[programble]

Raynes, on 25 March 2010 - 08:33 PM, said:

I've not been participating in them for two reasons: I've recently undertaken a few new projects and I'm learning new, interesting things in my own time, and I can't help but find some of the challenges infinitely boring. But that's just me (and programble, it appears). When I think of "broaden your horizons", Java, JavaME, and Google Maps do not come to mind.

This.

[BenignDesign]

Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. First you bitch about the lack of activity and now you're making excuses as to why you haven't been participating?

Dude. Pot. Kettle. Black. Douche. Seriously.

[Raynes]

BenignDesign, on 26 March 2010 - 11:30 AM, said:

Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. First you bitch about the lack of activity and now you're making excuses as to why you haven't been participating?

Dude. Pot. Kettle. Black. Douche. Seriously.

I'm not sure I see it. He pointed out lack of activity, and lack of activity is because people don't participate. I don't think he was criticizing the people who aren't participating as much as he is criticizing the challenges he considers boring and not very useful.

[programble]

I was simply agreeing that the Google Maps API challenge was shite.

[skyhawk133]

I don't see it as boring... coordinates, math, maps, routes, APIs, GIS data, mashups, all built on top of one of the most robust and powerful mapping systems in the world?! Your mind is really your only limit. If you've seen some of the things that have been created using just google maps, I'm not sure why you'd ever say such a challenge is boring. Your only limited by your imagination, and honestly, the bang for your buck with something like Google Maps is incredible. Most of the work hard work is already done for you, you can focus on creating compelling and functional applications that display data in new and interesting ways.

Nobody even really sratched the surface and there are SOOO many great tutorials, examples, and other mashups to get you started. The amount of GIS data out there is almost infinite.

Yup, sounds pretty boring to me. I'm more disappointed in peoples lack of creativity and drive to push these technologies beyond "hello world". The point of the challenges was to challenge yourself. If it's "boring", you're not challenging yourself. Nobody here has mastered any of the languages in any of these challenges, everyone should be able to push themselves beyond their comfort zone. The only constraint is "time". Everything else is excuses.

[Raynes]

I'm perfectly fine with my excuses, and I honestly don't care what anyone thinks of me for not participating in some of the challenges. Didn't you once tell me that people were complaining backstage because of how stuck up I am for not doing the challenges?

I'm sorry I find maps boring, I really am. I guess I'm totally creativity impaired, or just not as smart as you to see how amazingly awesome it is. You are right though, I certainly didn't 'push' myself anywhere with Google Maps, because I could find no motivation to do so. I have no interest in routing from here to Ohio or fetching the latitude and longitude of the local Burger King.

[BenignDesign]

[Raynes]

BenignDesign, on 27 March 2010 - 02:18 AM, said:

"The stupid! It burns!" is funnier.

EDIT: I think it's also relevant to point out that I'm not saying every challenge was boring. Quite the contrary, I thought most of them were great ideas. Including the Android challenge that Chris tried to shame me into doing.

Some of the challenges I didn't do, but still intend to do when I'm bored. I'm still thinking of a good way to polyglot with Clojure and Java to make something fun for the Java challenge, or maybe the Java challenge AND the Android challenge, but that's of a lesser priority. The Ruby challenge, I would have done, had I not just finished a couple of small projects with Ruby and was generally bored of it for a while. I did play around with the Python challenge with a tiny, insignificant submission, but I had already decided that I wasn't very interested in Python, at least until py3k was better supported, long before 52WoC.

And Google Maps was obviously fun for a couple of people, but I fail to see the awesomeness of it. I don't think I would have done two mobile challenges that were inherently Java-based in a row like that either. If I wanted to do a mobile theme, I probably would have went with Windows Mobile or something similar after Android.

Just because I would do things a little differently, doesn't mean 'ur doin' it rong'. I've enjoyed 52WoC insofar, and I can't wait to see what we've got in store for future challenges. Don't take my criticisms to heart, because they aren't really important. Just because I don't like something doesn't mean everybody else should.

This post has been edited by Raynes: 27 March 2010 - 01:07 PM

[xTorvos]

Even if it looks like the 52WoC is dying out, that's no reason to stop or start complaining. I'm a full-time student in college and I also work 30 hours/week. I don't really have a bunch of time to do extra projects on top of my current coding schedule and books that I'm reading every night.

I can tell you that during the summer, I can get bored as hell. If I'm not taking a summer class, working 40 hours/week is cake and I have tons of free time. Last summer I began working the Euler Project in languages that I hadn't used before and that was a pretty sweet way to learn them, but the 52WoC is much more useful in the real world.

Summation:
I don't have time right now because of work and school. I will do some of these over the summer break.

[Raynes]

Methinks that the complaining in this thread will result in more activity in coming weeks.

[supersloth]

Raynes, on 27 March 2010 - 04:30 PM, said:

Methinks we have a lot more influence on how things are than we actually do.

fix't

[Raynes]

supersloth, on 27 March 2010 - 09:41 PM, said:

Raynes, on 27 March 2010 - 04:30 PM, said:

Methinks we have a lot more influence on how things are than we actually do.

fix't

I'd like to think that the community has at least a little influence on how things are done.

[WolfCoder]

I personally don't really feel like doing any of the 52WOCs, if I'm going to challenge myself to learn new things I usually do it by satisfying random things on a whim. I don't know why, but it's not like it matters.

[slickhare]

I, for one, was drawn to this site by the 52WOC. I like the sense of communal learning it promotes. I really wish I could participate but I've been programming for less than a year and I'm still trying to work up a knowledge base, it's a little over my head. Down the road, if things like this are still offered I'll be on it like white on rice, hell, if when I get good enough I'll help out.

I say it's a great idea.

This post has been edited by slickhare: 28 March 2010 - 01:34 AM

[WolfCoder]

Hey, as long as people respond to this event at all and it doesn't hurt to host it, popularity isn't an issue here.