MikeMirzayanov's blog

Time to Change: Your Feedback Is Important to Us
By MikeMirzayanov, history, 9 years ago, translation, In English

Hooray! Soon there will happen several updates on Codeforces affecting rating and colors. The second Revolution of Colors and Titles is coming!

You will soon find out a new rating with public formula, new color bounds and even something more...

New bounds will fix the rating inflation of last year, it will return exclusivity of high rating and titles. Don't worry if you end up with lower color; it's a new reason for you to move forward!

While discussing the ongoing change we faced an issue about how to apply new colors with two possible solutions.

First solution: forward without looking back.

When applying new bounds we will update colors everywhere according to a new schema. For example, somebody can possibly lose not only the read color, but he may also regain a new challenge "to become red" since he lost time when he was red before on his rating history. For the first time it doesn't seem as a good solution, but if you think deeper, there is nothing bad in it. Ratings will be whole without cases like "you were read before the revolution, that doesn't count!". In old ranklists there will be no mess within colors of modern contestants (from upsolving or virtual contests) and historical contestants. Irregular visitors of Codeforces won't be confused of the fact that somebody is red in the standings but shouldn't have been red before according to his rating.

We did like this before it worked not bad, if we have changed the color history back then, it would have added mess and confusing.

Second solution: keeping history.

When adding new bounds we will keep old ranklists, posts and comments "as is". This won't break comments like "Congratulations with a red color!" (not sure if they are that valuable) Such solution will keep your achievement "to become red" unlocked, i. e. this part of your biography remains still confirmed by your rating history.

We may even make a rating graph become cut on two parts with a vertical line at the moment of a revolution. The old colors will remain to the left of it, and the new colors will be placed to the right of it. Although this may lead to a confusing of newcomers unprofessionals and rare Codeforces visitors.

Overall

As you see, both solutions have their pros and cons. I don't even know what is better among this two possibilities. That's why I want you to vote for the better choice. If one of the solutions surely wins, we'll use it. Otherwise I'll do as I think it is best.

Please vote only after carefully reading both options. First two comments below correspond to the solutions. Negative voices won't be considered at all, positive will have weights 1-2-4-8-16-32 according to your color (grey-green-blue-purple-orange-red). The vote is secret, results will be available on October, 1st in the evening.

UPD: The voting is finished. We congratulate the first option with a confident victory: 6394 points vs 2320 points! The comments for voting have been removed not to affect comment votings statistics. You may expect changes in colors and ranks in the nearest future!

  • Vote: I like it
  • +460
  • Vote: I do not like it

Comments Comments (60)
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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

This is going to be so cool!! Thanks for all of the hard work put into this project!

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -10 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everywhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +5 Vote: I do not like it

count[firstSolution]++;

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

Can't wait to see the new colors.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Where do we vote? In comments or inbox? Sorry for being confused.

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    9 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    You should vote on the top two comments(downvote ignored).

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +27 Vote: I do not like it

1) October 1st in the evening? Isn't it too early?

2) I want to know how much will it change; Of course, however the ratings are calculated, they display the contestant's overall ability. If the formula is changed, there can be some 'inversions', right?

3) I'm confused about what the first solution means. Will the old contests be simulated again to calculate ratings based on new formulas, affecting all the previous rating and its changes?

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update colour scheme everywhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
← Rev. 4   Vote: I like it +15 Vote: I do not like it

We can cast our vote only by upvoting one of the two comments by Mike. Commenting here will not be counted as a vote. We can not see the total upvotes in either of the comments because they are hidden. I was confused so I thought I might as well tell others about it too. :)

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +23 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a second solution: the history should be treated respectefully, old colors should be kept. Leave the colors in old ranklists, blogs and comments "as is".

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9 years ago, # |
← Rev. 3   Vote: I like it +8 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

Though I would like to have the split rating graph from second solution

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everywhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +45 Vote: I do not like it

Without any doubts. For the second one.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

First solution is preferred. Neither is really bad.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +3 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +57 Vote: I do not like it

First solution all the way. (Allow people to) make snapshots of the current state of their account, then throw the current ratings away. Backwards compatibility will unnecessarily hold you back. It's better to focus on making the new version better.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +2 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a second solution: the history should be treated respectefully, old colors should be kept. Leave the colors in old ranklists, blogs and comments "as is".

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +13 Vote: I do not like it

One problem with old rankings is already virtual contestants — due to inflation their ratings do not corelate with actual contestants anyway, so I don't feel the mix of colour is a huge problem for Option 2.

If anything, I believe there shouldn't be a historical colouring of handles anywhere on the website — is there any good reason to keep the historical colours in the leaderboard or comments? If every colour in the ranklist and in the comments was always up-to-date we wouldn't have this problem right now. Only the graph on the profile page would've need to be updated and your idea with the vertical cut in colours seems rather nice to me.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everywhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed. New colours would be awesome ! Thanks for the hard work you put in this !

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +17 Vote: I do not like it

The more voted option can change after the colour change :D

OCTOBER 1st? As in, less than 24 hours for voting? Isn't that too soon?

I suppose the 1st option with colour bounds' discontinuity in rating graphs would be best.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Is it me or it is not clear that Mike wants the votes to be actual upvoting on the first two comments? That way it would be really easy to count instead of having to count the voting on all the comments.

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    9 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

    I think most of us are voting that way, but the current number of upvotes on both comments are hidden,i.e., you can't see any other person's vote except yours.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

When will the change be implemented?

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +19 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a second solution.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +16 Vote: I do not like it

When will the ratings get updated before 323 or after that?

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9 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

So, for the first scheme, there are only two cases? Either we move down or stay the same, in term of colour?

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everywhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

For me the first option is the best one as I really think is time to move forward. If you still really want to keep the old graph make it continuous somehow. (The color fields broaden or tighten constantly )

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for the FIRST solution. Second one will lead to a lot of confusion and will be complex overall . Moreover, a rating graph with two different sections having different colors will surely NOT look good !

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +18 Vote: I do not like it

I took Screenshot of my profile just to compare with the changed one :P

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +2 Vote: I do not like it

I vote for a first solution: to update color scheme everyhere. There is no need to multiple entities and make it more complex where it is not needed.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +4 Vote: I do not like it

What about their votes who will visit here after the evening of the October, 1st? However, sending invitation email to vote here could be useful in this case.

"votes will have weights according to your color", I think considering about contribution points is also important! e.g. should we care kursatbakis0's vote more than pretorium's?

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +111 Vote: I do not like it

Please stop upvoting Mike's comments, this is clearly "like begging" — he wants his contribution to rise, don't feed the troll.

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    9 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +10 Vote: I do not like it

    inb4 this gets downvoted because people take it seriously :D

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    9 years ago, # ^ |
    ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +58 Vote: I do not like it

    To keep his contribution even, I voted up one comment & voted down the other.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

As always ... Awesome :)

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

Huge difference in results

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

Song related: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1jYllE0T-k

"These things will change! (...) This Revolution!"

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    9 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +11 Vote: I do not like it

    Do you recommend that singer? I'm thinking if I should start listening to her songs.

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      9 years ago, # ^ |
        Vote: I like it +40 Vote: I do not like it

      Hah I wasn't expecting such question :P. I suspect that maybe this was just a bait, but I will go with it :P.

      In my opinion, in short, I like her voice, she sings really well, she is pretty, her lyrics are really good and she is really very kind and seems to be a really good person. Regarding to lyrics, there is often some backstory behind each song which makes them much more meaningful. Of course comparisons of lyrics to those of some others great artists/bands like Pink Floyd etc. may be not that profitable, but hey, she's just 25 years old girl and when comparing her to other "similar" artists her lyrics are much more meaningful, but as I mentioned, sometimes you need some additional context (and sometimes they are simply about some failed relationship)

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9 years ago, # |
← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it -22 Vote: I do not like it

I would love to see the site change a little more, more challenges on the way!! :)!!!

Btw have you ever considered to put a div 3? i mean for really new people it seems like a good idea, you can have like the first 3 problems from div 2 and 2 original problems, and that would make a new dimension so it will encourage competitive thinking :)!, people get better when they have competition, not when they get completely stomped and rank like 2000 out of 2300 it is better to rank 500 out of 1000 , people like to see that they are getting better, if they keep getting rekt , they will just quit, we always need more people to share our love for programming :D!!!

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +22 Vote: I do not like it

revolution has started i think

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +25 Vote: I do not like it

Now you are a member of the first democratic programming site!!

Congratulations all! :D

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it 0 Vote: I do not like it

what's going on !?!

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +128 Vote: I do not like it

I'm sorry, but I have anxiety problems. :D

Can you tell us an expected date to happen those changes?

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +1 Vote: I do not like it

Without any doubts.For the first one.

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9 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +23 Vote: I do not like it

That is hell lot of change!!!

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