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When I was a prof (many years ago), I was working on a database for a political campaign. The code was a mess. I asked a couple of my colleagues (successful com

When I was a prof (many years ago), I was working on a database for a political campaign. The code was a mess. I asked a couple of my colleagues (successful comp. sci. profs) to help out. It became clear very quickly that there are two kinds of comp. sci. profs: those who can program and those who cannot.

Thorrez 2y ago
One of my computer science professors when his laptop wasn't connecting to the projector: "I hate computers."
- saulpw 2y ago
  That's one of the ones who could program.
  - downut 2y ago
    Oh dear this hits way to close... Get deep enough into the machine and you come to expect the (in this case minor) disasters.
- cornel_io 2y ago
  That sounds like the correct response if he knows anything about the field: shitty peripherals are an unsolvable problem from top to bottom. The hardware sucks, the software sucks more, there's absolutely nothing you can do to fix it as an end user (unplug it and try again is where "debugging" ends), and the production chain will never improve along the quality axis because the margins are tiny and people are very price sensitive.
- coliveira 2y ago
  Why do you think people become CS professors? One of the reasons is that they don't like working in the industry and maybe don't even know how to program.
  - cma 2y ago
    Don't most just straight track through undergrad/masters;phd/postdoc without ever entering industry?
- nickpeterson 2y ago
  You enter the field with youthful exuberance, but long years fighting the war leaves you jaded.
almostgotcaught 2y ago
> those who can program and those who cannot. Everyone in my PhD cohort that couldn't write code worth a shit stayed in academia and everyone the could went into industry because the money was way better. So it's quite natural.
- spondylosaurus 2y ago
  Those who can't do... teach?
  - Terretta 2y ago
    Those who can't do... tech? // See thread above about UBI vs. tech nonsense jobs. Any industry driving seven figures per head has room for a quite a few before people notice.

Thorrez 2y ago

One of my computer science professors when his laptop wasn't connecting to the projector: "I hate computers."

saulpw 2y ago
That's one of the ones who could program.
- downut 2y ago
  Oh dear this hits way to close... Get deep enough into the machine and you come to expect the (in this case minor) disasters.
cornel_io 2y ago
That sounds like the correct response if he knows anything about the field: shitty peripherals are an unsolvable problem from top to bottom. The hardware sucks, the software sucks more, there's absolutely nothing you can do to fix it as an end user (unplug it and try again is where "debugging" ends), and the production chain will never improve along the quality axis because the margins are tiny and people are very price sensitive.
coliveira 2y ago
Why do you think people become CS professors? One of the reasons is that they don't like working in the industry and maybe don't even know how to program.
- cma 2y ago
  Don't most just straight track through undergrad/masters;phd/postdoc without ever entering industry?
nickpeterson 2y ago
You enter the field with youthful exuberance, but long years fighting the war leaves you jaded.

almostgotcaught 2y ago

> those who can program and those who cannot. Everyone in my PhD cohort that couldn't write code worth a shit stayed in academia and everyone the could went into industry because the money was way better. So it's quite natural.

spondylosaurus 2y ago
Those who can't do... teach?
- Terretta 2y ago
  Those who can't do... tech? // See thread above about UBI vs. tech nonsense jobs. Any industry driving seven figures per head has room for a quite a few before people notice.