> From: Eugene van der Pijll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Date: Sun, 5 May 2002 22:15:16 +0200
> To: Tor Hildrum <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Cc: Eugene van der Pijll <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, PerlGolf
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Request for a new category. Thoughts?
>
> En op 05 mei 2002 sprak Tor Hildrum:
>> foreach (@names) {
>> print;
>> last if $_ =~/Dr /;
>> }
>> (untested as well) :)
>
> You do know that for and foreach are exact synonyms?
I do now :)
>> I am enjoying myself even though I'm not currently submitting my solutions.
>> But, a 'newbies' category or similar would be welcomed Something like 200
>> strokes+ category. If you where able to get under a certain limit(set by the
>> referees) during a hole, you would be encouraged to compete in the beginners
>> category. Something along those lines.
>
> Unfortunately, that's not Perl Golf, but Perl Jeu des Boules. How close
> to a preset limit can you come?
That was not my point. My point was that there could be a category for
people that are say 100 strokes or more behind the best from the beginners
list. If they are able to get within 100 strokes of the best of the
beginners list, then fine. But, then they should consider joining the
beginners category the next hole. If they are within 50-100 strokes on their
first solution, they have nothing to do in the 'new' category.
Any of you could of course just join this list, and easily cruise into a
victory. But, that is not the point. We have to trust that people know their
own skills, and doesn't take advantage of the system.
I personally think the top scores of the beginners list currently defy it's
existence. It would be nice with a category for people who currently are
incapable of solving the holes in under 200 strokes. The scope of that
category shouldn't be 'any solution above 200 strokes', but 'newbies who
have just started with Perl and/or programming, that aren't capable of
achieving such scores as you see on the beginners list'.
> If you want, you can already see the standings of only the 200+
> solutions. BigrTex is leading at the moment. But he shouldn't shorten
> his solution by another two chars, because Pepik would take over...
>
>>> If you want, I could take one of the longer solutions, and show how I
>>> would have shortened them step by step, showing some of the useful
>>> functions and golf tricks along the way. If you submit your solutions, I
>>> might use yours for that, if you wouldn't mind.
>>
>> Unfortunately I think this might bore 95% of the people currently subscribed
>> to this list.
>
> I don't think so. Even if it would be useful to 5% of the subscribers,
> the other 95% would be eager to point out my mistakes, and to show that
> they are better than me :-)
>
> As my colleague referee Sec says: "a category with mandatory 'you have
> to be bad to play here' is imho worse than playing woth pros and loosing
> because you're just not as good". But of course, our opinions on this
> matter are not nearly as important as those of the newbies themselves.
I strongly disagree. I admit that I am in now way even close to most of the
people in the beginners category. I would like to compete with _my_ peers,
with people on the same level as myself. If you or anyone on your level
joined that category, you would easily win. While you would get competition
on your own level in another category. This is how it works in the
real-life. Your from Netherlands right? How fun would it be for Ajax to play
in an amateur division? Or for an Amateur team to play in a Premier
division, loosing by 10-15 goals in each match? You ultimately play Perl
Golf because it is fun. But, being incapable of getting a decent position on
a scoreboard takes away some of the fun. It also makes our contributions
less fun. "Gee only 150 strokes to shave of, and I'm in the Top 20 list" vs
"ah, only 25 more strokes to shave of and I'm number 1!". In the first
example I probably wouldn't be able to shave of 25 strokes, while in the
latter example I might get the little boost needed to shave of those 25
strokes.
Currently, Perl Golf is only a _competition_ for the elite.
I miss out on the competitive aspect, on the feeling when shaving of a
stroke actually makes a difference (Haven't experienced it yet) etc.
How do you feel when you are 15 strokes behind the leader?
Imagine how we feel when we are 150 strokes behind. :)
Give us a category, so we can compete amongst ourselves :)
There might be more than me who also would start submitting solutions, if
they saw that their 230 strokes solutions would put them in 5th place etc.
Is there anyone with 200 strokes+ on this list? Or am I the only one?
Tor
