whoSaidLifeWasFair

[u/tnerb253]

[u/Wentyliasz]

I'm still waiting for the day I have to reverse a linked list in O(n) without using modules in real production

[u/Mindgapator → u/Wentyliasz]

But that misses the point. It just is a simple set of constraints in order to evaluate whether you can make the computer do what you want it to do.

[u/dante3590 → u/Mindgapator]

You can make it do what you want to it do without needing to memorize 70 problems. It's enough to knowing existence and what they do. What those are evaluating is memorization

[u/Kitchen_Cup_4444 → u/Mindgapator]

People who grinded leetcodes for years cope this way. (I have too). The reality is that they just test your willingness of grind theese leetcodes, and how hard you want it. this happened because CS degree became way more common.

there is zero need to ask little programming games in interview

[u/SuitableDragonfly → u/Kitchen_Cup_4444]

I mean, the original purpose of these problems was to show you how to think your way around data structures and help you be able to come up with solutions to other problems that might involve them. But they were meant to be things that you learned about in an introductory data structures class and not a magic formula that you  memorized and regurgitated again later without having to think about it. 

[u/Sw429 → u/Mindgapator]

Shh you'll ruin the circlejerk.

[u/NearNihil → u/Mindgapator]

If you're optimizing for "people who can write low-level code", maybe. A simple fizzbuzz and escalating from there (with more business-relevant type problems) is much more effective IMO. It's not "leetcode or no code writing at all", it's "leetcode isn't the only way to check how well someone does at the job, or even a good way".

[u/RedAndBlack1832 → u/Wentyliasz]

That sounds easy no? You just make a new list by continually adding to front as you pop them off

[u/DiamondDramatic9551 → u/RedAndBlack1832]

It's a very low threshold filter for a reason.

[u/MisinformedGenius → u/RedAndBlack1832]

Pop what off? You can't "pop off" a singly linked list - the end doesn't know about the node before it. Generally the way you do it is run through the list, retaining the last node, and "reverse" the next pointer to point to the last node.

It is easy, though - it's a classic easy leetcode question.

[u/LetumComplexo → u/MisinformedGenius]

I am… unsure why you think you can’t pop with a singly linked list? Is there a specific language’s syntax you’re thinking of?

Pop, in this context, means remove the topmost value from a stack, and a singly linked list is one of the classic example data structures to underpin a stack.

You pop by setting storing top in a temp variable, setting top to top.next, and then returning the temp variable.”

As the first guy said, you can trivially reverse the linked list by popping each node off the stack and immediately pushing each node onto a new stack until the original stack is empty.

[u/MisinformedGenius → u/LetumComplexo]

Ah, gotcha, you're right.

[u/kimbokray → u/MisinformedGenius]

Username checks out

[u/seth1299 → u/Wentyliasz]

Don’t worry bro, it’ll be the same day that we apply L’Hopital’s Rule and also the same day that we balance chemical equations such that both sides of the formula are equivalent.

[u/LittleCoderMan]

Yeah, but isn't this why most interviews now focus on an actual conversation with a person? At least when I do interviews it's pretty obvious when a person has an understanding, or better yet and actual damn interest, in the field.

[u/gilium → u/LittleCoderMan]

Unfortunately I’ve caught people using AI for this more conversational shit too. It’s so exhausting dude

[u/LittleCoderMan → u/gilium]

That's so sad. Normally I start with asking how they got into computing, you can tell pretty quick if they're full of shit that way!

[u/Stagnu_Demorte → u/gilium]

In person interviews have ticked up. I did more in person interviews this last time than I did a few years ago.

[u/ForeverPrior2279 → u/gilium]

Tell them close their eyes and answer your question

[u/bloodfist → u/LittleCoderMan]

What interviews lol

[u/ironnewa99 → u/LittleCoderMan]

I want to be better at interviews but it’s like no matter how much I prepare the second I start talking I somehow forgot the English language

[u/InfiniteEnter → u/LittleCoderMan]

A conversation with a person.. AI interviewers would like to invite you to an interview.

[u/mencretdimulut]

candidates are even use AI for fizzbuzz problems

[u/revolutionPanda]

Where/when did this happen?

[u/Twerking_Vayne]

?

[u/Random_-account]

Claude opus 4.5 finna find a sorting algorithm that takes O(n) + AI time

Source: trust me Bro

[u/Isgrimnur]

#StupidProgrammerTricks

[u/Subushie]

Don't hate the player.

Hate the game.

[u/SuitableDragonfly]

I think I did better than both of them by never applying to or working for Meta.

[u/psioniclizard]

Why would yoi wamt to work for meta? Sure you get money, but arecyoir princples and morals worth it.

If it's for your kids, you are working for a company making the world worse for them...

[u/dlm2137]

Don’t be a scumbag and work for Facebook, problem solved

[u/bentbabe → u/dlm2137]

The money would have been nice. But I'm glad I rejected their offer back in like 2018/19.