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I guess I'm becoming an old fart. I used to like programming puzzles, challenges, things like this. But as time marches on, I realize that the real-world proble

I guess I'm becoming an old fart. I used to like programming puzzles, challenges, things like this. But as time marches on, I realize that the real-world problems I have to solve are already so challenging and require enough critical thinking, that I'm best served just focusing on them. Between family life, doing real-world challenges for income, downtime to breathe, diverse hobbies for the spiritual good of my person, I just don't see how to fit in Euler problems and other similar endeavors. Perhaps if I was a teenager again, I'd be jumping into them with much enjoyment.

abhiyerra 9y ago
I am the same though I'm only 30. I no longer seek out puzzles but to solve interesting real world problems. The time you put into a challenging Euler puzzle, you can use React/Rails/NodeJs/Go/Rust/lang du jour to solve real world problem, helping real people. Also as a liberal arts in programming, Euler, is fun in the sense of a well done proof is fun in math. If that is your thing you'll enjoy Euler, otherwise as in most programming you will brute force your way to a solution.
- epicide 9y ago
  I definitely agree that puzzles/challenges for their own sake are pretty pointlesss. However, I also think (guided) puzzles/challenges are really good for learning new tools/languages. It can be hard to just sit down in front of a real world type problem with even just one new tool and know what to do with it. The best approach is probably somewhere in the middle. Best example I've seen of this are the "workshopper" lessons on NodeSchool.
  - johnsonjo 9y ago
    I second that. The NodeSchool [1] workshops are awesome. [1] http://nodeschool.io http://nodeschool.io
sbergot 9y ago
Project Euler is nice for math problems. It has little real world value for developers. The first ones can be a nice hands on introduction to problem solving.
maligree 9y ago
A bit of a plug, but you should check out this thing I built! Go to https://hackattic.com https://hackattic.com - It's just a test of an idea, but I wanted to show people it's possible to come up with no-nonsense, more real-world-y challenges. I've never, ever really like the typical CS challenges proposed everywhere.
dagurp 9y ago
It's normal to lose interest in hobbies when new ones take over
ahoka 9y ago
The trick with Project Euler is that they are not programming problems.
xedarius 9y ago
I couldn't agree more. And yet these kind of puzzles still form the back bone of many technical interviews. Which further grinds out any enthusiasm to get me out of the job I'm in.
mindentropy 9y ago
I guess I am just the opposite. I used to love solving Euler problems and I was solving it when I was younger and had a job. It was a big escape for me from reality. When I want to solve something in my free time or steal some time when I am at work I like problem preciseness like PE. This helps me focus for hours on end unlike real world problems which I usually have to break down into smaller parts to solve.
japanuspus 9y ago
Just the opposite here: I'm in my 40's and work as tech lead on a multi-discipline team. Although I manage to keep my code time up close to 50 percent, most of the really challenging stuff is systems level design/architecture where it often takes months to find out if you took the right decision. This December I have been getting up early for the AdventOfCode challenges (release at 6am CET), and have been having a great time with the self-contained challenges.
AlecSchueler 9y ago
How far do you go into your hobbies? If you were working in those fields, maybe you'd find your current efforts produced little satisfaction compared to efforts that would help you get your work done. For a lot of people, programming has nothing to do with their work, it is just a hobby. Project Euler and the like are great fun for kinds like that.
otakucode 9y ago
I just turned 39 but don't have the family bit (single, no kids, etc). I generally consider lazily doing PE problems and similar things as how I do take downtime to breathe. No pressure there, and my only goal is to learn some more math, but in a stubborn manner. I am only interested in learning it if I can learn it deeply so that it truly makes sense. I got enough of 'memorize this bullshit and regurgitate it later without understanding' in school. It's only since leaving school I've been able to ENJOY mathematics.

abhiyerra 9y ago

I am the same though I'm only 30. I no longer seek out puzzles but to solve interesting real world problems. The time you put into a challenging Euler puzzle, you can use React/Rails/NodeJs/Go/Rust/lang du jour to solve real world problem, helping real people. Also as a liberal arts in programming, Euler, is fun in the sense of a well done proof is fun in math. If that is your thing you'll enjoy Euler, otherwise as in most programming you will brute force your way to a solution.

epicide 9y ago
I definitely agree that puzzles/challenges for their own sake are pretty pointlesss. However, I also think (guided) puzzles/challenges are really good for learning new tools/languages. It can be hard to just sit down in front of a real world type problem with even just one new tool and know what to do with it. The best approach is probably somewhere in the middle. Best example I've seen of this are the "workshopper" lessons on NodeSchool.
- johnsonjo 9y ago
  I second that. The NodeSchool [1] workshops are awesome. [1] http://nodeschool.io http://nodeschool.io

sbergot 9y ago

Project Euler is nice for math problems. It has little real world value for developers. The first ones can be a nice hands on introduction to problem solving.

maligree 9y ago

A bit of a plug, but you should check out this thing I built! Go to https://hackattic.com https://hackattic.com - It's just a test of an idea, but I wanted to show people it's possible to come up with no-nonsense, more real-world-y challenges. I've never, ever really like the typical CS challenges proposed everywhere.

dagurp 9y ago

It's normal to lose interest in hobbies when new ones take over

ahoka 9y ago

The trick with Project Euler is that they are not programming problems.

xedarius 9y ago

I couldn't agree more. And yet these kind of puzzles still form the back bone of many technical interviews. Which further grinds out any enthusiasm to get me out of the job I'm in.

mindentropy 9y ago

I guess I am just the opposite. I used to love solving Euler problems and I was solving it when I was younger and had a job. It was a big escape for me from reality. When I want to solve something in my free time or steal some time when I am at work I like problem preciseness like PE. This helps me focus for hours on end unlike real world problems which I usually have to break down into smaller parts to solve.

japanuspus 9y ago

Just the opposite here: I'm in my 40's and work as tech lead on a multi-discipline team. Although I manage to keep my code time up close to 50 percent, most of the really challenging stuff is systems level design/architecture where it often takes months to find out if you took the right decision. This December I have been getting up early for the AdventOfCode challenges (release at 6am CET), and have been having a great time with the self-contained challenges.

AlecSchueler 9y ago

How far do you go into your hobbies? If you were working in those fields, maybe you'd find your current efforts produced little satisfaction compared to efforts that would help you get your work done. For a lot of people, programming has nothing to do with their work, it is just a hobby. Project Euler and the like are great fun for kinds like that.

otakucode 9y ago

I just turned 39 but don't have the family bit (single, no kids, etc). I generally consider lazily doing PE problems and similar things as how I do take downtime to breathe. No pressure there, and my only goal is to learn some more math, but in a stubborn manner. I am only interested in learning it if I can learn it deeply so that it truly makes sense. I got enough of 'memorize this bullshit and regurgitate it later without understanding' in school. It's only since leaving school I've been able to ENJOY mathematics.