

TopCoder - your opinion? - mich

Hi,<p>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 <i>are</i> essential. <p>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.<p>Or is everybody just on the road to change the world (with apps like <i>twitter</i>), and doesn't care about competitions like this(where hacking and bright solutions are still appreciated)?
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tlrobinson
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/>

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kobs
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.

