Facebook has announced its first Hacker Cup. The 2011 Facebook Hacker Cup is the first annual Facebook programming contest where hackers compete against each other for fame, fortune, glory and a shot at the coveted Hacker Cup.
The Hacker Cup is very similar to Google’s popular Google Code Jam
. The Hacker Cup is Facebook’s international coding competition. The contest consists of three online rounds and a final round that will take place at Facebook’s headquarters. This is your chance to compete against the worlds best programmers and potentially win the title of world champion and other awesome prizes.
Registration opens on December 20 via the Hacker Cup Facebook Page and the 72-hour qualification round will start on January 7, 2011. All registered competitors will be presented with three problems. Each problem will consist of one input file. Competitors can log in to the competition website and attempt to solve the 3 problems anytime during the 72-hour period of the Qualification Round. Only competitors who correctly solve at least 1 problem will advance to Online Round 1.
The 25 competitors who score the highest in the second online round will advance to the finals, which will take place at Facebook’s campus in Palo Alto. Facebook will fly the 25 participants in and pay for their expenses. At the in-person final round, a winner will be crowned and not only given the title of “world champion,” but also $5,000 in cash.
What prizes can be won?
The top 25 scoring contestants from Online Round 2 will be flown out to Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, California, USA to compete in the Finals. The onsite finals will happen on Friday, March 11, 2011. Travel and accommodation will be covered by Facebook.
The finalists will be competing for:
1st place: $5,000
2nd place: $2,000
3rd place: $1,000
4th – 25th place: $100
The top 300 scoring contestants in Online Round 2 will get a Hacker Cup t-shirt. A cash prize of equivalent value may be given where required by law, or at Facebook’s discretion. Any duties and taxes (if applicable) are the sole responsibility of the recipients.
Where can I register?
You can register at the Hacker Cup Facebook Page once registration commences on December 20, 2010.
Who is eligible to compete?
You have to be at least 18 years old. Sorry, but current Facebook employees/interns, immediate family members of or living in the same household as a Facebook employee of affiliate or subsidiary cannot participate. Also – if you’re a resident of Quebec or anywhere where the contest is prohibited by law.
How to practice?
Try to solve the Engineering Puzzles .
Visit the Hacker Cup Facebook Page for more info.
Does this $5,000 really make sense to you considering all the billions and billions of dollars Facebook makes? If Big Brother Africa , Glo Naija Sings can be giving out more than this, why can’t Facebook also do so? Kindly share your view…
Cheers!
Jide Ogunsanya
www.facebook.com/jideogunsanya
www.twitter.com/ogbongeblog
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