Hack the planet: the Development Front is recruiting
BECOMING A MEMBER OF THE DEVELOPMENT FRONT
2010-05-27 Revision 2
Introduction
The ZuneBoards Development Front (ZBDF) is recruiting skilled developers to build the next generation of applications for the Zune.
Requirements
ZBDF's chief focus is on development through OpenZDK. This means we need developers competent in C++ and, ideally, with experience in 3D programming with OpenGL. We require that candidates have the ability to dedicate several hours per week for development and more when the need arises. While this is not intended to be onerous work, we do need to operate with some level of professionalism, which means deadlines and commitment.
Please ensure that you have successfully installed an OpenZDK development system and that you are able to debug native C++ applications on your Zune prior to applying.
Membership on the Development Front has its advantages. Zune development is a largely untapped realm, and joining forces with the Front gives you the chance to create new games and old classics on an innovative system without the restrictions of other comparable platforms.
Former members of the Development Front are welcome to reapply.
Entering a candidacy
Applications will not be taken via this thread.
In order to ensure we only accept qualified programmers we ask you to prepare a short statement of your abilities and experience. We understand you may not want to include the level of detail included in a traditional résumé; however, we ask that you include any information that would be supportive of your candidacy. For example, you might list any relevant degrees you hold and include links to portfolio items of interest (such as games). If we like what we see we may want to talk with you shortly. This could take place on a variety of platforms including AIM, MSN, IRC, XMPP/Jabber (Google Talk), or Skype, so please include a screen name for your protocol of choice.
Please see the list of qualification problems and craft solutions to at least 4 items there. It is preferred that your solutions be implemented in C or C++; however, other languages will be considered as long as they are not excessively obscure. Include your solutions with your statement of abilities and experience. Please keep your solutions private – the purpose of these problems is to deter totally unqualified candidates; sharing your solutions does nothing besides make our lives more painful.
Once you have everything prepared, please send a private message on ZuneBoards to the members of the Development Front. You may do this by entering "itsnotabigtruck; Red Sky; Nurta; Netrix" in the To: field. Please direct questions through the same manner or contact one of us through #zbdf on freenode.
Last edited by itsnotabigtruck; 05-27-2010 at 07:21 PM.
I think that it's really awesome that you guys are recruiting more people. I think with summer break here (or almost here depending on where you live), there will be a lot more people willing to become a part of the Front. I'm no candidate (as I have no skills in coding), but I whole-heartedly wish you the best of success. Also, I liked how you showed no emotion of any sort when you said "as that will simply make our lives more painful."
Anyway, good luck to all current and future members of the ZuneBoards Development Front.
Taking a look at your challenges... I feel like I could do four of them pretty easily, but I'd hardly say I'm qualified (I only have 3 weeks C++ experience, building upon a year of Pascal and ~a year of C#, no 3D graphics whatsoever). I wonder if you might consider making them more difficult?
Taking a look at your challenges... I feel like I could do four of them pretty easily, but I'd hardly say I'm qualified (I only have 3 weeks C++ experience, building upon a year of Pascal and ~a year of C#, no 3D graphics whatsoever). I wonder if you might consider making them more difficult?
As we say somewhere, those 'challenges' are only to get rid of complete n00bs. And you can tell a lot about a coder by reading his code.
The trick with these challenges is that you can't use the standard libraries the do these functions for you, making them slightly more challenging. They aren't meant to be impossible, but just filters to prevent very novice programmers from joining.
The trick with these challenges is that you can't use the standard libraries the do these functions for you, making them slightly more challenging. They aren't meant to be impossible, but just filters to prevent very novice programmers from joining.
I feel like these programs should do more than just weed out the very novice programmers. Because I know that I personally can do 4 out of the 5 with very little trouble and in fact I actually had to write several programs that did pretty much what you guys are asking for in my introductory programming class which was in C. If your really looking for experienced programmers you really need to have a couple more that are a little bit more challenging. Maybe doing something along the lines of some of the problems from here Programming Contest Problems Archive. If your goal is to just weed out the novice programmers then I think you've done a decent job at that and so I do hope that you guys manage to find some experience programmers who will be able to work at the pace that the team leader sets.
I would love to contribute but I have no experience with C++ but hey if you guys do need any help at all I'd be more then happy to help. Keep up the good work
Do you need by chance a 3D modeler for 3D apps? I was an X-3D Indie Game artist.
I think the Resource Team would love to have you. Send HAVOKK a PM. The resource team doesn't code, but it's on call from the Dev Front for resources such as graphics, story, and sound.
I'm writing my code right now, though the problems seem kind of vague. I suppose that's part of the challenge. I'll probably be writing my code in C++, and Java, just in case I screw up on the C++ part, I'm kind of new to it.
I just wanted to say that those qualification problems are the exact ones I did when I competed in my local ACTE competition. o.O Though it isn't all of them.
I just wanted to say that those qualification problems are the exact ones I did when I competed in my local ACTE competition. o.O Though it isn't all of them.
Then that's a coincidence, a couple of them are common problems, but the rest we made up ourselves.
Baha, I have absolutely zero programming skills whatsoever. I would like to help, but I'm not really sure how.
While a place on the Development Front may not be for you, if you have any kind of artistic skills, especially those related to graphics, textures (part of graphics, really), sound creation, music loops, or anything game related, you could be useful in the future.
Hack the planet: the Development Front is recruiting
Keep up the good work 
