficiaries of services or goods provided under the Terms.
Notice Requirement and Informal Dispute Resolution. Before either party may seek arbitration, the party must first send to the other party a written Notice of Dispute describing the nature and basis of the claim or dispute, and the requested relief. A Notice to the Company should be sent to: 221B Baker Street. After the Notice is received, you and the Company may attempt to resolve the claim or dispute informally. If you and the Company do not resolve the claim or dispute within thirty (30) days after the Notice is received, either party may begin an arbitration proceeding. The amount of any settlement offer made by any party may not be disclosed to the arbitrator until after the arbitrator has determined the amount of the award to which either party is entitled.
Arbitration Rules. Arbitration shall be initiated through the American Arbitration Association, an established alternative dispute resolution provider that offers arbitration as set forth in this section. If AAA is not available to arbitrate, the parties shall agree to select an alternative ADR Provider. The rules of the ADR Provider shall govern all aspects of the arbitration except to the extent such rules are in conflict with the Terms. The AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules governing the arbitration are available online at adr.org or by calling the AAA at 1-800-778-7879. The arbitration shall be conducted by a single, neutral arbitrator. Any claims or disputes where the total amount of the award sought is less than Ten Thousand U.S. Dollars (US $10,000.00) may be resolved through binding non-appearance-based arbitration, at the option of the party seeking relief. For claims or disputes where the total amount of the award sought is Ten Thousand U.S. Dollars (US $10,000.00) or more, the right to a hearing will be determined by the Arbitration Rules. Any hearing will be held in a location within 100 miles of your residence, unless you reside outside of the United States, and unless the parties agree otherwise. If you reside outside of the U.S., the arbitrator shall give the parties reasonable notice of the date, time and place of any oral hearings. Any judgment on the award rendered by the arbitrator may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction. If the arbitrator grants you an award that is greater than the last settlement offer that the Company made to you prior to the initiation of arbitration, the Company will pay you the greater of the award or $2,500.00. Each party shall bear its own costs and disbursements arising out of the arbitration and shall pay an equal share of the fees and costs of the ADR Provider.
Additional Rules for Non-Appearance Based Arbitration. If non-appearance based arbitration is elected, the arbitration shall be conducted by telephone, online and/or based solely on written submissions; the specific manner shall be chosen by the party initiating the arbitration. The arbitration shall not involve any personal appearance by the parties or witnesses unless otherwise agreed by the parties.
Time Limits. If you or the Company pursues arbitration, the arbitration action must be initiated and/or demanded within the statute of limitations and within any deadline imposed under the AAA Rules for the pertinent claim.
Authority of Arbitrator. If arbitration is initiated, the arbitrator will decide the rights and liabilities of you and the Company, and the dispute will not be consolidated with any other matters or joined with any other cases or parties. The arbitrator shall have the authority to grant motions dispositive of all or part of any claim. The arbitrator shall have the authority to award monetary damages, and to grant any non-monetary remedy or relief available to an individual under applicable law, the AAA Rules, and the Terms. The arbitrator shall issue a written award and statement of decision describing the essential findings and conclusions on which the award is based. The arbitrator has the same authority to award relief on an individual basis that a judge in a court of law would have. The award of the arbitrator is final and binding upon you and the Company.
Waiver of Jury Trial. THE PARTIES HEREBY WAIVE THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL AND STATUTORY RIGHTS TO GO TO COURT AND HAVE A TRIAL IN FRONT OF A JUDGE OR A JURY, instead electing that all claims and disputes shall be resolved by arbitration under this Arbitration Agreement. Arbitration procedures are typically more limited, more efficient and less expensive than rules applicable in a court and are subject to very limited review by a court. In the event any litigation should arise between you and the Company in any state or federal court in a suit to vacate or enforce an arbitration award or otherwise, YOU AND THE COMPANY WAIVE ALL RIGHTS TO A JURY TRIAL, instead electing that the dispute be resolved by a judge.
Waiver of Class or Consolidated Actions. All claims and disputes within the scope of this arbitration agreement must be arbitrated or litigated on an individual basis and not on a class basis, and claims of more than one customer or user cannot be arbitrated or litigated jointly or consolidated with those of any other customer or user.
Confidentiality. All aspects of the arbitration proceeding shall be strictly confidential. The parties agree to maintain confidentiality unless otherwise required by law. This paragraph shall not prevent a party from submitting to a court of law any information necessary to enforce this Agreement, to enforce an arbitration award, or to seek injunctive or equitable relief.
Severability. If any part or parts of this Arbitration Agreement are found under the law to be invalid or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, then such specific part or parts shall be of no force and effect and shall be severed and the remainder of the Agreement shall continue in full force and effect.
Right to Waive. Any or all of the rights and limitations set forth in this Arbitration Agreement may be waived by the party against whom the claim is asserted. Such waiver shall not waive or affect any other portion of this Arbitration Agreement.
Survival of Agreement. This Arbitration Agreement will survive the termination of your relationship with Company.
Small Claims Court. Nonetheless the foregoing, either you or the Company may bring an individual action in small claims court.
Emergency Equitable Relief. Anyhow the foregoing, either party may seek emergency equitable relief before a state or federal court in order to maintain the status quo pending arbitration. A request for interim measures shall not be deemed a waiver of any other rights or obligations under this Arbitration Agreement.
Claims Not Subject to Arbitration. Notwithstanding the foregoing, claims of defamation, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, and infringement or misappropriation of the other party’s patent, copyright, trademark or trade secrets shall not be subject to this Arbitration Agreement.
In any circumstances where the foregoing Arbitration Agreement permits the parties to litigate in court, the parties hereby agree to submit to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located within Netherlands County, California, for such purposes.
The Site may be subject to U.S. export control laws and may be subject to export or import regulations in other countries. You agree not to export, re-export, or transfer, directly or indirectly, any U.S. technical data acquired from Company, or any products utilizing such data, in violation of the United States export laws or regulations.
Company is located at the address in Section 10.8. If you are a California resident, you may report complaints to the Complaint Assistance Unit of the Division of Consumer Product of the California Department of Consumer Affairs by contacting them in writing at 400 R Street, Sacramento, CA 95814, or by telephone at (800) 952-5210.
Electronic Communications. The communications between you and Company use electronic means, whether you use the Site or send us emails, or whether Company posts notices on the Site or communicates with you via email. For contractual purposes, you (a) consent to receive communications from Company in an electronic form; and (b) agree that all terms and conditions, agreements, notices, disclosures, and other communications that Company provides to you electronically satisfy any legal obligation that such communications would satisfy if it were be in a hard copy writing.
Entire Terms. These Terms constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the use of the Site. Our failure to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not operate as a waiver of such right or provision. The section titles in these Terms are for convenience only and have no legal or contractual effect. The word "including" means "including without limitation". If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, the other provisions of these Terms will be unimpaired and the invalid or unenforceable provision will be deemed modified so that it is valid and enforceable to the maximum extent permitted by law. Your relationship to Company is that of an independent contractor, and neither party is an agent or partner of the other. These Terms, and your rights and obligations herein, may not be assigned, subcontracted, delegated, or otherwise transferred by you without Company’s prior written consent, and any attempted assignment, subcontract, delegation, or transfer in violation of the foregoing will be null and void. Company may freely assign these Terms. The terms and conditions set forth in these Terms shall be binding upon assignees.
Your Privacy. Please read our Privacy Policy.
Copyright/Trademark Information. Copyright ©. All rights reserved. All trademarks, logos and service marks displayed on the Site are our property or the property of other third-parties. You are not permitted to use these Marks without our prior written consent or the consent of such third party which may own the Marks.
Contact Information
Address: 221B Baker Street
Email: contact@yourdomain.com