Extending my subjective take, all "competitive coding" sites should also be avoided until you have a firm grasp of the language you want to solve problems with and an overall solid foundation of software engineering. I don't mind these sites, as they've helped me cement a few algorithms into my brain.
BUT it does need to be shouted that they are awful for learning
how to code. You need to already know
how to code, and have a good grasp on best practice principles as well. Then using the sites to cement a few algorithms isn't bad at all. —
sweenish just now