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it is OK and legitimate to question a high school dropout's ability to understand what he leaked. This is mistaken. A CS graduate isn't necessarily any more c

it is OK and legitimate to question a high school dropout's ability to understand what he leaked. This is mistaken. A CS graduate isn't necessarily any more competent than a given highschool dropout working in engineering is necessarily incompetent.

dylangs1030 13y ago
Yes, I know, we've all read Jeff Atwood's article on it. That's not my point. I get what you're saying, but we have informed opinions. To the public, with no technical background, it is very reasonable to question someone's opinion in a domain they have no certifiable expertise or experience in. EDIT: I can't reply @sillysaurus, "I'm submitting too fast", so here's my reply in the meantime. I know...you're missing my point. It doesn't matter if a college degree or a high school degree gives you the experience I need. I can attest that you don't need one to have expertise in your domain. What I am saying is that the public associates a college degree (and awards, other prestige, etc.) with credibility. To a great extent, this is true in most industries - this is why it's reasonable for non-technical people, people who don't know better, to apply this sort of safeguard to all "experts" they see. It doesn't diminish his actual standing, it's just a cursory glance that tells them if they need to find alternative routes to check his credibility. I'm sorry if I'm not being clear, I'm not trying to say you're regurgitating anything, I was showing you that I'm well aware many CS grads can't code for shit. That's true. But it's not part of what I'm arguing. I'm talking about credibility and public perception, not actual ability or skillset.
- sillysaurus 13y ago
  we've all read Jeff Atwood's article on it. I haven't. Stop implying that people are merely regurgitating popular opinions on this topic. I speak from experience. To the public, with no technical background, it is very reasonable to question someone's opinion in a domain they have no certifiable expertise or experience in. This is mistaken because a degree in system administration isn't going to give him any depth of knowledge that would let him interpret the slides in a more informed way.
- sillysaurus 13y ago
  What I am saying is that the public associates a college degree (and awards, other prestige, etc.) with credibility. To a great extent, this is true in most industries - this is why it's reasonable for non-technical people, people who don't know better, to apply this sort of safeguard to all "experts" they see. This is mistaken because a degree in system administration isn't going to give him any depth of knowledge that would let him interpret the leaked slides in a more informed way before he leaked them. Whether the public associates a degree with credibility is irrelevant if they're mistaken. Your original assertion was it is OK and legitimate to question a high school dropout's ability to understand what he leaked. It's not okay, nor is it legitimate, for the mere fact of holding a GED to call into question his ability to think critically. Click "link" to reply.
- randomdata 13y ago
  To the public, with no technical background, it is very reasonable to question someone's opinion in a domain they have no certifiable expertise or experience in. He worked for the NSA. If that does not count as certifiable experience, I'm not sure what does? Additionally, if the public really believes he is incapable of the job because of his lack of formal education, why is there not more questioning going on as to why the NSA hired him in the first place? Why were they were paying him so much money (reports from $120-200K per year) for a job that he is not even able to do?
hughw 13y ago
Furthermore, college graduates are more likely vested in the system -- less likely to rock the boat. And college graduates learned to conform.

dylangs1030 13y ago

Yes, I know, we've all read Jeff Atwood's article on it. That's not my point. I get what you're saying, but we have informed opinions. To the public, with no technical background, it is very reasonable to question someone's opinion in a domain they have no certifiable expertise or experience in. EDIT: I can't reply @sillysaurus, "I'm submitting too fast", so here's my reply in the meantime. I know...you're missing my point. It doesn't matter if a college degree or a high school degree gives you the experience I need. I can attest that you don't need one to have expertise in your domain. What I am saying is that the public associates a college degree (and awards, other prestige, etc.) with credibility. To a great extent, this is true in most industries - this is why it's reasonable for non-technical people, people who don't know better, to apply this sort of safeguard to all "experts" they see. It doesn't diminish his actual standing, it's just a cursory glance that tells them if they need to find alternative routes to check his credibility. I'm sorry if I'm not being clear, I'm not trying to say you're regurgitating anything, I was showing you that I'm well aware many CS grads can't code for shit. That's true. But it's not part of what I'm arguing. I'm talking about credibility and public perception, not actual ability or skillset.

sillysaurus 13y ago
we've all read Jeff Atwood's article on it. I haven't. Stop implying that people are merely regurgitating popular opinions on this topic. I speak from experience. To the public, with no technical background, it is very reasonable to question someone's opinion in a domain they have no certifiable expertise or experience in. This is mistaken because a degree in system administration isn't going to give him any depth of knowledge that would let him interpret the slides in a more informed way.
sillysaurus 13y ago
What I am saying is that the public associates a college degree (and awards, other prestige, etc.) with credibility. To a great extent, this is true in most industries - this is why it's reasonable for non-technical people, people who don't know better, to apply this sort of safeguard to all "experts" they see. This is mistaken because a degree in system administration isn't going to give him any depth of knowledge that would let him interpret the leaked slides in a more informed way before he leaked them. Whether the public associates a degree with credibility is irrelevant if they're mistaken. Your original assertion was it is OK and legitimate to question a high school dropout's ability to understand what he leaked. It's not okay, nor is it legitimate, for the mere fact of holding a GED to call into question his ability to think critically. Click "link" to reply.
randomdata 13y ago
To the public, with no technical background, it is very reasonable to question someone's opinion in a domain they have no certifiable expertise or experience in. He worked for the NSA. If that does not count as certifiable experience, I'm not sure what does? Additionally, if the public really believes he is incapable of the job because of his lack of formal education, why is there not more questioning going on as to why the NSA hired him in the first place? Why were they were paying him so much money (reports from $120-200K per year) for a job that he is not even able to do?

hughw 13y ago

Furthermore, college graduates are more likely vested in the system -- less likely to rock the boat. And college graduates learned to conform.