How did you get into programming?
One day, when I was 9 years old, my father brought home a Sinclair ZX81.
It really caught my attention, and after few hours, I managed to type some "code" in BASIC that printed a sequence of numbers. Nothing very useful, but amazing at that time.
Which IDE do you use and why?
Eclipse. I have been using it for so many years that now it is my only option.
What is the funniest thing that has happened to you within the Topcoder community?
I had lots of fun all these years, especially during TCO events.
Not sure if funny would be the best definition, but everyone taking their shoes and putting TC socks to access the closing reception of TCO15 (and the location itself), was something pretty unusual π
If you could go head to head with another algorithm or marathon competitor, who would you want to compete against and why?
blackmath! He is a great friend, very skilled marathon competitor and a true sportsman, so he won't get upset if I win π
Tell us about an achievement that you are most proud of.
Being competitive after so many years .
Best music album to code to?
Any album from the Scorpions.
What books do you recommend?
Unfortunately, I haven't read any book since my first son was born (five years ago) π
Tabs or spaces?
My default preference is tabs, but I fine with spaces too π
We asked the Finalists to use emojis in response to the following questions.
How do you feel about the TCO17 Finals?
π€ππ
How do you feel when you win a Topcoder challenge?
πππ€
What is your spirit animal?
π
What's the weather like at your house right now?
β
What are your hobbies?
πβ½ππΎπ