Joel can be a bit obnoxious from time to time, but he is also right more often than not. The two tend to go hand in hand.
In his latest column —“The Perils of JavaSchools”— he dismisses Java as a programming language and colleges where it is the only programming language that is taught. The wording may be a bit from the hip, but he is quite right.
Java is useless for most work, if you can just as easily use Python.
And we do not call the schools that only teach Java universities in Holland, we call them HBO (vocational training school).
Now we like to gripe about DUT a lot but seeing what Joel thinks makes a good programmer, I think DUT is doing a pretty good job educating us:
C Yes, we get a introductory course of C with pointer arithmetic and homegrown data structures.
Functional Programming This has also always been included in the curriculum and thankfully they switched away from CaML to Haskell. Functional programming, if done in Haskell is (difficult but) great.
Now, let’s see what extra stuff we get to chew on:
Assembly The first year practical in assembly is something most students look back upon with dread (at least I do), but it is a formative course for any computer science student.
Logic Programming A practical in Prolog is part of the course in Logic. I liked it but most people think it is difficult.
And I also spent six years of my life learning Latin and I do agree that it trains your mind, your memory and your language skills.
So, Joel, am I overqualified or what?
