[jdege]

The unpalatable truth is that most people can't become effective computer programmers, and getting a degree in computer science doesn't change that.

In the U.S., less than 10% of applicants for programming positions can pass even the simplest programming test.

Why Can't Programmers.. Program?

In other words, thus isn't unique to India. It's the nature of the business.

[Mr. Jeeves]

The unpalatable truth is that most people can't become effective computer programmers, and getting a degree in computer science doesn't change that.

And the really unpalatable truth is that the Left has sold state and local governments on the idea that they really don't need all of those dirty, old factories any more - that with enough student loan money everyone can go to college and sit in a nice, clean cubicle writing code and increase the tax base in an environmentally friendly way.

Since 95% of coding is dependent on one's innate ability to recognize patterns, steal them, and adapt them, they are in for a dreadful disappointment when the 85 IQ crowd with newly minted college diversity degrees proves incapable of even operating the office copier. :)

[central_va]

I’ve been programming for 30 years(15 years java) and it took me 10 minutes to type and compile a fizzbuzz program. I guess I don’t get the job. LOL.

[central_va]

Old guys(hackers extraordinaire) may not be able to completely memorize syntax but we have a lot of tricks. I showed a kid how to create java classes from excel spread sheets by saving the sheet as a pipe delimited flat file. Then I showed him how to use perl to parse thru the flat file and print out java source code.

He was impressed. That's the kind of stuff you don't learn in school.

[Mariner]

And not all competent programmers have a CS degree, or ANY degree.
Most good programmers are self taught.

As are most of the excellent Systems and Network Engineers.