Wind_Eagle's blog

Some information about testing Codeforces rounds
By Wind_Eagle, history, 4 years ago, translation, In English

Hello Codeforces! Recently I've become an author of a Codeforces Round #672 (Div. 2) (it will take place soon). Immedaitely after placing my contest in a timetable, I have been attacked by the messages of a following content:

"Hello, can I be a tester of your codeforces round? I want to gain experience in testing CF rounds" etc.

I want to tell you something. If you didn't know, the process of making and testing the round looks like this:

1) Author makes codeforces round. Of course, he/she also needs to test his/her round carefully.

2) When this work is done, round coordinator invites some people to test your round. Both author and coordinator can choose testers at this stage.

3) When testers looked through the round and did their work, round can be placed into the timetable. After this no testers required.

So, now, I hope, now you know that when contest is already done and scheduled, it makes no sense to write such messages to authors. By the way, this messages are not annoying. I just want you to not to waste your time.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +73 Vote: I do not like it

Tbh testing an already prepared round makes a lot of sense. A tester can give difficulty feedback (needed to choose the scoring) and sometimes notice that this is a well-known problem and should be replaced if possible.

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

    By already prepared round he means already tested and scheduled round. We don't schedule rounds before testing usually.

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      4 years ago, # ^ |
      ← Rev. 2   Vote: I like it +55 Vote: I do not like it

      And I mean that an already prepared and tested round can still benefit from a new tester. But yeah, it's diminishing returns — with so many testers there is almost no point in having another.

      But the blog seems to focus more on the fact that something is done and sealed, not on the fact that there were many testers already.

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

Might be that they want to part of testing in your future rounds :)

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

Lol, my round had been tested around two days before the beginning. Turns out that your third point is wrong :)

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it -16 Vote: I do not like it

Then just clarify about the process of becoming tester... New comers aren't welcomed then?? If yes then how should on approach the authors.

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    4 years ago, # ^ |
      Vote: I like it +28 Vote: I do not like it

    I don't know a lot about testing process, but I think that inexperienced people(rating<1400? idk) wouldn't contribute much to it. They will solve 2-3 problems at max, can't create wrong\slow solutions to strengthen tests, and there is a chance that they might just leak the problems.

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4 years ago, # |
  Vote: I like it +50 Vote: I do not like it

That's not true. I remember several times when I saw the round in timetable, understood that I won't be able to participate in it in scheduled time, reached to author and tested the round.

But I still don't see a reason to write a PM. I wouldn't trust a random person with problems from future competition. Authors and coordinator reach out to people they trust, whom they most probably know outside of the internet.

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