[ale] Off topic

[Dave Brooks]

Gee, I guess I know what degrees -not- to persue when I go to college <g>


-----Original Message-----
 From: Thompson Freeman <tfreeman at tfreeman.vnet.net>
To: Matt Shade <mshade at mindspring.com>
Cc: ALE List <ale at cc.gatech.edu>
Date: Friday, July 17, 1998 1:36 PM
Subject: Re: [ale] Off topic


>
>There are still some outfits who practice deep knowledge in the various
>degree areas. And there have always been institutions which should be
>considered deploma mills. And unfortunately there are also students who
>can manage to pass through the highest levels of school, and learn
>_nothing_.
>
><rant>
>Since employers want Windows trained people, many institutions will focus
>on Windows (and MS apps), as this will make their students more salable, 
>and to hell with the fundamentals of the trade. (This is not limited to
>computer science either. I gotten hints of it happening in things like
>chemistry also.) And as long as many/most students see a degree as a union
>card needed for a job, this isn't going to change - "teach me what I need
>to know to get a job, and don't waste my time with trivialities like the
>basics."
></rant>
>
>I'm curious, did you get the name of the offending schools?
>
>On Fri, 17 Jul 1998, Matt Shade wrote:
>
>> rant
>> It's been more than a couple years since I've been in college, so I'd
>> like to ask anyone with recent or current college experience - what the
>> hell are they teaching for C.S. degrees these days? Is it computer
>> science or computer applications?
>> 
>> I just got into a discussion with someone last night who has recently
>> gotten a C.S. degree, but had no idea what I was talking about when I
>> was asking for a "full path" to a program. This was on a unix system and
>> on an operating system this person SUPPORTS!
>> 
>> Another person I've talked to who has gotten a degree in the last year
>> also has no grasp of basic OS concepts. He says he was taught NT and NT
>> apps in school. What the hell happened to computer architecture and
>> Assembler and C and algorithms as fundamental building blocks? Have they
>> been replaced with Windows 101 and Word Fundamentals? This is scary to
>> me.
>> /rant
>> --
>> 
>
>=========================================
>It is good to have enemies,
>Ememies will spend enough time to help.
>Friends are too busy.
>========================================
>Thompson Freeman       tfreeman at vnet.net
>