Our fine educational system (was: Login on VMS)

From: ajp166 <ajp166_at_bellatlantic.net>
Date: Sun Sep 24 21:03:27 2000

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>


>It is better to tell undergrads that cars do not fly, then to explain to
>them that _most_ cars don't fly but some very creative types in Santa
>Monica once converted a Pinto into an airplane by attaching wings and a
>tail and adding a pusher prop.


True, Palm was a weak choice but there are plenty of OSs that are
romable.

>I usually hear on of three reasons why people "drop out" of college:
>
> 1) They run out of money.
> 3) They quit to pursue an opportunity of a lifetime.
>
> Well if they are interviewing with me then that opportunity
> didn't work out, and if they didn't go back to school
> then I have to wonder if maybe they just weren't cut
> out for it.


I add #4 1 occured, 3 kept me eating and 4 was major surgery with a
long recovery.

I may be the oddball, I didn't go back as my career was moving
forward dispite that and I had no qualms of going back for non
grad (and non credit) courses.

>college, seeks out things to learn about, plows through the paper work
and
>general education requirements, and exits with a diploma is someone I
will


I larned to accept the paper as in engineering there are two rules.

    1) if you didn't write it down it never happend (or isnt done)
    2) for every hour of design there will be many hours of documentation
        about it.

30 years in the biz supports that.

Rather than tolerate pablum in classes I chose to challenge the profs.
I had time carrying a techs bag (how I paid for school) so there were
things I knew and could be intelligent on and sometimes I had to eat
a foot for being stupid. In the end I learned and I learned more because
I wanted more. Education is worth what you put in it.

>taught anything. I ask them, "Why did you tolerate not learning
anything?"
>And they are usually pretty dumbfounded like, "Gee aren't you just
supposed
>to put in your 2 to 4 years and get out?"


Your right, that is lame.

Oh, the biggest peice of foot I ever ate... small computers will never
be as prolific as they are. However, despite that I was designing with
8008 in '73, it was interesting (and that golden opportunity).

Allison
Received on Sun Sep 24 2000 - 21:03:27 BST