ArsDigita University- a tuition-free program by MIT professors

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: C.S. degree "worthless"?

Great points.

IBM paid for my brother to get a Ph.D in microelectrial engineering. In return they hold the patent on the microchip he developed while still a junior. This is probably the best of both worlds - he got an education that lead to a great job at Intel; they got a nice payoff on their investment.

 

Re: C.S. degree "worthless"?

Wow. Quite an attitude for someone still trying to find out about getting a valid degree through distance learning. These are some strong opinions my friend, which I disagree with heartily.

I do not necessarily disagree with your point, which is that industry and non-academics contribute a lot to the world. But it is the "attitude" that higher education is a bunch of ivory tower fools that do nothing and add nothing to anything meaningful that bothers me. Quite the opposite is true.

If it weren't for basic education, and for the pioneering (and even foolhardy, in some eyes) research done by academics, none of our U.S. corporations would have a leg to stand on.

In the area of biotechnology, just to take one small example, without the stem cell research by the University of Wisconsin we'd still be light years away from cures for cancer, etc. Now we are that much closer because of these professors, who (in your opinion) should be driven off the face of the earth in order to result in a "net gain for society".

This is a typical "IT attitude" - who needs education? All I need is my wits and programming skill and native intelligence, right?

Wrong.

You do mention some good examples of being well-rounded in other disciplines. I agree that purely computer based degrees are kind of meaningless without the liberal arts component being included.

But to paint all professors as a parasitical class worthy of extermination is just plain DUMB.

IMHO.

- Carl

 

Bravo Carl

Bravo, Carl. Very well put.

 

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: C.S. degree "worthless"?

Google is based on ideas one of the founders (or several of them, I don't remember) had developed while working on his PhD at Stanford. So it IS an excellent example, thank you.