Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site looking.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!looking!brad From: brad@looking.UUCP (Brad Templeton) Newsgroups: net.college Subject: Programming vs. marks vs. initiative vs. hackers... Message-ID: <224@looking.UUCP> Date: Mon, 10-Dec-84 00:00:00 EST Article-I.D.: looking.224 Posted: Mon Dec 10 00:00:00 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 11-Dec-84 02:47:48 EST References: <676@clyde.UUCP> Organization: Looking Glass Software, Waterloo, Ont Lines: 28 Most universities are not in the business of teaching programming, they are teaching computer science. Thus it's not expected that course work be about becoming a good programmer, although a few courses on such matters might not be a bad idea. This doesn't mean that becoming a good programmer is a bad idea at all, but simply that it's better learned outside the classroom by hacking. That's the reason why undergraduate extracurricular computing facilities are so important. While some may say they don't want to hire those hacks because they are unreliable, guess who's out there starting their own firms? Guys like Bill Gates and Peter Jennings were hacks. Steve Wozniak, and Bill Seiler. Bob Frankston & Dan Bricklin. Johann George. Even Mitch Kapor and many others. In fact just about all the really successful programs out got started by hacks. So let's not shut off the world's supply. -------------For the unitiatied Bill Gates - founder, Microsoft Peter Jennings - founder, VisiCorp Steve Wozniak - founder, Apple Bill Seiler - designer of the PET. Bob Frankston & Dan Bricklin - authors of VisiCalc Johann George - chief engineer, Tecmar Mitch Kapor - founder of Lotus (1-2-3) and I could go on naming forever.... -- Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473