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Please stop the coding challenges

(blackentropy.bearblog.dev)
261 points CrazyEmi | 3 comments | 15 Nov 24 15:32 UTC | HN request time: 0.63s | source
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hintymad ◴[15 Nov 24 19:56 UTC] No.42150280[source]▶
I think the analogy by Steve Yegge still holds: if you claim you're a juggler, you should be able to juggle in front of people at any time. So, yeah, coding challenges is a good filter, at least.

The problem is not coding challenge per se, but that people can now cram it on sites like leetcode. See, before we had leetcode, only two types of people could solve a large number of algorithmic problems organically: those who were naturally talented, and those who were so geeky that they devoured the works of Martin Gardner, Knuth, and the like. Excelling those challenges showed raw talent in old days.

And companies like the young Microsoft and young Google absolutely loved such talent, and such talent did shine in those young companies.

replies(1): >>42150527 #
1. mihaitodor ◴[15 Nov 24 20:23 UTC] No.42150527[source]▶
You know, some people do love devouring works from Knuth and such and still can't pass those tests. Yegge just assumed that such tests work for any type of individual who is willing to study hard, which is simply not true. The frustrating bit is that nobody told me when I embarked on this career path how much I'd have to struggle and put myself through the same traumatising experience over and over just so I can get a job.
replies(1): >>42150619 #
2. hintymad ◴[15 Nov 24 20:30 UTC] No.42150619[source]▶
No argument about it. I was just explaining from the perspective of the companies. Per another thread, the companies usually do not care about false negatives and they recognize that there will be false positives. In the meantime, they get so many resumes so they can afford having false negatives. Case in point, even IBM got tens of thousands of resumes every week in the 2000s.

Not that I can pass the interviews, by the way, and I definitely don't want to prepare for such coding challenges. I'm just trying to explain the phenomena as an observer.

replies(1): >>42150755 #
3. mihaitodor ◴[15 Nov 24 20:41 UTC] No.42150755[source]▶
Sure, and all I'm saying is that it's possible to have a software engineer career without putting yourself through such tests. Yes, it's harder to find decent jobs, but it pains me so much when I see people giving up after years of effort just because they're not aware they can get hired and practice what they enjoy doing without having to pass such tests.