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From: lmurray@wdl1.UUCP (Lance Murray)
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: What is Computer Science?
Message-ID: <3620002@wdl1.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 16-Nov-87 13:13:29 EST
Article-I.D.: wdl1.3620002
Posted: Mon Nov 16 13:13:29 1987
Date-Received: Wed, 18-Nov-87 04:25:08 EST
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I believe the fundemental problem in defining what Computer Science is,
or is not, is that the major is actual fragmented into many smaller
disciplines. I would divide CS into three distinct groups: programmer,
software engineer, computer scientist. Here is *my* understanding of each
of these professions:
    programmer: a coder. This person takes specifications and develops the
corresponding code.
    software engineer: takes the "tools of the trade" (abstraction, information
hiding, algorithms, data structures, etc.) and *builds* new system.
    computer scientist: developer of new languages and theories.

I know there is a lot left out in these classifications, but people must be
aware of the difference. Should there be seperate majors for all of these fields?
I do not think that is the answer. A definition of *what* Computer Science is
will not help define what a computer scientist does. All the demand for CS
people is really the industries misunderstanding of what our higher institutions
are generating in this day and age. An ad for a "Computer Science" major
could me almost anything these days, from micro code to AI. Industry employment
personnel must become more in tune with what is available.

	-lance murray-
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