Comments on: Debugging as a Demonstration Sport http://etbe.coker.com.au/2008/09/17/debugging-demonstration-sport/ Linux, politics, and other interesting things Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:09:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Chris Neugebauer http://etbe.coker.com.au/2008/09/17/debugging-demonstration-sport/comment-page-1/#comment-15928 Chris Neugebauer Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:36:13 +0000 http://etbe.coker.com.au/?p=789#comment-15928 I've done many programming competitions over the past five-or-so years; certainly the conditions have varied: yes there are many competitions that are performed under exam conditions, but there are also many that aren't -- those that I've been in have been at a high school level. The SEARCC International Schools' Software Competition (which I participated in in 2005), was held in a lab with many windows, with an Audience (admittedly mostly consisting of coaches and Aus. Computer Society people) watching in the next lab: also, problem submission was performed using removable media, so there was much frantic movement between labs getting solutions to the judges (I'll see if I can dig up a picture). Also, UNSW Progcomp (http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~progcomp) has a Grand Final which is held on the Uni's Open day, and hundreds of spectators come and go through the two or three hours that the competition extends over. I've been reliably informed that both of these competitions were quite exciting to watch, as the frantic solving of problems escalates as time runs out. This considered, I think that computing competitions, organised well can definitely be an exciting spectator sport. I’ve done many programming competitions over the past five-or-so years; certainly the conditions have varied: yes there are many competitions that are performed under exam conditions, but there are also many that aren’t — those that I’ve been in have been at a high school level.

The SEARCC International Schools’ Software Competition (which I participated in in 2005), was held in a lab with many windows, with an Audience (admittedly mostly consisting of coaches and Aus. Computer Society people) watching in the next lab: also, problem submission was performed using removable media, so there was much frantic movement between labs getting solutions to the judges (I’ll see if I can dig up a picture).

Also, UNSW Progcomp (http://www.cse.unsw.edu.au/~progcomp) has a Grand Final which is held on the Uni’s Open day, and hundreds of spectators come and go through the two or three hours that the competition extends over.

I’ve been reliably informed that both of these competitions were quite exciting to watch, as the frantic solving of problems escalates as time runs out. This considered, I think that computing competitions, organised well can definitely be an exciting spectator sport.

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