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Michaelmas Term Week 1 Newsletter
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Welcomings, a Game Night, Competitive Programming and More!
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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.
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— Declan, CompSoc Secretary
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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.
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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!
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Saturday Social: Game Night
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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
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Competitive Programming: Bootcamp
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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
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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
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Capture-the-Flag Introduction
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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
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Saturday Social: Movie Night
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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
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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!
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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
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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.
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