TopCoder - your opinion?
2 comments
My university had the usual ACM algorithmic programming contests, but the ACM and UPE (CS honor society) student groups also put on other "alternative" programming contests, which I found more fun.
Last year they had a 24 hour programming contest to make the best app based around a certain theme... "a series of tubes": http://uscp24.com/
My team made a crime tracking web app for my school, which had nothing to do with tubes except we called it TOOBS: http://toobs.tlrobinson.net/
This year they're doing a two day contest called "Code for a Cause" where teams make accessibility software for the disabled: http://ss12.info/
Last year they had a 24 hour programming contest to make the best app based around a certain theme... "a series of tubes": http://uscp24.com/
My team made a crime tracking web app for my school, which had nothing to do with tubes except we called it TOOBS: http://toobs.tlrobinson.net/
This year they're doing a two day contest called "Code for a Cause" where teams make accessibility software for the disabled: http://ss12.info/
I've been contemplating on whether to compete or not in the competition this Saturday. (Who doesn't want a free t-shirt?)
This would be my first time competing in a programming/algorithm solving contest.
This would be my first time competing in a programming/algorithm solving contest.
What's your opinion on TopCoder.com and similar algorithm solving competitions like ACM? Anyone competing? I think it is a really good way to improve one's thinking skills -- granted, it does not measure your complete skill set(as programming isn't just algorithms), but algorithms are essential.
I think most people in the web 2.0 space are in it mainly for the money. The applications themselves are mostly pretty trivial from an algorithmic point of view, so I am really curious what's your opinion on this.
Or is everybody just on the road to change the world (with apps like twitter), and doesn't care about competitions like this(where hacking and bright solutions are still appreciated)?