[Coco] dumb profs wasRe: trig.h

[gene heskett]

On Wednesday, January 12, 2011 07:11:12 pm Steven Hirsch did opine:

> On Wed, 12 Jan 2011, Aaron Wolfe wrote:
> > On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 7:07 AM, Steven Hirsch <snhirsch at gmail.com> 
wrote:
> >> On Tue, 11 Jan 2011, Willard Goosey wrote:
> >>> On Tue, Jan 11, 2011 at 06:34:42PM -0500, Steven Hirsch wrote:
> >>>> University of Vermont (my alma-mater) dropped Assembly Language and
> >>>> Machine Organization as a required course in the CS curriculum.
> >>>> �Just incredible.
> >>> 
> >>> Yeah, that's pretty mind-blowing. �It's all object-this and abstract
> >>> that. �But eventually, at the bottom of all those layers of code,
> >>> the machine is still "load a register." �"add 1." �"store
> >>> register."
> >> 
> >> As I said, it has begotten 50MB binaries that require 1GB of memory
> >> to run and execute like a snail even at that. �Before being turned
> >> loose on the world to code The Next Big App, all new CS grads should
> >> be exposed to something like, e.g. WordStar running on a 48k Z80
> >> machine and asked to think about it for a moment.
> >> 
> >> Steve
> > 
> > I've said before and still believe that a study of OS9 or even FLEX or
> > CPM, some OS designed for the 8 bit machines would be eye opening and
> > very beneficial to new CS students.  You can fit these systems in your
> > head, something basically impossible with modern operating systems.
> > Without ever understanding any computer system from the bottom up, I
> > don't think a new programmer has a foundation for making good choices
> > at the upper layers of abstraction where we play today.
> 
> You are preaching to the choir :-).  Back before the Math dept. staged a
> hostile takeover of UVM's CS program (don't even get me started on
> that..), it was joined closely with EE.  Both majors originally took a
> lab using little single-board systems (68k, 8080, etc.)  That was late
> 80s - early 90s. Then it moved to assembler on PC under DOS.  Still
> better than nothing.  Finally, it was ordained that CS grads should be
> trained as beings of pure intellect who never deign to soil their hands
> with practical matters of any sort.  Whatever little bit of hands-on
> that remained became the responsibility of graduate students with
> questionable skill levels.
> 
> And we wonder why we're losing our competitive advantage in this
> country.
> 
> Steve
> 
+100 Steve.
> 
> --


-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
If life gives you lemons, make lemonade.