Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!bellcore!decvax!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!topaz!andromeda!marco From: marco@andromeda.UUCP (the wharf rat) Newsgroups: net.cse Subject: Re: various recently-discussed topics Message-ID: <117@andromeda.UUCP> Date: Thu, 6-Mar-86 19:54:40 EST Article-I.D.: andromed.117 Posted: Thu Mar 6 19:54:40 1986 Date-Received: Sun, 9-Mar-86 08:21:05 EST References: <1092@burl.UUCP> <1093@burl.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: Rutgers University, Newark, N.J. Lines: 27 In article <1093@burl.UUCP>, rcj@burl.UUCP (Curtis Jackson) writes: > > d) I started with FORTRAN my first semester. Then came summer, and a co-op > job where I learned HPL, HP-Basic, and Tektronix Basic. Then PASCAL, > COBOL, and MACRO-11, among others. I was ready for anything. Then > came my intro to C -- our Minicomputers I prof told us to write a simple > sleep queue scheduler/manager in C, compile it into Unix assembler on > Finally, someone got up enough guts to raise their hand and tell him that >........ > none of us knew C (it wasn't taught at the university). He said, "Oh, yes, > get this book [holding up a copy of K&R] from the bookstore, $12. You > have 2 weeks." Now THAT is the way to teach a computer language! Why is that the way to learn a language ? Admittedly, you can pick up a new language in a few weeks, but to learn a new language *and* complete tricky projects at the same time seems a bit much. Also, I find that learning a language that way leaves a lot of gaps-I learned macro-32 that way, and anyone who's seen my postings to net.decus will know how many gaps I have in my knowledge of the subject. (System service ?? Duh, what's a system service?? (-:) To me,the only way to learn a language well is to write lots and lots of stuff in it, not just figure out how to do one thing. (No criticism of your apparently excellent CS education intended, Curtis.) Lou Marco CCIS,Rutgers,Newark #include