Thought people here might be interested in this.

Quote: The ESPN arcade is looking to TopCoder members to come up with new ideas for games. All you need is an idea, a simple image representing the idea, and a brief write up. If ESPN decides to build your game you will get $250 and millions of people will see your game. ESPN will pay for EVERY idea they like, so it’s not too late to jump in! The deadline is Monday March 23rd at 4pm EDT. You can submit as many ideas has you like.

If I had any art skills I'd be giving this a go, but I don't. I'm sure many people here could have some great ideas. All I ask is if you end up registering on TC, and you get asked if a member referred you... say it was me (d000hg) [wink]

What's about the ideas which they "don't like" (as in don't pay for) but see and could use anyway? (Watch the agreements that you click through when registering!)

TopCoder is no good company IMO. If you win something, they're trying to make you notarize EULA-style bullshit (the classical kind - when some half-assed lawyer lets his imagination run wild producing several pages of ideas how you could sue TopCoder, and lists those as what you promise not to do). They're making winners of most coding contests (and I don't mean coding contests that are actually work for hire in disguise, but "just contests"*) sign some crap that lets topcoder patent any stuff found in implementation.

Just what we need - more software patents :/

*I mean those 2 weeks long marathon matches with very modest, I'd say, purely symbolic prises (like 2500$ for 2-week long contest. That works out to 20$ per hour or less, considering just how much you must work to win)

[Edited by - Dmytry on March 20, 2009 5:41:26 PM]

Two Words: Hockey Simulator. Now, please direct me to my $cash.

Quote: Original post by Programmer One
Two Words: Hockey Simulator. Now, please direct me to my $cash.

I see your Hockey Simulator and I raise you

HOCKEY MMO!

Quote: Original post by grekster

Quote: Original post by Programmer One
Two Words: Hockey Simulator. Now, please direct me to my $cash.

I see your Hockey Simulator and I raise you

HOCKEY MMO!

I see your Hockey Simulator and your Hockey MMO and raise you

PIRATE DAWN!

When is there going to be a zombie MMO? Like Urban dead but with graphics?

Just thinking about it makes me hot all over.

Quote: Original post by Dmytry
What's about the ideas which they "don't like" (as in don't pay for) but see and could use anyway? (Watch the agreements that you click through when registering!)

TopCoder is no good company IMO. If you win something, they're trying to make you notarize EULA-style bullshit (the classical kind - when some half-assed lawyer lets his imagination run wild producing several pages of ideas how you could sue TopCoder, and lists those as what you promise not to do). They're making winners of most coding contests (and I don't mean coding contests that are actually work for hire in disguise, but "just contests") sign some crap that lets topcoder patent any stuff found in implementation.

Just what we need - more software patents :/

TC own any code or UML that they pay for. That's basically it... you are giving up all rights to what you create. If you don't win and get paid, it is still 100% yours in nearly all cases... places where this isn't true do mention that fact. I don't mind what I create being bought from me, since that's clear from the beginning.


For most people, TC is just a way to compete against other programmers, or to make some money on the side alongside a regular job... I made about $30k over a couple of years, doing bits and pieces in my spare time.

Quote: Original post by d000hg
TC own any code or UML that they pay for. That's basically it... you are giving up all rights to what you create. If you don't win and get paid, it is still 100% yours in nearly all cases... places where this isn't true do mention that fact. I don't mind what I create being bought from me, since that's clear from the beginning.

Its understandable for work-for-hire style "contests", but not for, as example, AMD-sponsored multicore programming contest. They did not tell me in advance that if I win I would need to agree upon some extra conditions to claim money, nor did provide those conditions.

Additionally, affidavit did put on a lot of requirements, such as IIRC that I must contact topcoder if I'm hired by third party based on results of contest, or something to that sense, permitting topcoder to use my name and personal details for any purpose, waiving my rights to sue them about illusory effects arising from use of my name, etc etc. 3 pages of BS of that sort.

Affidavit even contained question about my enthnicity, god knows why, but I'm pretty sure that is an illegal question for employer to ask.
I asked why its here, they told me that it provides valuable data for their sponsors, or something to that sense. No comment really. Any combination of programming performance data with race, I couldn't think of any practical use for that which I wouldn't strongly object to.

Quote:
For most people, TC is just a way to compete against other programmers, or to make some money on the side alongside a regular job... I made about $30k over a couple of years, doing bits and pieces in my spare time.

I'd really recommend anyone dealing with topcoder to watch out and read *all* the things that you agree on when you register. Save them *all* verbatim to disk for record. Contracts are serious business, notarized affidavits doubly so.

[Edited by - Dmytry on March 20, 2009 8:46:29 AM]

Quote: Original post by grekster
I see your Hockey Simulator and I raise you

HOCKEY MMO!

Thats a string bet. Just say "raise" and not the "I see..." stuff.
:)

Registered to TC and put d000hg as the referrer!