3 ms·

There are more people in schools, but they have to lower standards as a result. We have CS graduates who can't write fizzbuzz. Unrestrained nepotism is stupid,

by b800h 3y ago

There are more people in schools, but they have to lower standards as a result. We have CS graduates who can't write fizzbuzz. Unrestrained nepotism is stupid, but its opposite is equally absurd.

asgerhb 3y ago
I know sarcasm is frowned upon on HN but I am compelled to point out that in the 1830s there were also a lot of people who couldn't write fizzbuzz. If you cherry-pick random people today and compare them to historical figures, of course it will seem like things were better in the old days.
- tragomaskhalos 3y ago
  OK I'm now imagining a 19th century job interview when the candidate is given three weeks to 'devise and construct a steam-powered apparatus capable of emulating the popular parlour game based on multiples of 3 and 5'. I'm sure modern steampunk enthusiasts can be nerd-sniped into having a go !
  - seabass-labrax 3y ago
    Connect to the main shaft a basic steam engine and two independent cogs of ratios of three and five. Then attach a cam to the side of each cog and have it press down on a stamper for output. Sounds easier than JavaScript!
softg 3y ago
>There are more people in schools, but they have to lower standards as a result. We have CS graduates who can't write fizzbuzz. >Unrestrained nepotism is stupid, but its opposite is equally absurd I think the opposite of unrestrained nepotism is meritocracy, which is surely a good thing. In the olden days we had few schools that made sure every CS graduate were fizzbuzz experts but back then computers were an expensive rarity that could only be touched by a fizzbuzz expert. Now that everyone and their grandma have a pocket computer that's more powerful than an IBM mainframe, of course the requirements will be different. Not every piece of software is mission critical, not everything has to be perfect. Crappy software is better than no software.
- b800h 3y ago
  The opposite of nepotism isn't meritocracy, it's equality of outcomes.
  - softg 3y ago
    I'm not sure what you think nepotism is. Per wikipedia, "Nepotism is the act of granting an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or close friends in an occupation or field". The opposite of nepotism is where no one grants an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or close friends in an occupation or field. That's not "equality of outcomes" by any stretch. A hypothetical system that grants privileges purely on merit would be its true opposite.
    - b800h 3y ago
      These are almost orthogonal concerns. I may use nepotism to choose people I know who are talented. I may use other systems which attempt to completely level the playing field to do so. This may result in worse outcomes.

by b800h 3y ago

There are more people in schools, but they have to lower standards as a result. We have CS graduates who can't write fizzbuzz. Unrestrained nepotism is stupid, but its opposite is equally absurd.

asgerhb 3y ago

I know sarcasm is frowned upon on HN but I am compelled to point out that in the 1830s there were also a lot of people who couldn't write fizzbuzz. If you cherry-pick random people today and compare them to historical figures, of course it will seem like things were better in the old days.

tragomaskhalos 3y ago
OK I'm now imagining a 19th century job interview when the candidate is given three weeks to 'devise and construct a steam-powered apparatus capable of emulating the popular parlour game based on multiples of 3 and 5'. I'm sure modern steampunk enthusiasts can be nerd-sniped into having a go !
- seabass-labrax 3y ago
  Connect to the main shaft a basic steam engine and two independent cogs of ratios of three and five. Then attach a cam to the side of each cog and have it press down on a stamper for output. Sounds easier than JavaScript!

softg 3y ago

>There are more people in schools, but they have to lower standards as a result. We have CS graduates who can't write fizzbuzz. >Unrestrained nepotism is stupid, but its opposite is equally absurd I think the opposite of unrestrained nepotism is meritocracy, which is surely a good thing. In the olden days we had few schools that made sure every CS graduate were fizzbuzz experts but back then computers were an expensive rarity that could only be touched by a fizzbuzz expert. Now that everyone and their grandma have a pocket computer that's more powerful than an IBM mainframe, of course the requirements will be different. Not every piece of software is mission critical, not everything has to be perfect. Crappy software is better than no software.

b800h 3y ago
The opposite of nepotism isn't meritocracy, it's equality of outcomes.
- softg 3y ago
  I'm not sure what you think nepotism is. Per wikipedia, "Nepotism is the act of granting an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or close friends in an occupation or field". The opposite of nepotism is where no one grants an advantage, privilege, or position to relatives or close friends in an occupation or field. That's not "equality of outcomes" by any stretch. A hypothetical system that grants privileges purely on merit would be its true opposite.
  - b800h 3y ago
    These are almost orthogonal concerns. I may use nepotism to choose people I know who are talented. I may use other systems which attempt to completely level the playing field to do so. This may result in worse outcomes.