I tend to agree that large cash prizes and thinking that hacks == startups is a recipe for trouble. That said, I sit on the more cynical side of the fence and

I tend to agree that large cash prizes and thinking that hacks == startups is a recipe for trouble. That said, I sit on the more cynical side of the fence and I'm still not comfortable ruling out prizes all together. I'd like to see an event where people were rewarded for embracing the hacker spirit though (most helpful, best use of new tech, most common problem solved, etc).