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From: rb@ccivax.UUCP (rex ballard)
Newsgroups: net.cse
Subject: Re: Value of Computer Science degree
Message-ID: <434@ccivax.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 25-Feb-86 20:20:05 EST
Article-I.D.: ccivax.434
Posted: Tue Feb 25 20:20:05 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 1-Mar-86 01:21:41 EST
References: <4514@kestrel.ARPA> <3407@nsc.UUCP> <4588@kestrel.ARPA> <256@hropus.UUCP> <394@ccivax.UUCP> <612@sauron.UUCP>
Reply-To: rb@ccivax.UUCP (What's in a name ?)
Organization: CCI Telephony Systems Group,  Rochester NY
Lines: 44
Keywords: CS Degrees, Bullshit, SARCASM

In article <612@sauron.UUCP> campbell@sauron.UUCP (Mark Campbell) writes:
>Over 90% of the volume has basically been an exercise in self-justification;
>a bunch of people arguing that they have the BEST possible degree and that
>anyone that doesn't have that degree is marginal at best.

From the BA:

My intention was not to say that a BA is BETTER than BS or EE, only that

1: A good team should have ALL THREE TYPES.  The BA might come up with
	some good stuff, but the BS will define the problems clearly, and the
	EE can make it fast/and or bullet-proof (as needed).  The BA also
	makes a good buffer/interpreter between engineering and marketing.
	By the way, there are "creative BS and EE people" too!

2: If you have certain talents, don't go against them because you think
	you need a certain degree.  Find a program that will help you
	build your strengths, and help you compensate for your weak
	areas.  It is possible to go against the grain, but more
	rewarding in the long run to go with it.

The most important thing for anyone in this field is the ability to LEARN.
In an industry where "state of the art" changes twice a year, and anything
over 10 years old is obsolete, it is critical to be able to spend a lot
of time reading and staying up to date, rather than watching the TV at
night.  College teaches you the discipline of unsupervised, self-directed
study.  Some people are able to do that by the time they graduate from
high school, they should go to college anyway.  Bill Gates may have written
Microsoft BASIC when he was in high school, but you can bet he's had to
get at least the equivelent of a degree to manage todays Microsoft.

Much of the first tirade came from knowing that there are a few companies
who exclude BA's from developement teams.

A good example of the BA/BS relationship comes from the film industry.

Before the shooting starts, the director, a BA, has the lighting crew
adjust the lights (he must know their terminology) until it looks
right.  Then the Cinimatographer, an EE, cranks all the lights back
up.  The director has the ability to see the finished product in his
mind before it has even been started.  The director knows what he wants
it to look like, the EE knows how to make it look that way on film and
TV.  The EE knows how to get the best depth of field, the best
modulation, the best picture.  The same goes for the sound crew.