Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Announcing Starfighter

kalzumeus.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

341–350 of 418 posts

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#341

Post by mryan »

smikhanov wrote: post #326
woah wrote: post #304

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure that cheating on this would be unethical. Programming is about getting things done. As a hiring metric, nothing can beat open source. The open source portfolio really is kind of a golden standard. It is real work that you have done, that has (hopefully) advanced the commons, because you love programming and have something unique to add to the world. Some fake video game programming may indicate something…

What is Express?

http://expressjs.com/

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#342

Post by srum »

What sort of range of engineers will this be aiming to recruit? Only the very best (and most expensive)? Or a range including more junior / less well-paid positions?

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#343

Post by michaf »

The next step could be to crowdsource the design of challenges or puzzles. Like a 'masters tier', where you get special points for designing particularly clever puzzles. This could help remedy the constant demand for new puzzles due to writeup contamination.

BTW, I completed microcorruption, foobar and two stripe CTFs. It was lots of fun and I am really looking forward to Starfighter!

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#344

Post by sfk »

So, apart from GitHub, we now have another opportunity for coding slaves to prove themselves worthy.

Spartacus, open your mouth, I want to see your teeth.

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#345

Post by TeMPOraL »

tlrobinson wrote: post #315
TeMPOraL wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly. Tesla Motors comes to mind as a company for which "electrification of the world transportation" is the goal, and "profitable business" is only means to an end. I understand the fear though; most of the companies we interact with (and I'd wager, 90% of startups we see here) are what I call toilet-paper companies - they'd gladly switch from whatever it is they're doing to manufacturing toilet paper if that wou…

As a public company isn't it Tesla's obligation to try to run a (eventually) profitable business?

It is. And Elon Musk stated repeatedly that it's a secondary goal, means to an end. There's a lot of wiggle room between "profitable business" and a "toilet paper company".

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#346

Post by thisisit »

olivercreashe wrote: post #282
sfink wrote: post #237

Hey job seekers. I'm level 45 in starfighter with a power VI blaster in C++ and IX in Python. $100 to get you to level 30, x1.5 per level above that (though obviously I can't get you above 45, but I know a guy so I can subcontract up to 52.) You just have to set up a port forward from your machine and I'll take care of the rest. Contact info is in my profile. Don't get suckered into using a bot. They may be cheaper i…

I like this idea, but I also like the one proposed here http://ortask.com/a-better-way-to-hire-developers-and-tester... . I fear that starfighter will overlook goood candidates simply because they are not good at gaming, which makes the second approach by ortask more interesting and maybe balanced.

Not that I completely understand the process for Starfighter. But what are the chances of something like this happening? http://www.wired.com/2012/07/how-a-startup-used-a-5000-conte...

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#347

Post by TeMPOraL »

sfink wrote: post #237

Hey job seekers. I'm level 45 in starfighter with a power VI blaster in C++ and IX in Python. $100 to get you to level 30, x1.5 per level above that (though obviously I can't get you above 45, but I know a guy so I can subcontract up to 52.) You just have to set up a port forward from your machine and I'll take care of the rest. Contact info is in my profile. Don't get suckered into using a bot. They may be cheaper i…

Accepting that offer sounds like a great way to get yourself hacked.

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#348

Post by jholman »

captn3m0 wrote: post #329
ragsagar wrote: post #322

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your app is not accepting email with the new longer domain extensions. eg: .systems

Thanks. I'll take a look at the email validation code.

The only truly reliable way to validate an email address is to try to send email to it.

Re: Announcing Starfighter

#349

Post by TeMPOraL »

sarciszewski wrote: post #199
dragonwriter wrote: post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even if you are being generous with your time and effort, you can't carry out an effort with any kind of reach without some support model. Financing it through its own operations may not be the only choice, but its not a choice incompatible with generous motivation.

The thing is, making money off providing a useful service that benefits society as a whole isn't immoral, so I don't see why it's that big of a deal. Nobody is forcing anyone to participate. EDIT: In fact, socially rewarding companies that do good things incentivizes others to adopt ethical strategies and might do more good than a vow-of-poverty educational service provider.

> The thing is, making money off providing a useful service that benefits society as a whole isn't immoral, so I don't see why it's that big of a deal. Nobody is forcing anyone to participate.

Of course it's not immoral but still, knowing whether "a useful service" or "making money off it" is a top priotity for the company is important. Most of the companies you and I interact with are of the second type, and I guess this is at the root of throwawaymaroon's worry.

Post reply on HN