> average better programmers than people who claim to be programmers who don't have those degrees. I doubt that. Further more a person with a degree has on the

> average better programmers than people who claim to be programmers who don't have those degrees. I doubt that. Further more a person with a degree has on the average a higher intelligence than a person without. Also, most degrees have language requirements and subjects that at least ensures that the person has a basic grasp of grammar and spelling. > Typing seems even odder. Doubly so where I live as they don't teach folks in school here to touch-type. You should at least check if a person can type. There are a lot of so called "programmers" that can not even type properly. > Really, if your hiring requirements are "a guy with a degree that types quickly" you're going to find yourself pretty quickly up shit creek. You constructed a straw man – no where did I suggest you should only use these metrics – my suggestion was that it made sense to hire/contract a programmer to help you make the hiring decision.