Re^10: Perl Golf Ethics

[petdance]

Luckily, this disadvantage is unlikely to have affected your final position at all since none of the players in your section of the leaderboard used the magic formula.

It's not an issue of where I ended up. I'm sorry you spent the time investigating the what-ifs.

Do you think it fair, or a "level playing field", for an individual to compete against a team of two, who are able to pool the best of each other's ideas?

Clearly, yes.

[eyepopslikeamosquito]

Clearly, yes

It's not clear to me. ;-) Why do you think it fair? Clearly, if you took any two individuals from the 150-200 stroke range and put them together, they could not possibly do any worse and almost certainly could shave quite a few strokes (as you and Pete did) by combining their ideas.

Notice that TPR did not think it fair in TPR(0,6) (and others) where their rules stated:

There is also a special leaderboard for teams. There will be no prizes awarded to the best team, other than the admiration of your fellow golfers. If you are in a team, you can't also play individually.

Admittedly, it probably makes less difference at the sharp end of the leaderboard. For example, though I would be honoured to pair with Ton, I'm sure it would not improve our score one iota. :-)

Update: There is some luck involved on who you pair with. For example, pairing with pijll wouldn't have helped much because we both found the formula and both missed the symbolic reference trick. However, pijll or me pairing with Jasper or ambrus would be in the running for third place because one found the formula, the other the symref trick.

[petdance]

It's not clear to me. ;-)

That's fine. I meant that it was clear from my actions that I thought it was OK.

[eyepopslikeamosquito]

Ok, thanks for the clarification.

Let me try to persuade you that it's unfair to allow pairing up, with a scenario featuring TedYoung (since this is his node). Ted has performed brilliantly and is delighted to have finally strengthened his grip on third place. He is well satisified as he sits back and surveys the leaderboard:

 3rd  107  TedYoung
 4th  111  jojo
 5th  114  szeryf
 6th  118  pijll
 7th  119  Sec
 8th  122  eyepopslikeamosquito
 9th  125  Jasper

Then, with one hour to go, Ted almost chokes on his celebratory beer when the leaderboard is refreshed:

 3rd  104  jojo/szeryf
 4th  105  pijll/Sec
 5th  106  eyepopslikeamosquito/Jasper
 6th  107  TedYoung

Instead of using his fist to grab his well-earned 3rd place prize money, he is now shaking it in fury at the six golfers who ganged up on him. :-)