Ask HN: Should I go to a "Hackathon" if I cannot code very well?

Yes, you should go to a hackathon. I already did hackathons with guys with zero knowlegde about programming and it went fine.

You will learn a lot about coding and about people. Hackathons are awesome to learn and people there are willing to help you.

You should go to a hackathon, they are a great experience. I have been to ~5 so far and I have worked with people of varying skill sets. Everyone is generally willing to help you out.

You'll meet great people, see how other people approach problems, hear really interesting ideas and be introduced to new technologies.

Hackathons is about as much about coding as clubbing is about dancing. People don't go to hackathons primarily to code (which they can do at home just as well), but to meet people.

I've been to over 20 (live in the NYC area so they are frequent)... You should absolutely go. I did almost nothing in my first 3 hackathons, but I learned tons about development and networking. I've made a lot of friends who I would never have crossed paths with otherwise.