Hexing the technical interview (2017) (aphyr.com)

Article summary

The article presents a fictional technical interview where the candidate, a witch, solves a problem of detecting a cycle in a linked list by writing Java bytecode directly. The candidate's unorthodox approach surprises the interviewer, who is not familiar with the low-level details of Java. The article showcases the candidate's technical expertise and creativity in solving the problem. The story is told in a unique and imaginative style, blending fantasy and technical details.

Main themes

• technical interviews
• Java bytecode
• cycle detection algorithm
• creative problem-solving
• satire and social commentary
• technical expertise and communication

What commenters say

• The article's writing style is engaging and impressive, making the technical content more enjoyable to read.
• The technical interview process can be flawed and may not accurately assess a candidate's abilities.
• The Floyd's Tortoise and Hare algorithm is a clever solution to the cycle detection problem, but it may not be well-known or commonly used in practice.
• The article's satire highlights the absurdity of optimizing code to an extreme degree, and the subjectivity involved in technical interviews.
• Some commenters appreciate the article's creativity and technical depth, while others find it confusing or overwhelming.
• The use of Java bytecode in the article is seen as an interesting and unusual approach to solving the problem.
• The discussion raises questions about the effectiveness of technical interviews in evaluating a candidate's skills and knowledge.