[plt-scheme] Re: Some dissing of Scheme

On Jul 26, 5:11 am, "Todd O'Bryan" <toddobr... at gmail.com> wrote:
> http://tech.slashdot.org/story/09/07/25/1224247/The-Best-First-Langua...
>
> I already posted a comment linking to HtDP and How to Design Worlds,
> but I thought people might want to see the article.
>


Some thoughts.

If a student is concurrently (or has taken) a discrete math class or
is a CS or Math major, something like Scheme is really appropriate,
otherwise I'm not sure it's that beneficial.

The "hacker ethic" as espoused by some of the respondents is best
possible explanation for the amount of unreliable crappy software that
is built. Plus the fact that software development is not a profession
and throws open its doors to the good, the bad and the ugly from all
disciplines and non college graduates alike. It is not unusual to find
software developers who know nothing about big Oh and don't know what
bubble sort is, this is a bigger issue than what language they cut
their teeth on.

A more interesting topic IMHO would be the rampant qualification
inflation that has always afflicted this industry such that Masters
degree holders are invited to apply for jobs that appear to have a
genuine educational requirement that could be met in a well structured
associate degree programme.