ironcoder

Ironcoder v0 was a great success. Many cool submissions were entered. Egos of geeks were raised and then crushed. Much fun was had by all involved.

However the zeroth Ironcoder contest was a very ad-hoc thing, very much created on the spur of the moment. This time we’re trying to make the contest seem just a little bit more professional. This blog is the first step towards that goal.

Ironcoder v0’s winner Lucas Eckiels along with Gus Mueller, Daniel Jalkut and Jonathan Wight each have editor privileges for this blog and will all (hopefully) be posting more information about Ironcoder \01.

Additionally anyone creating a submission for Ironcoder \01 can request a temporary “contributor” user account and can make postings to introduce themselves and provide commentary during the duration of the competition.

We are also investigating how to submit the entries to the judge. For Iconcoder v0 we used an FTP dropbox, we have since moved services providers and an FTP dropbox may not be possible. A simple HTTP upload form might be sufficient (if anyone wishes to create a simple PHP HTTP upload script or can point us toward a suitable Wordpress plug-in please let us know).

Less than two weeks until the Ironcoder \01 contest begins. Who will be judged supreme Mac OS X hacker?

Chairman Eckels has decided on the following dates & times for the phases of the contest.

• Friday, May 19, 6pm EST (23:00 UTC): API will be announced.
• Saturday, May 20, 6pm EST (23:00 UTC): Theme will be announced.
• Sunday, May 21, 6pm EST (23:00 UTC): Judging will begin.

Judging will be based on four criteria:

• Style
• Technical expertise
• Use of API and theme
• Cool factor

Some rules:

• The programs must run in their own address space- so that rules out input managers and haxies. The program must also run without authentication.
• Source code has to be included, and you’ve got to be ok with it being public.
• New projects only! The idea is to try and cram all development into a 24hr period.
• If it’s some sort of movie, or something that you have to sit through, it can’t be longer than 1:27 seconds.
• Files must be under 5mb compressed (for uploading).
• A quick little blurb on how to run your program, what it does, and how it ties into the theme is probably a good idea.
• The app has to be totally self contained. We don’t want files littered all over the judge’s system.
• The judge has to be able to compile the code.
• Instant disqualification if judge is too scared to run the code.
• You must be willing to be the next competition’s judge.
• Unless somebody wants to buy the judge a new Intel Mac, it better run on PPC. Bonus points to anyone who sends the judge hardware.

Some of you might be new to Iron Coder. What’s it all about?

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p> It’s a chance for Mac programmers to strut their stuff. Show off what you know, or more realistically, what you’re capable of knowing within 24 hours. Are you a quick learner? A badass programmer? Really? Prove it.

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p> Iron Coder gives ambitious Mac programmers a chance to take an API and a theme, and run with it. Within 24 hours of learning these pieces of the puzzle, who will come up with the most kick-ass demo? Nobody knows. It might be you.

What can you get good at… quickly? If you’re an expert Mac OS X developer, you might have an easy time, or you might not. The API could be something you’re intimitely aware with, or may present a steep learning curve. And if you’re completely new to the platform? It’s worth paying attention, maybe your experience from other lands will prove helpful here.

Iron Coder is about being resourceful with what’s given to us. Just like the “Iron Chef” television show from which this contest takes its name, the idea is to make the most out of what you have. If you’ve got an inspired vision and a weekend to burn, perhaps you’ll be the next Iron Coder. If not, kick back and watch the rubber burn… we’ll be cooking!

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Check. Check. Is this thing on?

Ahem.

Ok, looks like we’ve got everything up and running, just in time for Iron Coder v1. It’s set for May 19 and Lucas Eckels is the esteemed judge for this round since he was the winner for Iron Coder v0. (All hail wolf!)

So what are the rules? Same as last time- head on over to Lucas’s blog and read all about it.