Recovered from the Wayback Machine.
I’ve had a chance to look at the source and the data files for the Google Programming contest. In the last several years, I’ve spent so much of my time tweaking sites for business use — better use of the database, better security, better architectural design, better use of Internet technologies, or using other new technologies.
With the contest I’m faced with the type of challenge I haven’t had in a while — pure algorithmic programming. This is a great reason to give the contest a shot, if for no other. Developers should stop and work on pure programming challenges from time to time, to keep these down to the metal programming skills at peak.
Sure, the whole thing is a cheap way for Google to get programming expertise and buzz, but participants also get something in return — an interesting problem, and a chance to exercise the little gray cells, to quote a mystery figure.
Besides, who else is going to work the buzz better than the greatest buzz meister of all — Google?