Hello Real World — You don't know what a computer scientist is

by feifan • 13 years ago

5 2 13 years ago

ggchappell• 13 years ago

True, C.S. is not what most people think it is. But, in practice, a C.S. undergraduate degree is what lots of people think it is.

I'm a C.S. professor. Our program leads to a Bachelor of Science degree in "Computer Science". But like just about every other such program, it would probably be better called a B.S. in "Software Development". Computer Science -- in the strict sense -- is an important component of that, but it is not everything.

So, yes, our students should (and do) get experience successfully building working final products before we consider them to be qualified to receive a degree.

OTOH, our program is not about the latest, greatest, coolest tech. Nor, I think, should it be. My vision for a C.S. degree is that you should be able to get one, go sit on a mountaintop for 5 years, come down, find that your degree is still relevant, pick up the latest stuff pretty quickly, and be a big success.

BTW, as long as we're talking about the meaning of words, if you think that every qualified Rails or iOS developer is a hacker, then I don't think you know what "hacker" means.

computerslol• 13 years ago

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hacker_(programmer_subculture)

"A hacker is someone who loves to program or who enjoys playful cleverness, or a combination of the two. The act of engaging in activities (such as programming or other media) in a spirit of playfulness and exploration is termed hacking. However the defining characteristic of a hacker is not the activities performed themselves (e.g. programming), but the manner in which it is done: Hacking entails some form of excellence, for example exploring the limits of what is possible, thereby doing something exciting and meaningful."

http://www.catb.org/jargon/html/meaning-of-hack.html

"Hacking might be characterized as ‘an appropriate application of ingenuity’. Whether the result is a quick-and-dirty patchwork job or a carefully crafted work of art, you have to admire the cleverness that went into it."

Although it is popular to call just about anyone creating products in IT a hacker nowadays, the term did have a meaning once and more people should know about it.

Hello Real World — You don't know what a computer scientist is

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