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CompSoc Newsletter Week 5!
by Declan Osborne 10 Nov '25

10 Nov '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Michaelmas Term Week 5 Newsletter Competitive Programming, a Talk, Board Games and More! Good Afternoon, Team, Week 5 is here at last, and CompSoc is here to help you fight off those Fifth Week blues! Depending on which of our mailing lists you're on, this may be the first newsletter you've received — if so, welcome! We have fun facts. You may (but probably won't) receive this newsletter twice. If so, we apologise; we're trying to work out the gremlins in our mailing list system. Now for the events! This Monday, we have yet another competitive programming bootcamp! Whether you're looking to get into competitive programming for the first time or hone your skills, come along from 7:30-9:30pm in the Undergraduate Social Area. On Tuesday, it's time for another student talk! Between 5-6pm, we'll be in the Bill Roscoe Lecture Theatre for a talk on how to write a programming language. If you're interested, make sure to come along — pizza guaranteed! We're back with another double header this Saturday! First, we'll be at Jesus College from 5:30-6:30pm for the fourth session in our Learn to Code series! Afterwards, we'll be in the Undergraduate Social Area from 7pm for a few relaxed hours playing some board games together, with pizza and snacks as ever. On Tuesday next week, we have a coding challenge, hosted in collaboration with our sponsors at QRT! Running from 5-8pm with free pizza and big prizes, check it out and sign up if you're interested below. Finally, we announced the winners of our esolang hackathon last Saturday! Find out who the lucky few were below. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: Before Visual Basic .NET, the malingering beginner language some of you may remember from school, came Microsoft's classic Visual Basic language! Lacking the flexible object-oriented characteristics and .NET capabilities of its successor, classic VB debuted as an easier way to write Windows GUI applications in 1991 and was formally discontinued with Visual Basic 6 in 1998. Despite its discontinuation, however, the spectre of VB6 lingers to this day. Along with various reimplementation efforts, and continuing support on Windows under the It Just Works policy, classic VB has lived another life through Microsoft Office's macro system. Macros can be written in Visual Basic for Applications, a descendant of VB6 with Office integration. Through VBA, classic VB now has 64-bit support and even runs on macOS! Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2s6/hzw/svg/MT25%20Termcar…] [Events] Esolang Mini Hackathon — Winners We were delighted to announce the winners of our Week 3 mini hackathon last Saturday! Without further ado, your prize winners are... * First Place — Cellscript (Louis-Emile Ploix, Amy Wild) * Second Place — ESOGRAPH (Zhanqi Wang, Anshul Nema) * Runners-up * LaraLang * occ * tlopppelang * Malloc-lusion * Leaky Bucket Congratulations to the lucky few! Keep your eyes peeled for future CompSoc hackathons. Check out the projects: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DBWpumtOl0M2SqHfl7TgO-9iz3XuIm5_QndpHju… Competitive Programming: Fifth Week Bootcamp [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/ymm/6m4/ayl/PNG%20Competit…] It's that time of the week again! This Monday, we're back in the Undergraduate Social Area for the third competitive programming bootcamp session of this term. Whether you're new to the realm of competitive programming or just want some practice, make sure to come along! We'll be around with food from 7:30-9:30pm. When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 10th November Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/6echlsrzy How to Make a Programming Language — A Talk [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/66g/rui/hl8/PNG%20Programm…] On Tuesday, we have the third of our four student talks this term! Delayed but not dismayed, we'll be in Lecture Theatre B(ill Roscoe) this week to hear an intriguing talk on making a programming language. We'll be around from 5-6pm for the talk, after which we'll retire for traditional CompSoc pizza! When: 5-6pm, Tuesday 11th November Where: Lecture Theatre B(ill Roscoe), Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/1PZsXp3sgp Learn to Code: Fourth Session [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/h6w/k7m/0s4/PNG%20Learn%20…] Guess what time it is? Time for Learn to Code! For the first event in our double header this Saturday, we'll be back at Jesus College's Digital Hub for the fourth session in our Learn to Code series this term. Come along from 5:30-6:30pm to continue your journey into the world of Python programming! When: 5:30-6:30pm, Saturday 15th November Where: Digital Hub, Jesus College Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DW Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/84iFo4CCC Saturday Social: Board Game Night [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/9gh/zks/syc/PNG%20Board%20…] This Saturday, it's time to relax! For the second event in our double header this week, we'll be back in the Undergraduate Social Area as usual for a familiar Saturday Social — a board game night! From 7pm onwards, we'll kick back and enjoy some of CompSoc's wide range of board games, aided and abetted by pizza and snacks. Who could say no? When: 7pm, Saturday 15th November Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/3YCo5qszY QRT x Oxford C3 Coding Challenge [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/66y/e85/3zo/QRT%20x%20Oxfo…] Next week, we'll be joining with our sponsors at QRT for a brand new opportunity! On Tuesday next week, we'll be playing host to QRT's C3 Coding Challenge at the Department of Computer Science, from 5pm onwards! Come along with teams of up to four and solve problems together! If you're interested in coding, winning prizes, or looking into opportunities with QRT, make sure to sign up with our form below. We'll have pizza to satiate your hunger and QRT will also provide tokens for LLM usage during the challenge. Winners will be announced at 8pm. When: 5-8pm, Tuesday 18th November Where: Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Sign up here: https://forms.gle/ke4FgNRbCGPQ15xH8 [And More...] Jane Street: In-House Programmes [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/8da/vgi/l8s/2025%20Fall%20…] Some opportunities from our sponsors at Jane Street: FOCUS<https://www.janestreet.com/focus-ldn-email>: (7 - 10 Jan in LDN) Created for students currently enrolled in university who identify with an underrepresented ethnic or racial minority group, FOCUS gives attendees an in-depth look at the work Jane Street does across our trading, software engineering, and business development teams. Jane Street will cover all travel expenses to and from London, including housing, meals, and a variety of social events throughout the programme. Deadline to apply is Sunday, 30th November. INSIGHT<https://www.janestreet.com/insight-ldn-email>:<https://www.janestreet.com/insight-ldn-email> (13 - 18 April in LDN) INSIGHT is a programme for students who identify as women, transgender or gender-expansive to learn about our work through a set of trading and programming classes and activities. Attendees will receive an in-depth look into the ways Jane Street uses math and computer science to solve problems.Jane Street will cover all travel to and from London, including meals, housing, and a variety of social events. Deadline to apply is Sunday, 11th January. FTTP<https://www.janestreet.com/fttp-ldn-email>:<https://www.janestreet.com/fttp-ldn-email> (7 - 11 April in LDN) Our First-year Trading and Technology Programme (FTTP) is intended for first-year undergraduate students planning to study math, physics, computer science, or other STEM-related majors. Attendees will learn more about Jane Street’s work through a series of interactive classes and a team-based mock trading simulation game.Jane Street will cover all travel expenses to and from London, including housing and meals. Deadline to apply is Sunday, 18th January. If you are interested in multiple opportunities, we welcome you to apply to both! Hack the River: Two-Week Oxford Hackathon Check out a hackathon in the local area! This is a fantastic opportunity for students, coders, data enthusiasts, and problem-solvers, to collaborate, analyse environmental data, and develop solutions that could make a real positive impact on local rivers. It is being delivered by a local rivers trust, Thames21, as part of the Horizon Europe-funded GovAqua project. Participants will form teams, choose “wicked questions” about local rivers, and work with open-source data from the Oxford Rivers Portal. The hackathon will culminate in presentations to experts from the Environment Agency, Thames Water and UKCEH. There is a £500 cash prize for the winning team, and all teams have the chance to see their work showcased on the Oxford Rivers Portal. When: 2 weeks, kick-off event 13th Nov, closing event 27th Nov, both 6.30-8.30pm Where: Gallery Space (downstairs), Makespace Oxford Jericho, Oxford OX2 6TP(Paid bar + free snacks and soft drinks) Book here: https://book.plinth.org.uk/e/uETSQt0PHsiMImSxDav2<https://book.plinth.org.uk/e/uETSQt0PHsiMImSxDav2?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAA…> Perplexity Pro A message from our sponsors at Perplexity: Students get free Perplexity Pro and exclusive student features like flashcards and quizzes when you verify your student status. Sign up at perplexity.ai/students Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/utn/wzf/o3c/Incident.io%20…] [TPP] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. Send an email to committee(a)ox.compsoc.net<mailto:committee@ox.compsoc.net> to manually unsubscribe. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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CompSoc Newsletter Week 4!
by Declan Osborne 03 Nov '25

03 Nov '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Michaelmas Term Week 4 Newsletter Competitive Programming, Jet Lag, CTF and More! Bienvenue, Pizza Aficionados, Welcome to Week 4! We're almost half way through the term now, and I again have to find more excited ways to tell you that we have plenty of events this week. Alas, I'm out of ideas, so let's skip to the actual contents. Firstly, it was great to see so many of you turn up and enter submissions for our esolang hackathon! Voting is now open to determine the winner of the contest — click here to vote<https://forms.gle/sPAQLus2fzd7SGqv8>! And now, onto the week ahead. This Monday, we kick off the week with our second competitive programming contest of the term! Come along from 5:30-7:30pm in the Undergraduate Social Area as usual to compete against friends and foes. This Saturday, we have a triple header extravaganza! First, we'll be holding a capture-the-flag evening from 5-7pm in the Undergraduate Social Area! Concurrently (but in a thread-safe manner!), we'll also be holding the third instalment in our Learn to Code series from 5:30-6:30pm at Jesus College. Finally, we'll be collaborating with the peeps at Oxford's Jet Lag society for a truly special Saturday social! Join us from 7pm for something all-new! Finally, two notices — if you signed up for ice skating and were fortunate enough to get a place, don't forget to join us tomorrow at the Oxford Ice Rink! Secondly, the talk on programming languages scheduled for this week will now be held next week. Sorry for the inconvenience! — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: After our language-themed hackathon last week, how about a language-themed fun fact? Perhaps you've puzzled in the past over why JavaScript bears 'Java' as part of its name, given it has no relation to... well, Java. The story goes back to the language's inception; the company Netscape in the mid-90s wanted to solve the issue of web pages being only static, and pursued two avenues to add a programming language to their Netscape Navigator browser. One was an attempt to embed Java into the browser, in collaboration with Sun Microsystems, Java's contemporaenous developer. The second involved hiring Brendan Eich (later of Mozilla infamy!) to embed Scheme into the browser instead. The company soon shelved both approaches, asking Eich to instead develop one new language with syntax closer to Java, which was becoming a sensation following its inception in the same decade. The new language was originally called LiveScript, but was later renamed to JavaScript. A homage to its origins, a comment on its design or a marketing tactic? You decide... Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2s6/hzw/svg/MT25%20Termcar…] [Events] Vote on our Hackathon Entries! It was great to see so many people turn up to take part in our first mini-hackathon as a society in quite some time! Alas, now, we have to pit your wonderful submissions against each other — it's voting time. Click the link below to see each of our fifteen submissions (along with videos of any presentations given) and rate them out of three categories. Voting will close on Friday, with the results (and prizes) to be announced on Saturday. Good luck! Vote here: https://forms.gle/sPAQLus2fzd7SGqv8 Links to the projects:https://docs.google.com/document/d/1DBWpumtOl0M2SqHfl7TgO-9iz3XuIm… Competitive Programming: Fourth Week Bootcamp [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/m1n/xzz/faf/PNG%20Competit…] Are you recharged and ready to compete again after last week's competitive programming bootcamp? No? Too bad! After dipping our toes into contests a fortnight ago, we'll be holding our second contest of the term this Monday! Come along from 7:30-9:30pm in the Undergraduate Social Area, when we'll be battling against each other in search of prizes. When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 3rd November Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/5qGVIbOH5 Capture-the-Flag Evening [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/rpp/mbn/0wo/PNG%20CTF%20Ev…] This Saturday, we're kicking off our triple header with something a little different — an evening capture-the-flag session! Join us before our Saturday Social from 5-7pmfor a rare in-person session in the Undergraduate Social Area where we'll be taking part in CTFs. When: 5-7pm, Saturday 8th November Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/aR79ALv9E Learn to Code: Third Session [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/y1k/9b2/09c/PNG%20Learn%20…] It's Saturday, and it's time for Learn to Code! We'll be continuing to dive deeper into the realm of Python this week in the third session of our Learn to Code series. If you're a complete novice looking to pick up a new skill, come and join us! As in previous weeks, we'll be in Jesus College's Digital Hub from 5:30-6:30pm. When: 5:30-6:30pm, Saturday 8th November Where: Digital Hub, Jesus College Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DW Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/8xJAq7u7D Saturday Social: Jet Lag [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/qml/fmo/uqn/PNG%20Jet%20La…] We end this Saturday's triple header and mark this week's Saturday Social with a truly unique collaboration! This week, we'll be joined by Jet Lag: Oxford, a society based on the Jet Lag: The Game web series. They'll be running a game with us within the Department of Computer Science — come and join us down in the Undergraduate Social Area at 7pm on Saturday for an experience guaranteed to be entertaining! When: 7pm, Saturday 8th November Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/7izPc61LE [And More...] Perplexity Pro A message from our sponsors at Perplexity: Students get free Perplexity Pro and exclusive student features like flashcards and quizzes when you verify your student status. Sign up at perplexity.ai/students Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/utn/wzf/o3c/Incident.io%20…] [TPP] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. Send an email to committee(a)ox.compsoc.net<mailto:committee@ox.compsoc.net> to manually unsubscribe. 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CompSoc Newsletter Week 3!
by Declan Osborne 27 Oct '25

27 Oct '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Michaelmas Term Week 3 Newsletter Study Session, a Talk, a Hackathon and More! Salutations, Comrades, Week 3 already? As the weeks trundle on, we have ever more CompSoc events to bring to you! First, on Monday, we have the second of our competitive programming bootcamps this term! Join us from 7:30-9:30pm in the Undergraduate Social Area to train ahead of next week's contest. This Wednesday, we have an event for anyone drowning in their work — a study session! Join us from 12pm at Common Ground for our Problem Sheet and Panic. We continue our set of student talks this Thursday with a talk on the topic of context-free languages! Join us from 5pm for a fascinating talk, followed with our ever-present pizza. We mark this Saturday with another double billing! From 5:30-6:30pm, we'll hold the second session in our Learn to Code series at Jesus College. Afterwards, we'll be in the Department from 6pm for our mini hackathon, featuring high-value prizes! Finally, a note for next week — we're now opening sign-ups for our ice skating event next Tuesday! If you're interested, make sure to sign up now, as spaces are limited. Details are below. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: Most modern desktop computers now have hard disks (or SSDs!) formatted with the GUID Partition Table (GPT) scheme, whereby partitions of the disk are set out in a table stored on the disk with types given by globally unique identifiers (GUIDs). While most computers booting from GPT disks use EFI firmware and an EFI boot partition, as is required by Microsoft Windows, some operating systems (including most Linux distributions) allow for legacy BIOS booting with GPT disks. On these older systems, the partition table will include a BIOS boot partition, which replaces the space after the Master Boot Record typically used to store bootloader code. This partition features an easter egg, being marked with the GUID 21686148-6449-6E6F-744E-656564454649. When written as part of a partition table entry, this gives the text 'Hah!IdontNeedEFI' in ASCII! Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2s6/hzw/svg/MT25%20Termcar…] [Events] Ice Skating — Sign Up Now! [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/fvk/uav/cb4/PNG%20Ice%20Sk…] Want to put your work on ice and get up to something a little more fun? Let your stresses glide away next Tuesday with our ice skating social! We'll be headed down to Oxford Ice Rink with the Invariants from 8:30-10pm for some late night ice skating hijinks! Spaces are limited, so make sure to sign up now if you're interested — we'll send out confirmation emails at the end of this week to everyone who's got a space. When: 8:30-10pm, Tuesday 4th November Where: Oxford Ice Rink Oxpens Rd, Oxford OX1 1RX Sign up here: https://forms.gle/MqTyb1FyheJCezSW8 Competitive Programming: Third Week Bootcamp [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/frf/4eb/tax/PNG%20Competit…] Reeling from last week's competitive programming contest? Don't worry, we've got just the antidote! Join us this Monday for our second bootcamp session of the term. We'll be in the Undergraduate Social Area from 7:30-9:30pm as usual to hone our skills and prepare for next week's contest. When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 27th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/iYxx5Nc1a Problem Sheet and Panic [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/zyp/fg9/t20/PNG%20Problem%…] If you're lost in a world of piling up problem sheets, we have an event just for you! This Wednesday, we'll be having our first study social of the year! Come along to Common Ground from 12-1:30pm, when we'll be meeting up to stare in horror together at the horrifying problems unleashed upon us over hot drinks. When: 12-1:30pm, Wednesday 29th October Where: Common Ground Cafe 37-38 Little Clarendon St, Oxford OX1 2HF Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/7ff9OfAn2 Context-Free Languages: Expressionally — A Talk [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/qdw/zqg/hwz/PNG%20Context-…] This week, we have the second in our varied array of student talks! On Thursday, we'll be playing host to a promising talk on context-free languages. We'll be in the Department's Lecture Theatre A from 5-6pm as usual for a fascinating talk, followed by some relaxation with our traditional pizza. When: 5-6pm, Thursday 30th October Where: Lecture Theatre A, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/3zdIzfJLk Learn to Code: Second Session [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/93n/t30/y49/PNG%20Learn%20…] This Saturday, we're continuing our delve into the world of coding! We'll be holding the second session in this term's Learn to Code series for beginners this week. If you're a complete novice or want to brush up on some know-how, join us as we continue to go through the basics of Python. We'll be at Jesus College from 5:30-6:30pm — come along! When: 5:30-6:30pm, Saturday 1st November Where: Digital Hub, Jesus College Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DW Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/9sJ0WIH4S Saturday Social: Mini Hackathon [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/fj6/5cj/ub5/PNG%20Mini%20H…] This week, we have something new for CompSoc! Join us on Saturday, when we'll be holding an all-new bespoke hackathon sponsored by Citadel. Kicking off at 6pmwith an introduction in Lecture Theatre A, we'll be going all the way through to Sunday, aided by some classic CompSoc pizza! Submissions will close at midday on Sunday, and we'll award prizes a few hours later, including Amazon vouchers provided by TPP! From 7pm, we'll also be enjoying the traditions of a classic Saturday Social in the Undergraduate Social Area. Whether you're interested in competing for big rewards or just want to snatch some pizza and vote on the CompSoc Continuation™, make sure to come along! When: 6pm, Saturday 1st November Where: Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/59RtisL0n [And More...] Graduate Software Developer at TPP A job opportunity from our sponsors at TPP: No coding experience required. We’re looking for bright and geeky graduates to join our Software Developer team. No experience is required, and many of our successful applicants have never programmed before. If you think logically and enjoy problem solving, then you have the potential to become a great developer. A career at TPP will challenge you every day. In your first few weeks you will be solving real-world problems as you help to develop software used by healthcare professionals and patients across the world. You’ll be part of an agile development team, working on one of the largest real-time databases in the world. You’ll work on a wide variety of projects, ranging from AI assisting clinicians with early diagnosis of cancer to an iOS app helping patients manage their diabetes. To apply, please visit: https://tpp-careers.com/roles/graduate-software-developer/ Perplexity Pro A message from our sponsors at Perplexity: Students get free Perplexity Pro and exclusive student features like flashcards and quizzes when you verify your student status. Sign up at perplexity.ai/students Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/utn/wzf/o3c/Incident.io%20…] [TPP] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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CompSoc Newsletter Week 2!
by Declan Osborne 20 Oct '25

20 Oct '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Michaelmas Term Week 2 Newsletter Competitive Programming, Talks Galore, a Night of Hot Chocolate and More! Welcome Back, Accomplices, Hello again! Ready for your weekly CompSoc? As we enter Week 2, we're not slowing down, with six new events this week for your delectation! This Monday, we're in the Undergraduate Social Area again for our first competitive programming contest of the term! Come along at 7:30pm to put your newfound skills to the test. On Tuesday, we have the first of our two talks this week — a talk from our sponsors at Jane Street! Come along at 6pm in Lecture Theatre B(ill Roscoe) for a surely enlightening talk. For Wednesday, we have a calm evening in sight; we'll be down to Knoops from 6-7pm for a spell of hot chocolate, chatter and relaxation. On Thursday, we have the first of four student talks this term! Come along to Lecture Theatre A from 5-6pm for a promising talk on functional programming — pizza after! We'll be closing off The Week in CompSoc on Saturday with a double billing. First, we'll be kicking off our Learn to Code sessions this term from 5:30-6:30pm at Jesus College! Afterwards, we're headed down to the Undergraduate Social Area once more for a capture-the-flag night from 7pm. Fun times guaranteed! — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: In today's era of Chromium dominance, it's easy to forget that the browser wars used to be a fiercely fought thing. And if any company knew how to fight, it was Microsoft. In 2003, their Internet Explorer browser held a mind-boggling 94% of market share, being pushed heavily as a hard-to-remove component of Windows. They weren't going to just sit back on their laurels as competitors began to close in, though. That same year, Opera Software announced that Microsoft's MSN website was serving users using Opera 7 a faulty CSS stylesheet. There was no reason for this — the Opera stylesheet didn't work in IE and IE's stylesheet worked fine in Opera. Microsoft had already tried to bar non-IE users from MSN previously in October 2001, backing down in the face of outrage. Sensing sabotage, Opera struck back with Opera 7.04 Bork Edition, which turned the MSN website into gibberish mimicking the Swedish Chef character. Microsoft soon backed down again, changing the MSN site to serve Opera 7 users with a functional stylesheet. Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2s6/hzw/svg/MT25%20Termcar…] [Events] Competitive Programming: Second Week Contest [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/dq9/u5r/ymk/PNG%20Competit…] After learning all about competitive programming in last week's bootcamp, it's time to put your skills to the test! Join us this Monday, as we prepare to do battle in the first competitive programming contest of the term. We'll be in the Department's Undergraduate Social Area from 7:30-9:30pm working through tricky problems. Whether you're a novice or an expert, come along and join in! When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 20th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/3PiiSkb15 Jane Street: A Sponsor Talk [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/khp/mms/ign/PNG%20Jane%20S…] This Tuesday, we have our first sponsor talk of the year! We'll be joined this week by our sponsors at Jane Street in the Department's Bill Roscoe Lecture Theatre for a surely scintillating talk. If you're interested in Jane Street's work or are thinking about careers, make sure to come along at 6pm! When: 6pm, Tuesday 21st October Where: Lecture Theatre B(ill Roscoe), Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/3Nvi0Rcbk Hot Chocolate Evening [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/e8v/3cc/tha/PNG%20Hot%20Ch…] Amongst the hurly-burly of talks and contests, take a moment to relax with us this Wednesday! We'll be headed down to Knoops on Wednesday evening to sip some free hot chocolate and converse from 6-7pm. If you fancy a more chilled out social, come along and join us! When: 6-7pm, Wednesday 22nd October Where: Knoops 21 Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DH Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/1RdOxCplii A Talk on Functional Programming [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/f1p/xvq/jg3/PNG%20Function…] This Thursday, we're kicking off our array of student talks this term with an ever-relevant topic — functional programming! Join us this week in the Department's Lecture Theatre A from 5-6pm for a fascinating talk, after which we'll enjoy the classic CompSoc staple of free pizza. Don't miss it! When: 5-6pm, Thursday 23rd October Where: Lecture Theatre A, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/9tq5876Va Learn to Code: First Session [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/zav/ek2/v4t/PNG%20Learn%20…] Bewildered at the very idea of computer science? Longing to learn how to give your computer commands? Well, the first session of our Learn to Code series is just for you! This Saturday, we'll be kicking off our six-session series, starting off with the very basics of coding in the Python programming language and slowly working our way up. If you're interested in learning to code, join us from 5:30-6:30pm at Jesus College — anyone is welcome! When: 5:30-6:30pm, Saturday 25th October Where: Jesus College Turl St, Oxford OX1 3DW Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/4zDQuvbAg Capture-the-Flag Night [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/9y6/piu/w79/PNG%20CTF%20Ni…] After our introductory session last week, now's the chance to put your newfound knowledge into action! This Saturday, we'll be holding a capture-the-flag cybersecurity contest in collaboration with TryHackMe. Whether you're new or experienced, come along to the Undergraduate Social Area from 7pm and join in! We'll also have the classic hallmarks of a Saturday Social... free pizza and snacks galore. When: 7pm, Saturday 25th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/6T4ZEK6HZ [And More...] TPP at Careers in Computing Fair Our sponsors at TPP will be at the University's Careers in Computing Fair this month! If you're interested in a career with TPP, come along to the Maths Institute on Thursday 30th October! When: 3-5pm, Thursday 30th October Where: Mathematical Institute, Andrew Wiles Building Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6GG Perplexity Pro A message from our sponsors at Perplexity: Students get free Perplexity Pro and exclusive student features like flashcards and quizzes when you verify your student status. Sign up at perplexity.ai/students Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/utn/wzf/o3c/Incident.io%20…] [TPP] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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Mid-Week CompSoc Opportunities!
by Declan Osborne 17 Oct '25

17 Oct '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] Mid-Week Opportunities QuantCo Dinner, LLM Talk and More! Salutations, Familiar One, Bet you didn't expect to see us again so soon! We have several mid-week opportunities for your perusal, including events from sponsors and talks! Today, the Oxford AI Safety Initiative will be hosting a talk from Google DeepMind's Neel Nanda on the internal workings of LLMs! Come along to the Department's Lecture Theatre B(ill Roscoe) from 6:30pm for a talk promising to be fascinating, followed by free pizza. Next Wednesday, our sponsors at QuantCo are holding an exclusive event for CompSoc members only — a free dinner! If you're interested in free food and networking with an eye to a future career, check out the details below. Sign ups close this Saturday, so be quick! Finally, TPP will be at the University's Careers in Computing Fair this month! If you're interested in a career, see below for more details. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: You've had your fact for the week. Come back on Sunday! Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] QuantCo Dinner with CompSoc — Sign Up Now! [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/3e3/4u8/moi/Oxford_CompSoc…] Next Wednesday, we have an exclusive opportunity to bring you from our sponsors at QuantCo — a free dinner! You'll have the opportunity to network with QuantCo developers, consider future career options and enjoy free food. If you're interested, make sure to sign up now! Spaces are limited and registration closes this Saturday! When: Wednesday 22nd October Sign up here by 18th October: https://jobs.lever.co/quantco-/bdb766e9-fe6e-4493-b113-fc230952f324 Talk: What We Do and Don't Understand About What Happens Inside Language Models [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/vi6/not/lg8/What%20we%20do…] Our friends at the Oxford AI Safety Initiative bring to you a promising (and timely) talk this Friday... all about language models! From 6:30pm, Google DeepMind's Head of Mechanistic Interpretability Neel Nanda will be discussing what we do and don't understand about what goes on inside language models. Afterwards, you can enjoy your fair share of free pizza. Speaker Bio: Neel runs the mechanistic interpretability team at Google DeepMind. Prior to this, he was an independent researcher, and did mechanistic interpretability research at Anthropic under Chris Olah. Neel is excited about helping build the mechanistic interpretability community and created the TransformerLens library, does far too much mentoring, and enjoys making educational materials. When: 6:30pm, Friday 17th October Where: Lecture Theatre B(ill Roscoe), Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG<https://fb.me/e/6bas8I43I> TPP at Careers in Computing Fair Our sponsors at TPP will be at the University's Careers in Computing Fair this month! If you're interested in a career with TPP, come along to the Maths Institute on Thursday 30th October! When: 3-5:30pm, Thursday 30th October Where: Mathematical Institute, Andrew Wiles Building Woodstock Rd, Oxford OX2 6GG [And More...] Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/utn/wzf/o3c/Incident.io%20…] [TPP] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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CompSoc Newsletter Week 1!
by Declan Osborne 11 Oct '25

11 Oct '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Michaelmas Term Week 1 Newsletter Welcomings, a Game Night, Competitive Programming and More! Greetings, Unwitting Victims, Welcome, one and all, to CompSoc! Whether you're a new or returning member, we have a swathe of events for all which we hope you'll enjoy this term. We'll be sending newsletters just like this one every week with the latest on our scheduled events, so watch your inbox! Curiously for a Week 1 newsletter, our events begin this Saturday (today!) with our traditional game night! Head on down to the Department of Computer Science's Undergraduate Social Area at 7pm to play a bonanza of games, meet new people and, most crucially, enjoy our ample free pizza and snacks. As the term begins, we'll be back in the Undergraduate Social Area on Monday for the first of our competitive programming bootcamps! If you're interested in battling against your peers but don't have any competitive programming experience, come along at 7:30pm! Are you a new member? If so, our welcome social is just for you (and everyone else, too)! On Thursday, we'll be headed down to Oxo Bar from 7-9pm for an evening of free drinks and scintillating conversation! After all that, we'll wrap up the week in the Department with a double billing — on Saturday, we'll start off with an introduction to capture-the-flag contests from 5-7pm, and finish off with pizza and a movie night from 7pm. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: Back in the heady days of the early World Wide Web, one company in 1999 sought to capitalise on a growing desire to have home Internet access. Startup Netpliance introduced the i-Opener, a $99 loss-leading computer designed solely to connect to Netpliance's own subscription-based Internet service, intended to be the company's profit-making venture. It even featured a gimmick CompSoc members would've loved — a key to quickly order pizza! There was, however, one snag. As a loss leader, the i-Opener was designed largely with off-the-shelf components, and was in fact a standard PC under the hood. As such, enterprising users quickly found ways to bypass the preinstalled operating system and get a Windows or Linux PC for $99 which should have cost between $300 and $400. Sales of the i-Opener surged without the subscriptions to match, wiping out the product's profitability and pushing Netpliance out of the Internet device market for good. Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] [cid:image005.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] [Events] Saturday Social: Game Night [cid:image007.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] Let's kick off the new academic year in the only way CompSoc knows how — a classic game night! Join us this Saturday, when we'll be in the Department of Computer Science's Undergraduate Social Area* from 7pm onwards to play a smorgasbord of games. Whether you're a Cards Against Humanity fan, a Mario Kart crazy or simply someone with a hankering for plenty of free pizza, make sure to come along! * If this is your first CompSoc event, you can find the Undergraduate Social Area (UGSA) by entering the Department's reception, heading through the card-locked door to the left, turning immediately left again through the door into the staircase, going downstairs, and then taking a left and a right. If you're not a CS student or you get lost, don't worry — we'll be around to let people in and show the way! When: 7pm, Saturday 11th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/5u0ilmM5q Competitive Programming: Bootcamp [cid:image008.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] Before going to head to head with friends, it's time to go over the basics! Join us this Monday for the first competitive programming event of the new academic year — our bootcamp! We'll be in the Department's Undergraduate Social Area from 7:30-9:30pm to get to grips with competitive programming contests ahead of our first contest of the term next week. When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 12th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/6bas8I43I Welcome Social [cid:image009.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] Feeling stressed out already on day four of the new academic year? New and old members alike are invited to come and relax this Thursday at our welcome social! From 7-9pm, we'll be kicking back and relaxing at Oxo Bar with free drinks on CompSoc! Come along and meet new faces amongst lively conversation! When: 7-9pm, Thursday 16th October Where: Oxo Bar 48 George St, Oxford OX1 2AQ Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/5fdk8eJAH Capture-the-Flag Introduction [cid:image010.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] Fancy dipping your toes into the world of cybersecurity challenges? Join us this Saturday, when we'll be in the Department of Computer Science from 5-7pm for an enlightening introduction to the realm of capture-the-flag contests, ahead of several CTF events this term. When: 5-7pm, Saturday 18th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/4zDQuvbAg Saturday Social: Movie Night [cid:image011.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] It's the end of the week at last, and what better way to relax than with a movie? This Saturday, we're headed down to the Department's Undergraduate Social Area at 7pm for a good old movie night — we'll be watching a film of your choice, accompanied with the usual CompSoc trimmings of free snacks and pizza. You won't want to miss it! When: 7pm, Saturday 18th October Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/2YZNcjPEP [And More...] TPP at Careers Fair Our sponsors at TPP will be attending the University's Careers Fair today — pop by if you're interested in pursuing a career at TPP! Perplexity Pro A message from our sponsors at Perplexity: Students get free Perplexity Pro and exclusive student features like flashcards and quizzes when you verify your student status. Sign up at perplexity.ai/students Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook]<https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram]<https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord]<https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube]<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok]<https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net<mailto:committee@ox.compsoc.net> [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [Citadel] [cid:image023.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] [cid:image024.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] [cid:image025.png@01DC3A63.CA4EAFC0] [TPP] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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Event Cancellation: Competitive Programming
by Declan Osborne 09 Jun '25

09 Jun '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] Event Cancellation Competitive Programming Hello Again, Familiar One, Here we are again. I regret to inform you that we won't be running our scheduled competitive programming session today due to the exam season – apologies for any inconvenience caused. It has now been struck from the official record. We shall not speak of it again. There is now, and only ever was, one event this week. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: I'm lazy. Go away. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/kh5/aqi/rap/g330.png] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/b5r/5u0/t1h/Untitled%2029.…] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. [Designed with BEE]<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…> Designed with BEE<https://www.designedwithbee.com/?utm_source=editor&utm_medium=bee_pro&utm_c…>

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CompSoc Newsletter Week 7!
by Declan Osborne 08 Jun '25

08 Jun '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Trinity Term Week 7 Newsletter Competitive Programming and a Termly General Meeting! Salut, Battle-Hardened Veteran, Here we are at last – Week 7! While the actual term has one more week of life, we have our final two events this week before wrapping up for the end of the year and going home to put our feet up. We'll kick the week off in style with our final competitive programming contest of the term! On Monday, we'll be in the Undergraduate Social Area from 7:30-9:30pm to work our way through some tricky problems. All are welcome, irrespective of skill level! This Saturday, we have no normal Saturday Social – it's time for CompSoc's Termly General Meeting! At 7pm, we'll hear from Committee members on what they've been doing this term, along with their plans for the future, followed by a chance for you to put forward your own motions to shape CompSoc's future. Afterwards, we'll relax with some pizza and snacks! — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: If you were asked what Google's first hardware product was, you might guess the first Chromebook, or perhaps the first Google Nexus. The answer, it turns out, is neither – the company's first hardware product actually came all the way back in 2002! Named the Google Search Appliance and based off an old Dell server model, the GSA was a rack-mounted server sold to enterprise to index millions of corporate documents at a time for easier searching. The GSA lasted a surprisingly long time (by Google standards), only being finally discontinued in 2019. Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] Competitive Programming: Seventh Week Contest [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/cfd/21z/2w6/PNG%20Competit…] As the term winds down, all good things have to come to an end – including competitive programming! But before we go away for the summer, join us in the Undergraduate Social Area this Monday from 7:30-9:30pm for our last contest of the term. Make sure to come along for one last battle of the wits! When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 9th June Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/7xPqKGOP0 Termly General Meeting – Trinity Term 2025 [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/blq/3g4/7m2/PNG%20TT25%20T…] As the end of term and the academic year looms ominously ahead, it's time this Saturday for something a bit different! This week, we'll be down in the Undergraduate Social Area for CompSoc's Termly General Meeting. Kicking off at 7pm, we'll be hearing from Committee members on what they've been wasting their time with this term, along with their plans for the upcoming year. Afterwards, we'll take some time to debate and vote on your motions and proposed by-laws! After we've got the boring bureaucracy out of the way, we'll close out CompSoc's events this year with the usual hallmarks of a Saturday Social. Come along for some free pizza, snacks, chatter and fun! Anyone registered as a CompSoc member is free to submit a motion for consideration! If you're interested, hop over to our Discord server<https://discord.gg/cUZFPG5WZ6> – guidance on how to propose a motion is provided in the #motions forum channel. Please submit all motions by 11:59pm on Friday 13th June. When: 7pm, Saturday 14th June Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/5Le8fhGYV [And More...] Trinity Term 2025 Termcard [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/1cm/zf4/r9p/TT25%20Termcar…] Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/kh5/aqi/rap/g330.png] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/b5r/5u0/t1h/Untitled%2029.…] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. 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CompSoc Newsletter Week 6!
by Declan Osborne 01 Jun '25

01 Jun '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Trinity Term Week 6 Newsletter A Talk, Another Talk and a Saturday Social! Hey There, Weary Travellers, As Week 6 begins and the exam season rumbles on, why not take the time to indulge in the delights of a hand-crafted CompSoc newsletter? We've got a talk, another talk and some pizza for you this week! For our first event of the week, we're joined on Tuesday by former Secretary Ashley Jeffs for a more philosophically-minded talk! If you're currently malevolent and lawless, make sure to join us for an introduction to ethics from 5-6pm in the Department's Lecture Theatre A. What's better than a talk from a CompSoc member? Two talks from CompSoc members! On Thursday, we'll be joined by former Vice President Isra Qureshi from 5-6pm in Lecture Theatre A for an intriguing talk on the ethics surrounding sex robots (something I didn't expect to write in a CompSoc newsletter)! What's better than two talks from CompSoc members? Two talks and a Saturday Social! Come along to the Undergraduate Social Area this Saturday as we enjoy some pizza and snacks with friends from 7pm. Finally, we're now looking for motions for our Termly General Meeting, to be held on Saturday 14th June. If you're interested in proposing new by-laws for CompSoc, hop on over to our members' Discord<https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> – instructions on how to propose a motion can be found in the #motions forum channel. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: Did you know that every Windows program includes code written to run on MS-DOS? The Portable Executable format, a descendant of the executable format used by DOS, contains a DOS-compatible file header at the beginning, which is then followed by the PE header used by Windows. This DOS header contains an executable code section – by default, development tools will fill this with a stub which prints 'This program cannot be run in DOS mode.' under DOS. The /stub argument to Microsoft's linker, however, allows developers to place any valid DOS code in the header. This feature was actually used in the 90s; the installer binary for Windows 98 can be run within DOS or Windows 95, running different programs on each platform! Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] An Introduction to Ethics: A Talk with Ashley Jeffs [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/vd2/0zu/q4d/PNG%20Ashley%2…] We kick off this week with a more philosophically-minded talk! We'll be joined this Tuesday from 5-6pm by former CompSoc Secretary Ashley Jeffs for an introduction to ethics. We'll hear a quick and digestible intro to the themes of ethical theory, the popular moral frameworks, and relevant areas for computer scientists (and no, it's not just AI alignment!). When: 5-6pm, Tuesday 3rd June Where: Lecture Theatre A, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/4N5kEWRKH The Ethics of Sex Robots: A Talk with Isra Qureshi [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/9ry/x9y/cue/PNG%20Isra%20Q…] As Week 6 rolls on, we have our second talk from a CompSoc member! Join us on Thursday, when former CompSoc Vice President Isra Qureshi will be with us in Lecture Theatre A from 5-6pm to discuss the ethics of sex robots. We'll be exploring the discussions around the ethics of sex robots: the good, the bad, the mostly bad. Then, we'll discuss a strong argument against the use of sex robots. When: 5-6pm, Thursday 5th June Where: Lecture Theatre A, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/H6C6mHcFI Saturday Social [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/8xw/rsr/8m9/PNG%20Saturday…] After a triad consisting of a quiz night, a movie night and a games night, we're going back to basics – it's time for a standard Saturday Social! This Saturday, we'll be back in the Undergraduate Social Area for the standard fare of pizza, snacks and fun from 7pm onwards. When: 7pm, Saturday 7th June Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/7FOJ9Koqz [And More...] Trinity Term 2025 Termcard [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/1cm/zf4/r9p/TT25%20Termcar…] Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/kh5/aqi/rap/g330.png] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/b5r/5u0/t1h/Untitled%2029.…] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. 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CompSoc Newsletter Week 5!
by Declan Osborne 25 May '25

25 May '25

[Oxford CompSoc banner graphic] [6th Week] Trinity Term Week 5 Newsletter Competitive Programming, Studying, Games and the End... of Term? Bonjour, Mes Amis, It's time for Week 5, and time for the term to go out with a blast! Before we wind down for exams, we have four events new and old to bring you this week. To kick the week off, we're down in the Undergraduate Social Area on Monday for a good old session of Competitive Programming! Make sure to join us at 7:30pm for our third contest of the term. This Tuesday, it's time to be a little more studious – we'll be getting together for a study social! Join us at Common Ground from 2-4pm, where we'll be studying together over a hot cup. On Friday, we'll be holding our end-of-term social (yes, you read that correctly)! We'll be at Oxo Bar from 7-9pm to see out the fun part of the term with free drinks and lively chatter. This was previously scheduled for Friday last week. Finally, to wrap up the week, we'll be in the Undergraduate Social Area on Saturday for a classic Saturday Social – a games night! Come along from 7pm to play some games with friends – or just eat pizza, if that's more your thing. — Declan, CompSoc Secretary Fun Computing Fact: Although Linux distributions generally mention only Linux by name in branding, most common distributions ship with GNU userland utilities to provide applications for users – hence the proliferation of the GNU/Linux terminology. The Free Software Foundation didn't always rely on Linux as a kernel for the GNU project, however. Like Minix, GNU Hurd is a Unix-like microkernel-based project, consisting of a collection of servers on top of the Mach microkernel. Some common Linux distributions also exist as GNU Hurd distributions, including Debian. Hurd, however, has stagnated since its inception in 1990, and has been largely superseded in purpose by the Linux project. Still not a member? How?! Membership only costs £1 for LIFE, with tons of benefits - discounts on merch and tickets, free food at all socials, our exclusive Discord server and more - so it's definitely worth signing up! [Be a member]<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/> or, go to https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/<https://ox.compsoc.net/product/lifetime-membership/?fbclid=IwAR1Oe_vwCudNvU…> [Events] Competitive Programming: Fifth Week Contest [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/eo3/r29/4le/PNG%20Competit…] We're back this week for the third of our Competitive Programming contests this term! Join us this Monday in the Undergraduate Social Area, where we'll be working our way through problems in the pursuit of prizes from 7:30-9:30pm. Everyone is welcome – feel free to come along, whether it's your first time or your hundredth! When: 7:30-9:30pm, Monday 26th May Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/6ziCEKXYR Cafe Study Social at Common Ground [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/n6t/1vg/76t/PNG%20Common%2…] As the spectre of exams looms over (almost) all, it's time to pick up a pen and get studying! This Tuesday, we'll be taking a moment to get some work and revision done over a nice hot beverage. We'll be at the Common Ground Cafe from 2-4pm – come along for some quiet study time with a hot drink on us! When: 2-4pm, Tuesday 27th May Where: Common Ground Cafe 37-38 Little Clarendon St, Oxford OX1 2HF Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/8vFdCUhS3 End of Term Social [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/h9g/3wx/mql/PNG%20End%20of…] As we pass the term's halfway point, it's time for our end-of-term social! Join us on Friday, when we'll be at Oxo Bar to enjoy some beverages and engaging in lively conversation to see out the fun part of the term as exams approach. We'll be around from 7-9pm – come along to chat with friends or to grab a free drink on us! This event was previously scheduled for Friday of Week 4, but will now be held this week. When: 7-9pm, Friday 30th May Where: Oxo Bar 48 George St, Oxford OX1 2AQ Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/dCkI7ILed Saturday Social: Games Night [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/iux/j0v/u7s/PNG%20Games%20…] We're back this week for a Saturday Social with a classic theme! This Saturday, we'll be down in the Undergraduate Social Area from 7pm onwards for a games night. Join us as we play games with friends, while tucking into some tasty pizza and snacks as always. When: 7pm, Saturday 31st May Where: Undergraduate Social Area, Department of Computer Science 7 Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3QG Click 'Going' here: https://fb.me/e/6s5LVD0CF [And More...] Trinity Term 2025 Termcard [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/1cm/zf4/r9p/TT25%20Termcar…] Check Out OxWoCS! Make sure to join OxWoCS (Oxford Women in CS), a society we're working closely with, if you identify as a woman or woman-adjacent person in CS! They have a host of wonderful events on, including talks, panels and socials. Computer Science is unfortunately a subject with one of the biggest gender gaps in Oxford and worldwide, and addressing this is at the core of OxWoCS. [Follow Us] [Web Site]<https://ox.compsoc.net/> [Facebook] <https://www.facebook.com/oxcompsoc/> [Instagram] <https://www.instagram.com/ox.compsoc/> [Discord] <https://discord.com/invite/cUZFPG5WZ6> [YouTube] <https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwdzpxzUZ2i84x5WyVR36Cg> [TikTok] <https://www.tiktok.com/@ox.compsoc.net> or, contact us at committee(a)ox.compsoc.net [Our Sponsors] [Jane Street] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/kh5/aqi/rap/g330.png] [Citadel] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/11s/ilc/mex/Quantco_1.png] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/2x2/kvw/7vb/qrt%20white%20…] [https://3f02beb114.imgdist.com/pub/bfra/jofz1jq9/b5r/5u0/t1h/Untitled%2029.…] [TPP] [TPP] Manage your email preferences or unsubscribe here<https://lists.ox.compsoc.net/mailman/listinfo>. 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