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From: eugene@ames.UUCP (Eugene Miya)
Newsgroups: net.cse,net.college
Subject: Re: Computer requirements to enter college and hackers as good programmers
Message-ID: <738@ames.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 2-Jan-85 12:19:18 EST
Article-I.D.: ames.738
Posted: Wed Jan  2 12:19:18 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 4-Jan-85 08:12:42 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: NASA-Ames Research Center, Mtn. View, CA
Lines: 32
Xref: watmath net.cse:296 net.college:605

I have been following the discussions on net.college and net.cse, the
first on high school computer literacy requirements and the latter on
the quality of hackers as good programmers.  I especially like the
postings by Brian Reid and the professor from back East.
I went on a short vacation before having a chance to respond.

From the receiving end after college, I would again like to stress the
importance of communication skills for anyone entering college.  My
verbal skills were hardly the best when entering college, but when I
entered the working world, most of the people writing memos and papers
around me gave me complements for my 'good writing.'  Without question,
at the different industrial and research establishments, the average
person needs better communication skills.

My main reason for posting this note is to tie these two common discussions.
Many readers have pointed out the need for skills in refining logic and
problem solving.  There is an excellent book for both those entering
college and those hacking.  It's written by a professor of Mechanical
Engineering at Stanford (know him Brian?).  The book in entitled

	"Conceptual Blockbusting"
It's published by W.H. Freeman (The people who reprint Scientific American
papers).  I don't quite remember the man's name (Perhaps Martin?).
It's in it's second edition and the author has been requested to write a
follow on text.  I highly recommend it.  It's quite readable; thin, and
it poses some interesting problems for the reader.


--eugene miya
  NASA Ames Research Center
  {hplabs,ihnp4,dual,hao,vortex}!ames!aurora!eugene
  emiya@ames-vmsb.ARPA