If I were applying for a programming position, and the interviewers did not try to verify that I knew how to program, I would be very concerned about the group I was interviewing for. I prefer to work with competent people. I would like to believe that my prospective employers used due diligence in hiring.
As a programmer myself, I can get a much more credible idea of someone's skills by watching them for ten minutes while they try to write fizzbuzz or linked list reversal, than I can get by reading any number of letters of reference, or looking at their college GPAs.
Not every college and university emphasizes practical knowledge. It is entirely possible, at some colleges and universities, to get high marks in theory without acquiring much in the way of practical skills. It is equally possible to get good references from employers who would be glad to see someone gone.
I'm the director of a small CS/IT Master's program which does emphasize practical skills. As such, I'm delighted when prospective employers test my students; it gives them a nice advantage in the marketplace. We have an enviable placement record.
Bottom line: Why take someone else's word on an applicant's capability, when it's easy enough to observe it directly?
I've been teaching intro Java at U. Penn. Here are my opinions:
* Students SHOULD learn to do everything "by hand", because IDEs
and languages will change out from under them.
* Using an IDE does NOT mean that they won't learn all the underlying
code; not all IDEs write code for you. I've been using BlueJ the
first semester and switching to Eclipse (without the GUI builder
plugin) the second semester. Next Fall I plan to start with Eclipse--
and, since I don't believe in teaching two things at once, teaching
Eclipse before really starting to teach Java.
* The problem with starting with a simple IDE (BlueJ) is that some
students resent having to switch to a "real" one later on.
* I try to teach what is important to my students, rather than trying
to "teach Java." In the quote real world unquote, not knowing how
to use a good IDE is an unnecessary handicap; but left to their
own devices, most people will stick with vi or Notepad forever.
On my Mac, opening Inkscape.app starts X11 and starts Inkscape, but no window opens, and the Inkscape menu bar has only Services, Hide Inkscape, Hide Others, and Quit Inkscape. Is this a bug or is there a secret to getting a GUI?
If someone is beating me up, I would strongly prefer that the police come and drag him away.
If the police ignore the situation, self-defense is justified.
I think the analogy is relevant. YMMV.
Slashdot Mirror
If I were applying for a programming position, and the interviewers did not try to verify that I knew how to program, I would be very concerned about the group I was interviewing for. I prefer to work with competent people. I would like to believe that my prospective employers used due diligence in hiring.
As a programmer myself, I can get a much more credible idea of someone's skills by watching them for ten minutes while they try to write fizzbuzz or linked list reversal, than I can get by reading any number of letters of reference, or looking at their college GPAs.
Not every college and university emphasizes practical knowledge. It is entirely possible, at some colleges and universities, to get high marks in theory without acquiring much in the way of practical skills. It is equally possible to get good references from employers who would be glad to see someone gone.
I'm the director of a small CS/IT Master's program which does emphasize practical skills. As such, I'm delighted when prospective employers test my students; it gives them a nice advantage in the marketplace. We have an enviable placement record.
Bottom line: Why take someone else's word on an applicant's capability, when it's easy enough to observe it directly?
I've been teaching intro Java at U. Penn. Here are my opinions:
* Students SHOULD learn to do everything "by hand", because IDEs
and languages will change out from under them.
* Using an IDE does NOT mean that they won't learn all the underlying
code; not all IDEs write code for you. I've been using BlueJ the
first semester and switching to Eclipse (without the GUI builder
plugin) the second semester. Next Fall I plan to start with Eclipse--
and, since I don't believe in teaching two things at once, teaching
Eclipse before really starting to teach Java.
* The problem with starting with a simple IDE (BlueJ) is that some
students resent having to switch to a "real" one later on.
* I try to teach what is important to my students, rather than trying
to "teach Java." In the quote real world unquote, not knowing how
to use a good IDE is an unnecessary handicap; but left to their
own devices, most people will stick with vi or Notepad forever.
Just my $0.02.
Inkscape looks nice on my PC.
On my Mac, opening Inkscape.app starts X11 and starts Inkscape, but no window opens, and the Inkscape menu bar has only Services, Hide Inkscape, Hide Others, and Quit Inkscape. Is this a bug or is there a secret to getting a GUI?
Thanks,
Dave
If someone is beating me up, I would strongly prefer that the police come and drag him away. If the police ignore the situation, self-defense is justified. I think the analogy is relevant. YMMV.