2 Oct
2011
2 Oct
'11
11:54 a.m.
Dijsktra believed that "computer science"
should have been called
"computing science" (and - iirc - also said that you wouldn't
expect studying astronomy to teach you how to build a telescope).
Actually, I feel you should understand the tools and instruments you use,
if only so you can correctly interpret what they are telling you. So yes,
I would hope an astronomer knew how telescopes worked (but I'll readily
believe that many do not).
As usual "the best is the enemy of the good
enough". Doesn't matter if
you
reject the perfect job candidate as long as you get a reasonable one.
It may not matter to you, but it matters a lot ot the 'perfect candidate'
who is never interviewed for jobs he knows he could do well simply
becasue he doesn't haev the right bit of paper.
If you're going to use an arbitrary criterion for filtering out
candidates, why makie it 'must have a degree'. Why not 'must have a
parrot'? It would make as much sense in most cases.
-tony