Microsoft Programming Contest Hacked and Defaced

davidmwilliams writes "Microsoft followed their major annual Tech-Ed event in Australia with a week-long programming contest called 'DevSta,' to find 'star developers.' While the quantity and quality of submissions suggest a poor turnout, it certainly caught the attention of at least two hackers who left their mark. Here is the low-down on the contest, what happened, by whom, and screen shots for posterity in case it's been fixed by the time you read this. And unless the volume of submissions increase dramatically within the next few hours, someone may be awarded an Xbox for doing nothing more than rewriting the Windows calculator as a .NET app."

Hardly hacked

[NeumannCons]

To me it would appear that someone submitted entries with an bogus title and accompanying description. Hacked? Hardly. What surprises me is that no one submitted Viagra programs with accompanying links in the description.

These aren't the droids you're looking for. Move along.

Google: $10M in prizes, MS: an XBox

[EmbeddedJanitor]

http://code.google.com/android/adc.html [google.com]

Anyone wonder why only some pissed off script kiddies are playing?

Lame

[Anonymous Coward]

If you want a prize, why not come up with a hack that releases OEMs from their contractual obligation to pre-load Windows? Or maybe a hack that dis-allows Microsoft from counting the sale of a Dell server with Linux installed as a sale of a Windows license. How about a hack that gives the ISO people a spine and some cojones?

Now, those would be worth a prize.

Re:Microsoft catching the attention of hackers?

[fuzzyfuzzyfungus]

The scale of the hack is pretty pathetic. Unfortunately, so is the quality of the entries. A bunch of calculator apps, a couple of twitter frontends, and a few old school arcade clones(and don't forget the cellphone stalker app. I will charitably extend the hope that all the good ideas are going to be submitted in the last few minutes, out of concern that they would be ripped off.

"All y'all penguins put your flippers on your heads, this abacus has the power of Windows Presentation Foundation!"

Re:Microsoft programmers....stars? Too funny...

[Liquidrage]

So what about the /. poster that spends post after post in meaningless MS stories, that if they actually ready them, aren't even stories?

What I don't get is, as intelligent people (which is relative), don't some of you feel the least bit ashamed at the quality of the anti-MS stories here? There is plenty of legit bashing to do. But /. has fallen to the level of posting stuff like this.

/. consistently has misleading headlines on MS stories, not to mention sensationalism. I just don't understand how people that are throwing stones can tolerate the childish posts, and poor and misleading stories that are the sign of any /. related MS article.

Re:Hardly hacked

[thatskinnyguy]

My thoughts exactly. News? no. Waste of time to look at? Definitely. NEXT!

HACKED BY BENJYMOUSE

[benjymouse]

HACKED BY BENJYMOUSE HACKED BY BENJYMOUSE HACKED BY BENJYMOUSE There, now I "hacked" slashdot the very same way. The "hacked" and "defaced" site is nothing more than submissions (like comments on slashdot) with "HACKED BY OVERLORD" text. No JavaScript injection, no SQL injection, no nothing. Some medias will go to any length to capture traffic. sheesh.

DevSta? Seriously?

[paniq]

This is what we need in the programming world, more developers with an ego complex. "Star developers", way to go, when a part of skill lies deeply in being able to communicate and organize oneself in a community or company.

"Star developers" sounds like these people need three flatscreen monitors, a massage chair and a personal makeup assistant to be happy.

The reason why no serious programmers will turn up at this event is the same reason, why I'm not at this event: I am busy doing serious, real life code. I have no time for marketing shams.

Re:mhm

[Reece400]

Lame hack, but much more lame trying to pass this as news......