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Advent of Code 2020

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Re: Advent of Code 2020

#21

Post by da39a3ee »

xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #2

I've always found AoC to be added stress during a time of the year I'm not really running a stress-deficit. I find the competitive aspect a pretty big turn off. I usually get a few puzzles in and then burn out, because I can't keep up with the people who do it every day (I don't even use my computer every day). I wish the scoring didn't prioritize timeliness. This is really the sort of thing I'd enjoy cranking out on…

Right, whether or not I suck at algorithms really isn't germane in December: I know I suck at preparing for Christmas, and I can think of few poorer remedies for that than taking on a daily algorithm challenge.

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#22

Post by Jtsummers »

ojnabieoot wrote: post #9
recursive wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you must look at the scores, you can now make your own private leaderboards. If you're the only member of the leaderboard, then you'll win every challenge.

This is dismissive and unnecessarily condescending. Is it possible to opt out of the public leaderboard entirely? Because if not - perhaps things have changed - the stressful part about AoC is having a publicly viewable permanent score based on arbitrary and unfair criteria. Simply “not looking at it” isn’t enough. I did AoC a few years ago and realized that I had my GitHub profile associated to “middle-of-the-road”…

You literally have to actively choose to look at the leaderboard. And you have to make your account link to your profile. So if you are capable of ignoring a thing that has no impact, and of not willfully publishing your connection to the site, you're in the clear.

Since only the first 100 get points, it's really easy to ignore the leaderboard. Odds are against you when (at least in the early days) 30-50k people are competing.

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#23

Post by Jtsummers »

jsmeaton wrote: post #15
macintux wrote: post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But you lose the community aspect. It's interesting to talk about the puzzles during the competition, even if you're not competing.

I just began a shared slack channel with my co-workers, and put the call out for any other interested hobbyists from other departments. We'll collaborate and discuss there, and ignore the public boards. I found in previous years I gave up a few puzzles in, so I need some community to keep the interest up. But I have zero interest in the competitive aspect.

Not Slack, but this is what I did with colleagues last year (I first participated in 2018, got a group in 2019). It was fun, moderately competitive (between myself and one other guy, the rest were just solving problems but he is always competitive, and I like to goad him), and we got to teach some of the young guys at the office things they should've learned in their CS education (but somehow didn't).

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#24

Post by ojnabieoot »

mpalmer wrote: post #19
ojnabieoot wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is dismissive and unnecessarily condescending. Is it possible to opt out of the public leaderboard entirely? Because if not - perhaps things have changed - the stressful part about AoC is having a publicly viewable permanent score based on arbitrary and unfair criteria. Simply “not looking at it” isn’t enough. I did AoC a few years ago and realized that I had my GitHub profile associated to “middle-of-the-road”…

> Likewise, there are many people desperately competing for a “top spot” that measures their ability to... drink coffee late at night, mostly. Talk about dismissive and unnecessarily condescending. Consider arguing against ideas, not tone.

I used a cutesy synecdoche to illustrate the overall point that “AoC leaderboard ranking” is essentially uncorrelated with programming ability, despite how heavily the leaderboard is pushed on participants. Otherwise I think the rest of the comment is well-argued and I don’t think a full reading of my comment suggests that “drink coffee late at night” was literally the main deciding factor. In a literal sense, geographic location/time zone is a much stronger variable than coffee consumption. I realize the internet in general (and HN specifically) isn’t a great place for rhetoric like this.

Regardless, I feel like you’re being excessively pedantic as a means to..... police my tone without addressing any of the actual arguments.

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#25

Post by aaomidi »

kevinwang wrote: post #18
xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #2

I've always found AoC to be added stress during a time of the year I'm not really running a stress-deficit. I find the competitive aspect a pretty big turn off. I usually get a few puzzles in and then burn out, because I can't keep up with the people who do it every day (I don't even use my computer every day). I wish the scoring didn't prioritize timeliness. This is really the sort of thing I'd enjoy cranking out on…

Even though I enjoy competing for the leaderboard, the creator is pretty up-front about the leaderboard being Not The Point and advises you to ignore it, and from that perspective the midnight release time makes more sense. (And the reason is that it's the time that the creator can be readily available: https://adventofcode.com/2020/about )

You can't make a leaderboard and then say it's not important. Especially when you don't even opt into it, you just...get on the leaderboard.

If the creator was genuine about it not being important they'd explicitly limit the leaderboard with an opt in process. You shouldn't even be able to see the leaderboard unless you have opted into it. It shouldn't be visible or clickable.

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#26

Post by mkeeter »

Advent of Code is a huge amount of fun!

One of my favorite problems from last year involved programming a robot to traverse an obstacle course (https://adventofcode.com/2019/day/21).

Interestingly, the space of potential programs was small enough (105 bits) that you could smash an SMT solver into it and solve for a correct, minimal program, given the shape of your obstacle course: https://www.mattkeeter.com/projects/synthesis/

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#27

Post by recursive »

ojnabieoot wrote: post #9
recursive wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you must look at the scores, you can now make your own private leaderboards. If you're the only member of the leaderboard, then you'll win every challenge.

This is dismissive and unnecessarily condescending. Is it possible to opt out of the public leaderboard entirely? Because if not - perhaps things have changed - the stressful part about AoC is having a publicly viewable permanent score based on arbitrary and unfair criteria. Simply “not looking at it” isn’t enough. I did AoC a few years ago and realized that I had my GitHub profile associated to “middle-of-the-road”…

Would you honestly want a job being hawked by that recruiter? I'd say it's a win win.

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#28

Post by siraben »

xyzzy_plugh wrote: post #2

I've always found AoC to be added stress during a time of the year I'm not really running a stress-deficit. I find the competitive aspect a pretty big turn off. I usually get a few puzzles in and then burn out, because I can't keep up with the people who do it every day (I don't even use my computer every day). I wish the scoring didn't prioritize timeliness. This is really the sort of thing I'd enjoy cranking out on…

Especially for US universities it coincides with final exams in early December. By the time I'm done with my exams it can be hard to keep up.

Re: Advent of Code 2020

#29

Post by forrestthewoods »

aaomidi wrote: post #25
kevinwang wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Even though I enjoy competing for the leaderboard, the creator is pretty up-front about the leaderboard being Not The Point and advises you to ignore it, and from that perspective the midnight release time makes more sense. (And the reason is that it's the time that the creator can be readily available: https://adventofcode.com/2020/about )

You can't make a leaderboard and then say it's not important. Especially when you don't even opt into it, you just...get on the leaderboard. If the creator was genuine about it not being important they'd explicitly limit the leaderboard with an opt in process. You shouldn't even be able to see the leaderboard unless you have opted into it. It shouldn't be visible or clickable.

Last year almost 100,000 people solved the first part of the first puzzle. Almost 3000 people solved the last part of the 25th and last puzzle. The leaderboard has only 100 entries.

The leaderboard is not important.

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