> -----Original Message----- > From: TommCatt [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Think at it this way: every hour a worker is doing something > using his second-best skill is an hour he is not using his best skill. > > Which is why I would never let a PHD physicist or biologist > or whatever ever write a single line of code. They would > spend all their time physicing or biologying or whatevering > with programmers supplying them with whatever code they needed. >
Sorry Tomm, but I think this is rather narrow-minded. I can see the point you're trying to make, but I think it's unrealistic to suggest that any one person is only capable of achieving proficiency in a single skill set! Adaptability is one of mankind's greatest assets! During my PhD (Astroparticle physics), I developed many skills which have stood me in good stead as a software developer - analysis & problem solving, teamwork, self-motiviation, etc. This is irrespective of the fact that a significant fraction of my PhD time was spent developing software (C, Pascal and, dare I say it, Fortran). Admittedly, scientific programming can be quite different from commercial, but it can be good experience. A lot of the skills necessary for scientific research (and, I dare say, other technical fields) can be transferred successfully to software development, and I think having a broader background can sometimes be an advantage. Contrary to what people would sometimes have you believe, 99% of the time software development *isn't* rocket science! Regards, Al. ____________________________________________________ To change your JDJList options, please visit: http://www.sys-con.com/java/list.cfm Be respectful! Clean up your posts before replying ____________________________________________________
