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Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

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Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#321

Earlier quoted context omitted.

One fallacy of web design, of any design, is that in order to be “good” it must be easy. Sometimes there is a learning curve. Conceptual hurdles abound with a complex tool like GitHub. Working through hurdles help you grow as a technologist and as person —but having the right attitude going in, that’s on you.

A contest isn't about teaching the people running the contest new tools. The contest is about different groups (or people) competing on a level playing field. Also, nobody ever said that design can't be, or shouldn't be complex. But web hosting is simple. You put files in a directory and point a web server to them, and it just works. If it doesn't, that's a failing of the designers. Complexity of design and complexit…

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Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#322

This is one of those important events in life where you realise that sometimes those who hold seniority over you aren't necessarily as smart as you are. This experience will help you to cultivate a healthy disrespect for authority. We all go through something like this at some point. The best thing to do is to find some sort of constructive way to channel your experience. One path I would suggest is to consider launc…

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Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#323

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The judges don't have to use Github. OP was disqualified because the judge noticed either the Github banner on the page or github in the url. > GitHub ... is extremely browser centric. This is a strange criticism if we're talking about a website competition.

I have no idea why you think the opposite, but it makes perfect sense that web-centric things be disallowed in a website competition. The contest is about content, not about tools.

No, it doesn't make sense. You use a browser to view and interact with a website (which is what the competition is about). So why would Github being browser-centric be a ding against Github when the competition is browser-centric?

Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#324
post #319
post #262

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I disagree. It bans templating engines and gives some examples of sites but I do not believe those are 100% inclusive examples. Microsoft also has some web template code. Should that disqualify all use of any Microsoft product?

"Microsoft" is not listed as banned, "Github" is. Like I said, it's stupid, it's unreasonable, it's unfair, it makes no sense, but Github is listed as banned. Clearly by someone who doesn't understand it, and the judge who didn't understand it either just blindly disqualified them for explicitly using Github. I'm not saying any of this is good; it obviously isn't. But the stupid ruling is entirely justifiable by the…

So theoretically they could have used Microsoft templating?

Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#325
post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I see someone doesn't actually have to follow any legal regulations in their line of work. After your 12th hour straight in an IT call with a bank trying to fix a simple issue multiple compliance officers are on the call all fighting each other, you come to realize the nightmare teacher types do exist.

If you ignore the legal regulations that don't make sense, maybe you'll get fired and end up working at a better job that doesn't have those regulations. If enough people ignore the regulations, they'll become unenforceable. It's always a good thing to break rules you don't like.

Ah yes, who likes those pesky robbery and murder laws anyhow?

Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#326
post #151
post #146

Earlier quoted context omitted.

But they used github just for git. If they hadn't mentioned github, nobody could have known. Or cared.

So using GitLab for the exact same thing would be OK?

>sites that generate HTML from text, markdown, or script files, such as Webs, Wix, Weebly, GitHub, Jekyll, and Replit, are NOT permitted

Technically GitLab also generates html from markdown.

Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#327
Teachers can be the biggest a-holes on earth when it comes to irrational judgements. I recall doing a website building elective in middle-school where we hand coded a simple site. They made the content of the site required to complete the project and get a grade. I had been writing sites already previous to the class for hire for 2 years at that point so I figured this class was an easy A. I had ADHD and this was the 90s (zero understanding/help), so writing filler content wasn't going to happen. I turned it in expecting to get like a B or C. Nope, F. The site was perfect valid code. Teacher was just a jerk. Dropped the elective.

Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#328
post #271

This would be a facepalm moment for me if I were these guys. Because while they used GitHub in the most common manner, to host a code repository. Not only did they violate the rules technically, they also inadvertently violated them practically. README.md is a markdown file. GitHub parses this into that little blurb you see below the repo. This is technically a violation of the rules. Part of your project is technica…

The winner used GitHub.

Re: Disqualified from a National Web Design Competition for Using GitHub

#329
post #178

To all the commenters that I see here writing comments among the lines of "rules are rules and must be followed to the letter", I strongly suggest you to read the book "Law for Computer Scientists and Other Folk" [1]. In one of the first chapters, it clearly explains that rules must be interpreted , and in doing so, one must take into account the specific situation a rule is being applied to. In this case, it seems q…

> "rules are rules and must be followed to the letter"

When I see this kind of blind obedience to authority I get absolutely terrified. I've lived through the Soviet Union (aside: which is why it's extra hilarious when HN posters who disagree with me think i'm a communist because I have "commie" in my username), I've spoken to people who lived through the after-effects of Nazi Germany.

And our industry is at the forefront of so much of soceital development. Computer Scientists already have to make endless conscientious decisions about privacy, robotics, facial recognition, and how our tech is used or not used to perpetuate repression and discrimination. And it's only going to get worse with the rise of AI.

So to see so many technologists just shrug and say "The rule said no GitHub" makes me terrified for how they critically evaluate (or don't) the requirements put in front of them for what they implement, and what it means for our dystopian future.

It's also infuriating that "critical thinking" and "healthy distrust of authority" have become appropriated by the alt-right to spread COVID vaccine conspiracy theories, and at this point I even hesitate to say things like advocating for "challenging authority" because the concept has bene politicized to mean "challenge thinking for the benefit of your community and society instead of your own individual wants", or even more simply "challenge the left/progressives".

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