After reading all these responses, I have these comments:
Someone who did not attend college can not comment on this issue. Why? Because they do not have the experience of going through college so they can't say which is better. Someone who has gone through college can at least speculate on how there life would be different if they removed the things they learned in college.
If you went to college and you feel that all you got was that piece of paper that gets your foot in the door: You went to a crappy college. I received my Computer Science degree from Georgia Tech. It is exactly what it states, the science of computing. Theory, theory, theory. You know what, not only can I get paid big bucks because I can write in whatever the new hot language is, but I can actually write a language, compiler, OS, RDBMS, you name it. I have the tool set in my head to interface any system and learn the guts on any new technology. I understant what is going on in the computer. I have never met someone like that who didn't go to college.
Employers don't look for that piece of paper just for the hell of it. They look for it because it is a quick way to determine what information an employee has floating around in their brain.
I was faced with the decision to stay or drop. I almost dropped. When I was 19 I was pulling in 100k a year programming in Power Builder. I though why the hell should I go to school? Lucky for me I had some people who talked me into staying. If I had not graduated, I wouldn't be the arrogant, egotistical, genius typing before you. I have to deal programmers all day who don't have degrees. IT SHOWS.
Verdict: If you are content with being a simple 4GL programmer who gets a memo and codes a function, then drop. If you want to become an architect and start building systems the way they are suppose to be built, stay in school.
Slashdot Mirror
Corporations already have a remedy if someone misuses protected material--a civil suit.
Of course, that is cost-prohibitive to the corporations. Why sue someone over a $10 CD's worth of music.
But:
A criminal remedy is just a civil remedy that the government pays for.
Ta da.
-- Paul
Someone who did not attend college can not comment on this issue. Why? Because they do not have the experience of going through college so they can't say which is better. Someone who has gone through college can at least speculate on how there life would be different if they removed the things they learned in college.
If you went to college and you feel that all you got was that piece of paper that gets your foot in the door: You went to a crappy college. I received my Computer Science degree from Georgia Tech. It is exactly what it states, the science of computing. Theory, theory, theory. You know what, not only can I get paid big bucks because I can write in whatever the new hot language is, but I can actually write a language, compiler, OS, RDBMS, you name it. I have the tool set in my head to interface any system and learn the guts on any new technology. I understant what is going on in the computer. I have never met someone like that who didn't go to college.
Employers don't look for that piece of paper just for the hell of it. They look for it because it is a quick way to determine what information an employee has floating around in their brain.
I was faced with the decision to stay or drop. I almost dropped. When I was 19 I was pulling in 100k a year programming in Power Builder. I though why the hell should I go to school? Lucky for me I had some people who talked me into staying. If I had not graduated, I wouldn't be the arrogant, egotistical, genius typing before you. I have to deal programmers all day who don't have degrees. IT SHOWS.
Verdict: If you are content with being a simple 4GL programmer who gets a memo and codes a function, then drop. If you want to become an architect and start building systems the way they are suppose to be built, stay in school.