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From: erspert@athena.mit.edu (Ellen R. Spertus)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Theoretical computer scientists know a thing or two
Keywords: theory
Message-ID: <1990Oct2.031757.10888@athena.mit.edu>
Date: 2 Oct 90 03:17:57 GMT
References: <409@pirates.UUCP> <12235@chaph.usc.edu> <24755@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU>
Sender: daemon@athena.mit.edu (Mr Background)
Organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Lines: 35

In article <24755@dartvax.Dartmouth.EDU> hugo@griggs.dartmouth.edu (Peter Su) writes:
>In article <12235@chaph.usc.edu>, wilber@aludra (John Wilber) writes:
>> My experience has been that
>>if someone tells me he has a PhD in CS, he probably knows all about
>>neural net theory, but couldn't write a hello world program and doesn't
>>know what a bus is.  Perhaps your experiences have been different.
>
>As a graduate student in computer science, I am saddened by the fact
>that someone who thinks he knows so much about computers knows so
>little about computer science graduate students.  Let me name for you
>a few people with CS PhD's...and a couple who have the equivalent...
[...]
>6) Richard Stallman -- Author of Emacs, GCC, etc.

Richard Stallman does not have a CS PhD.  I believe his only degree
is a bachelor's in physics from Harvard.

I do agree with your major point, though.  Certainly most people with
PhDs in computer science know how to program and know what a bus is.
I like to think most undergraduates learn these things --- I certainly
did.  Anyway, most CS PhDs (at least around here) are not in theory.
Most non-theory people spend a lot of time programming, and even the
theoreticians know some programming (at least TeX! :-).  Institutions
usually have a common core for all CS PhD candidates, probably all of
which include an architecture course and at least one course with
programming assignments.  John Wilber should check the curricula of CS
PhD programs if he wants to verify his claims.

Perhaps the key is "someone [who] tells me he has a PhD in CS".  The
PhDs that I know (and respect) don't press their credentials on others.
Usually it is the most insecure people who wave around their degrees.
(Didn't all of you know people in high school who would volunteer their
SAT scores in their first meetings with other people?)

					Ellen Spertus