early thread about coding snacks idea

[mouser]

can we have a monthly contest for who can come up with the most fun idea for a utility/game that takes no more than 2-5 hours to write?
people can submit ideas whenever they get one, and on the last day of each month, a winner idea will be chosen that can be programmed in two hours or less.   totally useless insane ideas are acceptable.  maybe we can get more programmer's to join in and then we could have more than 1 winner each month..  what do you think?  i'll try to bring in a couple more programmers if we get some fun ideas.

ok first contest is for end of this month.. so you guys have 10 days to think of a useless ridiculous app or game that can be written in 2-5 hours. the less time the better..  winner gets to name the program and put their icon/picture name in the about box or something. and winning programs will be uploaded for everyone to try out.  person who suggested the idea can write up a little description and web page for the program.

do we need a name for this game... The Five Hour Fiasco?

[mouser]

what might be most fun would be simple little single-player games that dont involve much in the way of graphics

[mouser]

i suppose it would be helpful if ideas were vetted by a programmer regarding whether they meet the qualifications of the contest..
analysis of this idea:
this could be created in 2-5 hours, so it qualifies as a valid submission.

[Scott]

sorry

[mouser]

lol,
are you sorry because it qualifies? 

[Scott]

Nope; I completely misunderstood what you were saying (before you edited it!).   

[dnm]

Scott,

I saw your request for in the other thread for this tool, and I'm game to put something together for you. I was going to see how easy it would be to hack up something using your existing browser and AutoIt, a free Windows automation scripting language with syntax similar to VB, but I think a better way would to be to write a self-contained utility for you.

I'm busy this weekend and early next week, but I'll see if I can't get something to you ASAP, if only just to test it out.

[Scott]

That would be great.  I appreciate it very much.

[mouser]

I love it!!!!

dnm, if you'd like webspace to host the utility and a little forum section, i'd be happy to make it available for you.

wouldn't it be great if we could get a bunch of authors to play this 2-5 hour coding game?

[chr15]

Scott,

I just created a little 59 line C app to do this

Where would you like the App or source to be sent.

Mouser: if this is the first project then I have a working solution for the competion.

Chr15

[Scott]

Thanks!  Please send it to my forum email address, [email protected] .

[mouser]

i think we will have more coders joining us for this game, so people start thinking of ideas!

[mouser]

i'd like to hear some useless 5 hour screensaver ideas too..

[Scott]

I think we need some rules laid down for this.  Such as whether or not it's appropriate to take up an idea if someone else already has.

[mouser]

good point... assuming i understand your point..

since these jobs should only take a few hourse it's not so much of a worry that more than one programmer might be working on it,
but i think the best policy would be that members should post ideas for silly little programs and any programmer who plans to work on it should say so, should make a post to that effect when they start working on it, so that other programmers can skip it unless they want to try as well.

so if you are a programmer, you must make a post before you start working on it, and after you finish, so that you save another programmer from working unnesc. on something they wouldn't have started if they knew someone else was working on.

my intention was that we have these things at the end of the month, but i dont see any harm in letting people suggest and code whenever they want.  i am making a page to host the programs, and associated source code if appropriate.

try to be creative people!! let's get some funny silly stuff coded.
prizes will be awarded for creativty, originality, humour, etc.
and hey, if you can think up a non-useless app that can be coded in 5 hours, go for it.