danm@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Daniel Milliron) (01/24/89)
In article <76000334@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes: > >Virtual memory is not the type of software some self-taught programmer >can knock off in a weekend with a couple of pots of coffee :-) In >fact, most self-taught programmers probably couldn't hack the problem >at all. I don't want to turn this issue into a flame-throwing war, but my common sense was slightly offended by the above-quoted article that implied that only college-educated programmers could handle the complexities of enhancing an existing OS with virtual memory. I am sure that when Mr. Gillies has a little more real-world experience under his belt, he will learn that a college-diploma does not equate with skill, that most education occurs outside the university (is self-taught), and that great computer-related work has been done by people who have no degree but do have what it takes to succeed in this business: curiousity, motivation, aptitude, and a hard-work ethic. Dan Milliron
phil@mit-amt (Phil Sohn) (01/24/89)
In article <3709@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> danm@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Daniel Milliron) writes: >In article <76000334@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes: >> >>Virtual memory is not the type of software some self-taught programmer >>can knock off in a weekend with a couple of pots of coffee :-) In >>fact, most self-taught programmers probably couldn't hack the problem >>at all. > >I don't want to turn this issue into a flame-throwing war... I don't see an issue at all: I am still a self-taught programmer even though I have an MIT degree. A college degree has little to do with being self-taught. phil sohn phil@ems.media.mit.edu
gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu (01/26/89)
/* Written 7:04 am Jan 24, 1989 by phil@mit-amt in p.cs.uiuc.edu:comp.sys.mac */ /* ---------- "Re: "Self-taught" programmers" ---------- */ In article <3709@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> danm@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Daniel Milliron) writes: >In article <76000334@p.cs.uiuc.edu> gillies@p.cs.uiuc.edu writes: >> >>Virtual memory is not the type of software some self-taught programmer >>can knock off in a weekend with a couple of pots of coffee :-) In >>fact, most self-taught programmers probably couldn't hack the problem >>at all. > >I don't want to turn this issue into a flame-throwing war... Look, I apologize for a badly phrased uncalled-for slur on self-taught programmers. I myself was a self-taught programmer before I went to college, there was no way I could have implemented VM then. Even today, I have enough sense to be scared of the task. What I meant to say was: "Virtual Memory is Tough. It is a lot trickier to do than a standard Mac application. There are a lot of people out there who would have trouble getting the software right. It takes some advanced study [reading books] (and probably some experience) to get it right. $295 is cheap, considering the cost of developing VM" Don Gillies, Dept. of Computer Science, University of Illinois 1304 W. Springfield, Urbana, Ill 61801 ARPA: gillies@cs.uiuc.edu UUCP: {uunet,harvard}!uiucdcs!gillies