> Why is it an acid test of competence to you? For the theoretical knowledge they imply? Because they are so basic. If you've never heard of a linked list, it

> Why is it an acid test of competence to you? For the theoretical knowledge they imply? Because they are so basic. If you've never heard of a linked list, it means that you've got absolutely no education (formal or self-directed) in programming. (Even looking at the Java docs, you'd eventually notice the core LinkedList class.) If you've heard of a linked list but have no idea what it is, it means you've got a terrible education (if formal) or no curiosity (if self-directed). If you know what a linked list is but can't program one, it means you're incompetent. I can't imagine the existence of a competent dev who can't write a linked list class/struct/whatever.