I am so done with Codechef

Your last point have triggered a lot of people here, I guess. Anyways, I feel the reason why the server is laggy because CodeChef don’t have any premium subscription system to make profit like LeetCode. Further talking about test cases, I do agree that they are confusing sometimes. For example, in yesterday’s contest in INCREASING DECREASING they have given two different answers in two test cases which are similar which made my friend confused while I was able to solve it because I read the statement properly.

4 Likes

Then your internet might be laggy .
The ranks are real time . If you are checking it on contest page wait for the timer (atmost 120 sec.) on top right of problem list to complete and it will auto refresh the page with updated rankings.

7 Likes

I am pretty sure my internet wasn’t laggy. I manually reloaded many times. It was only after 4-5 minutes that it updated the ranks of the users.

1 Like

You cannot say anything in the name of constructive criticism

  1. I think after march lunchtime server has not lagged in any rated contest. Now they use cloud based servers in rated contests
  2. The first question is doable. If someone can’t do division 1 first question maybe he does not deserve divsion 1.
  3. 5-10 minutes. Maybe you should fix your wifi it just takes 2 minutes
  4. This is done sometimes to make contestents think about edge cases on their own
  5. I think making numerous threads about how long challenge inflates rating has done nothing except more people realizing that they can also inflate their rating
16 Likes

That is because codechef has done nothing to counter that.

12 Likes

Hi Friend,
1.I can understand that server gets laggy but not everytime. Last Time the server got laggy in March Lunchtime which got Unrated

2.I haven’t reached Div1 but anyways if the problems are harder for you(in div1) then its obvious that you need to do some little bit of more hardwork(obviously) and it’s signifying that you are lagging in a particular concept or implementation and this is the only way you will improve(in my opinion).

3.At the beginning i also had this tendency to see ranklist but after seeing it my contest always become worse because:

a)if you are on the top of the ranklist of your college then you will be super excited(due to rating increase) and you will naturally might not try to solve the next problem right?It happens naturally.

b)If others are ahead of you then you will get demotivated in between the contest and the rest of the contest will be spoiled right?I would suggest just concentrate on solving problems during contest(well i am no one to advice as i am beginner but this is only my opinion).

4)If the sample test cases will be strong(contain corner cases) then what is the point of solving that problem?

5)I agree with your last point.In my opinion Long challenges should be made unrated and ratings should only be on the basis of short contest Just like Codeforces.

PS-This is just my perspective.
Happy Coding Friend :slightly_smiling_face:

11 Likes

bro your reply is up to the point nice

1 Like

Thanks @hackraj :slightly_smiling_face:

Corner cases aren’t fun and isn’t point of problems ig. CC’s test cases are so naive sometimes(rarely) that they pass even if i misinterpret the question :- (

5 Likes

"CC’s test cases are so naive sometimes that they pass even if i misinterpret the question :- ("

i think this is because of weak test cases right?

you are noob coder,so no one cares. :smirk:

its not his original account if you are judging from profile (which you are).

I have a idea , instead of having 2 divisions , we can have 3 divisions , will this be encouraging for begginners ,
Dont loose hope in any situation !

@admin

Very nice idea

Lol, I found this in my chrome feed. Looking really weird :joy::joy:

20 Likes

Lol…me too! :joy:

You are also not so good coder, so no one cares for your comment.
:thinking: :thinking:

I agree with your last point, rest have not been an issue for me.
I believe time given for long challenges can be decreased. 10 days is a really long time for 5-8 questions. I understand that idea behind long challenge is to give time to beginners to learn the concept and apply but sadly, this is not happening anymore. People have gone to such an extent that they are buying solutions.

1 Like

To begin, I don’t think there’s an issue with the goldmine problem, and the general consensus is that the editorial’s proof could be better, but the problem itself is valid. The rating’s been resolved by now, right?

On your points:

  1. Fair enough. Sometimes I feel like the queue’s ignored me especially because I’ve had 10 minute wait times while other people received their results almost instantly. But we’ve seen the same issues with Codeforces, and they’ve pulled through (there was a minor queue in the most recent div. 3, but it was barely noticeable except for in the beginning). There’s new leadership for CodeChef now, and maybe they’ll become better over time.
  2. Seeing “Div. 1” and “beginner” in the same sentence is kinda confusing, but I see the point you’re making. There’s a certain mentality of insecurity that often comes with entering Div. 1, and the best way to get over it is to just immerse yourself and keep doing contests. The Div. 1 bound would probably be more appropriate at the 5-star level. But at the same time, how much do you really gain when you’re Div. 1 level from solving the two easiest problems in Div. 2? In the higher division, you get to challenge yourself more and spend time on the tough problems that would really lead to your improvement.
  3. Personally, checking the ranklist instead of focusing on the problems seems like a bad habit (one that I also have), but you have a good point here that it could just be updated more frequently (or, even better, on the page load).
  4. This is a matter of preference. I think it’s good that the samples are weak because it forces you to develop the skills to debug for yourself and think of the corner cases. It’s the same argument as CodeChef’s argument for never giving out their test data.
  5. Good enough pun, but it doesn’t have to do with the actual long challenges :frowning:
    On a more serious note, yes, cheating is definitely an issue. But does it really matter in the end? It’s just rating, and cheaters won’t be able to display the skills implied by their rating in any useful context.

In addition, something that should be said: the comments here that simply dismiss the criticism with the idea that you’re just salty and ranting about things are terrible. Guys, @s1mplegg is bringing up genuinely good points, and this isn’t how our community should handle criticism of the platform.

Your decision to leave CodeChef is your own, and yes, there are definitely issues with the platform. But in my opinion, the platform and the flawed rating system shouldn’t interfere with the (sometimes) nice problem quality we see here. You always have the option to stay, enjoy problem-solving, and just take it easy :slight_smile:

23 Likes

@galencolin Thanks for the reply.

  1. I also noticed a visible delay in yesterdays Div3 contest, but it wasn’t too much. And I really hope the new leadership makes changes in Codechef for the better.

  2. You make a valid point here. One has to get some exposure to higher competition to become better. The only point I was trying to make here was that I felt the learning curve from Div2 to Div1 was rather too steep. I felt real uneasy when I first attempted a Div1 contest. Now after spending time in Div1 (and having even reached 5star which is a big thing for me), I can say that I did learn a lot from Div1 problems.
    What my main suggestion in this point was that they should set the rating requirement for Div1 a bit higher (let’s say 1900 or 2000). It is very easy to reach Div1 quickly as of now but it shouldn’t be. I mean it should be atleast at par with the level of a Div1 coder on let’s say Codeforces (as of now, I don’t think they are comparable).

4 Likes