I would follow up with the question "So what language do you like to build real systems?". As I am not generally looking for a programmer that can only build prototypes.
BTW - you would get top marks for saying "it depends on the task" and then giving some examples of why you would use different languages in different situations.
This should give you a decent indicator of my opinion, when I am interviewing programmers for a job I always ask "What is your favourite language?". You get some interesting answers when asking them why, but the main reason I ask that is because anyone who says VB is automatically not in the running for the job. VB does not give you good foundations for programming, therefore if I need a programmer to be versatile then there is no way I want someone that thinks that VB is the be all and end all. Rapid Application Development is for proto-typing only (or for your own hobby simulations if you are so inclined).
Deep Hack mode tends to be extremely over-rated. I have found that my multi-tasking skills tend to allow me to see many approaches to a problem and also the problems users (be they gumby end-users or other programmers interacting with my base classes) may have with each approach which leads to a balanced solution which doesn't have to be re-visited 5 minutes after completion 'cause some deep hacker forgot to think about how someone other than him would use the software they are writing.
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I would follow up with the question "So what language do you like to build real systems?". As I am not generally looking for a programmer that can only build prototypes. BTW - you would get top marks for saying "it depends on the task" and then giving some examples of why you would use different languages in different situations.
This should give you a decent indicator of my opinion, when I am interviewing programmers for a job I always ask "What is your favourite language?". You get some interesting answers when asking them why, but the main reason I ask that is because anyone who says VB is automatically not in the running for the job. VB does not give you good foundations for programming, therefore if I need a programmer to be versatile then there is no way I want someone that thinks that VB is the be all and end all. Rapid Application Development is for proto-typing only (or for your own hobby simulations if you are so inclined).
Deep Hack mode tends to be extremely over-rated. I have found that my multi-tasking skills tend to allow me to see many approaches to a problem and also the problems users (be they gumby end-users or other programmers interacting with my base classes) may have with each approach which leads to a balanced solution which doesn't have to be re-visited 5 minutes after completion 'cause some deep hacker forgot to think about how someone other than him would use the software they are writing.