I attended a bootcamp at ArsDigita on building database backed web applications back in 1999. I don't recall now if it was two weeks or three, but the things I

I attended a bootcamp at ArsDigita on building database backed web applications back in 1999. I don't recall now if it was two weeks or three, but the things I learned in that short time have been useful in almost every job I've had since. Just knowing my way around Oracle an PL/SQL landed me a position at a telecom. The bootcamp was free, and at the end of the bootcamp after a code review I was offered an interview. I declined because I didn't want to live in Boston. I realize that Philips motives weren't entirely altruistic but I am sincerely thankful that he took this approach to staffing up.