4 ms·

Maybe it's just a way to provide a fair test that anyone with ability can pass with a little practice?

zerr 9y ago
I wouldn't call it "a little practice". There are people who are "into" competitive programming and there are people who aren't, and those "fair" tests are skewed towards the former group. The worst thing is that the actual job has nothing to do with the competitive programming at all.
- gaius 9y ago
  Another filter for age is that 20-something’s are more likely to have time for this whereas older people may have more time commitments already People in their 20s and 30s now will regret not stamping out ageism when they hit their 40s and 50s, as they inevitably will
  - czep 9y ago
    > People in their 20s and 30s now will regret not stamping out ageism when they hit their 40s and 50s, as they inevitably will The problem is, everyone in their 20s and 30s assumes they'll be gazillionaires by the time they're 40, because of course they're brilliant and hard work always pays off! Ageism is only a factor if you're not smart enough to make a billion by the time you're facing it.
    - dds1 9y ago
      Hard work does pay off. Believe in karma.
      - gaius 9y ago
        Karma goes both ways. Those that practiced ageism will find that out themselves eventually. Unfortunately then the victims of ageism now will find that cold comfort in the future.
walshemj 9y ago
Rote leaning and getting a piece of paper is not a good way to interview for candidates who can when given a task that wasn't on the test research and implement a solution under their own power.
- gaius 9y ago
  Memorising derivations of algorithms and solutions to puzzles from a book like Cracking The Coding Interview surely is just rote learning. There should be a high correlation between the content of the interview and the actual job, or what is the interview really for?
tytytytytytytyt 9y ago
That's not a popular viewpoint around here. :D

zerr 9y ago

I wouldn't call it "a little practice". There are people who are "into" competitive programming and there are people who aren't, and those "fair" tests are skewed towards the former group. The worst thing is that the actual job has nothing to do with the competitive programming at all.

gaius 9y ago
Another filter for age is that 20-something’s are more likely to have time for this whereas older people may have more time commitments already People in their 20s and 30s now will regret not stamping out ageism when they hit their 40s and 50s, as they inevitably will
- czep 9y ago
  > People in their 20s and 30s now will regret not stamping out ageism when they hit their 40s and 50s, as they inevitably will The problem is, everyone in their 20s and 30s assumes they'll be gazillionaires by the time they're 40, because of course they're brilliant and hard work always pays off! Ageism is only a factor if you're not smart enough to make a billion by the time you're facing it.
  - dds1 9y ago
    Hard work does pay off. Believe in karma.
    - gaius 9y ago
      Karma goes both ways. Those that practiced ageism will find that out themselves eventually. Unfortunately then the victims of ageism now will find that cold comfort in the future.

walshemj 9y ago

Rote leaning and getting a piece of paper is not a good way to interview for candidates who can when given a task that wasn't on the test research and implement a solution under their own power.

gaius 9y ago
Memorising derivations of algorithms and solutions to puzzles from a book like Cracking The Coding Interview surely is just rote learning. There should be a high correlation between the content of the interview and the actual job, or what is the interview really for?

tytytytytytytyt 9y ago

That's not a popular viewpoint around here. :D