Posted by Richard Levasseur on 08/06/06 21:45

dawnerd wrote:
> Richard Levasseur wrote:
> > Armando Padilla wrote:
> >
> > It is a very handy 12% at times, though. I've solved some problems
> > using my edumakashun that would've taken me much longer otherwise.
> > Most important are learning inside and out common design patterns and
> > knowing when to use them. This is also where books about specific
> > languages can come in handy since they usually have an example project
> > they're developing to illustrate their points.
> >
> > Additionally, simply having a college degree will open many more doors
> > for you. Many jobs won't even consider you unless you have a degree.
> > A degree is (generally speaking) a good indicator if the person is
> > capable or not.
>
> The problem with IT jobs, at least that I have seen, is that employers
> don't know much about what they are hiring you for, but know what certs
> are and in turn only hire people who go out and get certified, even if
> someone who isn't certified can do a better job.
>

If you aren't being interviewed by, at least one, technical person,
then either:
They're small business, start up, or otherwise don't have large amount
of resources to have a technical lead, or
They're a large inept business with a lot of overhead and not the best
work environment.

> I don't think it's really even needed to go to college to get into
> programming. If you know what your doing, well isn't that enough? To
> some it is, but again, employers often rely only on a certificate that
> you know what you are doing.

There needs to be a new term for people who write software, one that
fits into a catchy acronym like IT. We aren't IT. IT admins the
servers, helps people with their mice, and makes the network run.

There's a big difference between IT, software engineers, hardware
engineers, and web developers, IMO. There's also a big difference
between an engineer, developer, and programmer, again, IMO.

Anyone can program, but not everyone can program well.
Anyone can solve that programming problem, but not everyone can solve
it well.
Anyone can go to college, but not everyone is cut out for college.

College teaches you a lot more than just 'how to program;' it teaches
you how to think, how to write; how to be a better member of society.

It is, after all, called "Computer *Science*," emphasis on the science
because there is a theory and science behind it all. And really, any
web developer should learn it, they are probably the least formally
educated programmers out of anyone. Most of it is actually very
interesting, especially compiler and database design.

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