How about a *CODING* competition?

[wzoo1]

How about a hacking competition at camp??? TechTV did one and they gave ip addresses to hack into. The first person to put a text file on that computer/server wins! This is gonna be fun... Theres gotta be some security vulnerabilites on the camp computers or did they just firewall everything... I've hacked into my parents computer once and stole some files... LOL... They didnt know anything and I used NetBIOS (Windows File and Print Sharing for those who dont know!
to do that... Camp is gonna be fun...

[jyorke]

Cracking is usually a dark and evil act. We do not want to be seen as teaching you how to do this. Therefore, Camp will not condone or endorse cracking in any way shape or form.

It is against CAEN policy to try to circumvent security on any CAEN systems, and your CAEN account will be deactivated if you attempt to do so.

You are also not to attempt to crack any other computers using the U of M network, in the dorms or labs. I believe it is against ResComp and CAEN policy to do so, and if it is not, well, it should be.

You will not crack security on computers owned by other campers in any way, shape, or form.

Again: Hacking/Cracking is NOT to be tolerated

[GPeszek]

Something that may work which is along the lines of applying your computer skills but doesn't involve any hacking/cracking would be to do a topcoder like competition. If you don't know what topcoder is, take a look at www.topcoder.com. They give you 3 problems, each getting progressivly harder, that you have to solve in C++, java or C#. The faster you submit, the more points you get, but the solutions you code have to be 100% correct.

Maybe we could do something like this for the java class or classes learning javascript and give out cool prizes? http://campcaen.engin.umich.edu/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

[jyorke]

I love cool prizes!

(I'm reopening this topic, for discussion of the coding contest idea only. Â*I also edited the title to reflect this. There will be no hacking contest, and don't go yelling at me if you want one. Â*It's not going to happen.)

[EvilPlushToy]

Coding contest: first one to get my props.

[wzoo1]

Ok, i will do the codeing competition... Learning Java and Visual Basic .Net right now...

I wouldn't mind a coding competition... I hope to learn stuff about the ABT in Java during camp, as coding command-prompt only programs in java... well, sucks.
I haven't got the time during the school year to learn it, since every week I am assigned projects that generally take a lot of effort. Meh.
I do have one question involving the program (the introduction programming course), as I have forgotten my password and thus, can't post in the questions-specific forum:
Is it a "learn-it-yourself; we provide the materials, you do it"-type program, or are there actually instructors guiding people step-by-step in their work... or is it optional?
Thanks.

[jyorke]

As far as a competition goes: everyone will have the same assignment, no one will help each other, and the correct solution that is coded the fastest will win! (We'll have to work out detail of this if we're actually going to do it... I'll work on it next week)

As far as classses, the way that the introductory courses have gone in the past is as follows:

There will be a lecture session pretty much every day. For the first week or so, the instructors will assign a specific project each day to impliment what you learned in the lecture session. Instructors, counselors, and CITs will be present to assist you, but you are encouraged to do as much debugging as possible yourself. After you have implimented this project, you will most likely have extra time in which to work on whatever you like, or the final project. There will be a suggested topic for the final project. Last year's Intro to Java final project was to make a sliding puzzle game in Swing. However, if you have a different project that you would like to do, talk to your instructor, and they will probably let you do it. Instructors, Counselors, and CITs will always be there to help you should you need it during class time. If you're a residential student and you ask us very nicely, the counselors and CITs will probably help you at night too... However, if you want to do it without any intervention from us, that is also your choice. We like to keep things open for you.

[EvilPlushToy]

Anyone happen to have a copy of the TopCoder server code lying around? http://campcaen.engin.umich.edu/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[GPeszek]

Actually, it may make sense to just use a topcoder practice room http://campcaen.engin.umich.edu/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Or, how about a Photoshopping competition?

1 high-res picture of Greg P - coolest photoshoppage wins?

http://campcaen.engin.umich.edu/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

[GPeszek]

If thoese were the terms, just submit the unaltered pic and you'd win http://campcaen.engin.umich.edu/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif

quote:
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brian said:
Or, how about a Photoshopping competition?
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YASE^1000

[Jeremy]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (jyorke @ June 01 2002,15:59)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Cracking is usually a dark and evil act. We do not want to be seen as teaching you how to do this. Therefore, Camp will not condone or endorse cracking in any way shape or form.

It is against CAEN policy to try to circumvent security on any CAEN systems, and your CAEN account will be deactivated if you attempt to do so.

You are also not to attempt to crack any other computers using the U of M network, in the dorms or labs. I believe it is against ResComp and CAEN policy to do so, and if it is not, well, it should be.

You will not crack security on computers owned by other campers in any way, shape, or form.

Again: Hacking/Cracking is NOT to be tolerated[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Cracking is not always a dark and evil act, for example, when you are a security auditor. While no one moral would endorse breaking into someone else's computer without their permission, I don't see any possible moral or legal sanction against breaking into someone's computer that they have given permission for you to do so, and I think that is what this poster is referring to.

[GPeszek]

Regardless of if you have permission or not, you are still using the university's resources (dorm network) to circumvent another's computer. Using your own computers on your own network on your own time is up to you, but as long as you're hooked up to the university's network you're on their terms. The university monitors network traffic continiously and if they notice &quot;bad&quot; happenings coming from your IP/MAC/physical connection/etc, they will know and take appropiate action.

Thats why we have to have a no-cracking/hacking/etc policy. http://campcaen.engin.umich.edu/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

-Deleted by Administration-

Don't flame people.

[Kows]

A coding competition would be fun... or, even better, for those staying in the dorms - a project of some sort. Get a few people from diff. classes together to come up with a project one night, and then have them work together on it. Then, at the end of the first week, the teachers of the respective classes could feild questions about the projects . . . i.e. how to do a certain thing. With prizes at the end for most creative, best support, best-coded, most practical... etc, so everyone gets a prize in the end . . . but still have it be a competition... and so people can actually experience working in a small group (which in todays educational institutions is almost impossible to do).

I think a form of this may work...?

[Jeremy]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (GPeszek @ June 27 2002,01:50)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">The university monitors network traffic continiously and if they notice &quot;bad&quot; happenings coming from your IP/MAC/physical connection/etc, they will know and take appropiate action.[/QUOTE]<span id='postcolor'>
Yuck! Creepy.

[Black Mage]

coding competition would be fun, but it would need several Tiers: Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced.