it's not their job to tell you why you didn't make it, it's your job to be introspective enough to try and figure it out.

^The more and more I'm in the job market, the more I think that's what what it really boils down to.

Introspection.

Is the person honest and introspective enough with who they are, where they are, and who they want to be?

Do they have the skills to back up their talk?

This is of course withstanding standard biases in people and society, such as how taller more masculine looking men get more responsibility...

I think however, as we move to more phone interviews and remote work, those conventional implicit biases will be set aside, for more merit based systems.

Why can't they design their stupid website to have a limit on the number of CVs that they can receive, so when they reach that maximum, then STOP the internship and say it's over and nobody can send anymore CVs.

Because they don't limit the number of applicants, they limit the number of people they accept for the role. Even if 100 people apply, maybe none of them are good enough to be accepted so they just leave it open till they fill roles.

Maybe they had just filled the role and hadn't had the time to update the site. Maybe tinyupload counter is wrong? Maybe tinyupload has been blacklisted on their work network because of security reasons? Maybe they read the CV and that was enough to reject you without seeing the code?

There a bunch of reasons why that code wasn't looked at. Did you have a project overview page either in the CV or online as a portfolio before you gave a link to the code itself?

This is usually my order of reading applications that come my way:

1. Cover letter

2. CV

3. Portfolio

4. Any extras

I rarely reach stage 4 unless 1-3 showcases the skillset that we need for the role.

If it was blacklisted then they could have told me.

Extra friction and when you are one of many applications, it's easier to just reject. Doesn't mean it is right to but that is the way it works.

The CV wasn't enough for them to reject me, I think, because I passed all of their qualifications and even the bonus ones.

Are you sure? Was they anything in the CV that they could have rejected you for despite passing the qualifications?

But they didn't want any cover letters.

Did they explicitly say 'no cover letters' or did they not just not mention them?

Cover letters are just standard operating procedure.

Even if they don't specifically say it, add one anyways.

The entire point of a cover letter is to attract them to read your CV/ Resume, and prove to them you read the job description, highlighting how you have the qualifications they're looking for. (They do not have time to hunt through your resume to figure it out manually, that's what ATS, recruiters, and sourcers are for.)

There are even some companies who instant reject anyone who doesn't have a cover letter.

The job market is not fair, efficient, nor empathetic, any mistake or deviation from what they happen to be looking for at the time, reject.

The discipline to not get upset, and just keep trying is something everyone learns as they get older, and more experienced, it's a life long process to not let rejection & obstacles slow you down too much, or stop you.

Right,

The cover letter was for everything and everyone else before you^, the hiring manager(s).

I've never seen any company say they will not consider anything else except the resume/ linkedin off the bat. (maybe it's just me)

Whatever may be the case,

I just don't want to give the OP the impression that the cover letter is not necessary in most cases.

The only situation I'd say, it's not necessary is if you are reached out to by an internal recruiter, or you have a staffing agency working for you. They are meant to sell your resume to everyone else.