🚀 go-pugleaf

On Friday, February 23, 2018 at 1:21:32 AM UTC-5, Mike Spencer wrote:
> Peter Flass <peter...@yahoo.com> writes:
> 
> > J. Clarke <jclarke...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Unfortunately, "Computer Scientists" these days don't seem to have to
> >> do mundane things like writing code.  And they get snarky if anyone
> >> suggests that there's anything wrong with this--they're working on the
> >> Great Advances, code is for the trade schools, according to them.
> >> 
> > 
> > Always was like that. A local community college had great success with a
> > program that included COBOL, JCL, and CICS. Graduates usually had jobs
> > waiting when they got out.
> 
> In 1964, when my school had one computer (IBM 1620) they offered a
> course in "computer programming" for which I signed up.  It was taught
> by a guy seconded from industry.  He specified a textbook on numerical
> methods and proposed to teach us that.  Half the class announced that
> they would drop the course if he didn't teach us how write programs.
> 
> Despite his protest that you can't write programs unless you know the
> math, he saw the light and gave us an intro to Fortran.  We each wrote
> one small program related to our disparate majors -- key punch, cards,
> submit to operator, line printer and all that.
> 
> Didn't touch a computer again until 1980 when I borrowed an Apple ][
> and learned Basic.  Then not again for seven years, when I got an
> Osborne I, learned C, z80 assembler.  Now I'm the digital equivalent
> of a chronic alcoholic.  Might never have happened if I'd dropped that
> course in '64.


Personally, I think all programmers, whatever their specialty,
should have a solid background in algebra.  IMHO, if someone
is weak in algebra, they'll be a weak programmer.

However, beyond that is dependent on the specialty.  Generally
speaking, business application analysts should have some
exposure to accounting and economics.  (Companies vary
greatly on what work is done by "systems analysts", 
"programmer/analysts", and "programmers".)