jona@iscp.Bellcore.COM (Jon Alperin) (06/17/91)
I think we have embarked on a new thread from two students sharing notes on a homework assignment (and were caught by an adminstator looking at failed e-mail messages), so I have retitled the thread. In article <287@bria.UUCP>, mike@bria.UUCP (mike.stefanik) writes: |> |> By and large, the best programmers I have met have no papers. |> Mike Stefanik, MGI Inc., Los Angeles -- Opinions stated are never realistic! Although I agree that many of the best people have learned to program simply from a love/challenge perspective, I must defend the usefulness of education (although I still reject the US's educational system as being promising/top-notch/good/or even passable). Education in its rawest form teaches a person to pursue information to make informed decision (i.e the scientific method). I would not take a programmer (who may be very good at programming, but lacks a formal education) and promote them into a analyst or managerial position. Education provides discipline, which is needed to coordinate activities as well as to be a "team player". (of course, even having a PhD does not necessarily make one of good team leader, team player, or even a passable programmer :-}). Would you go to a doctor without a medical degree? But you would be willing to allow a person without a "CS/programming" degree build a mission critical (or even life sustaining) system? The IEEE, ACM, and other groups have been moving back and forth for several years over whether programmers should be licensed or not to show their skill level. I maintain that while I am not a programmer, as an analyst/designer I have more say in the eventual outcome of a project that someone who cuts code. If the design is faulty, I make no difference if the code works. Design bugs are hard to find, and most rely upon an intimate knowledge of the business of the customer you are designing for. I would not take on a job designing a system for robotic controls unless I understood robotics. Education itself provides me with the reading, comprehension, and analytical skills necessary to research and understand robotics, without having to get a degree in robotics. But I still need an education.... Thanks for bearing with me...... -- Jon Alperin Bell Communications Research ---> Internet: jona@iscp.bellcore.com ---> Voicenet: (908) 699-8674 ---> UUNET: uunet!bcr!jona * All opinions and stupid questions are my own *