[OT] graduate school

[Stuart Jansen]

On Wed, 2008-03-26 at 13:44 -0600, Jesse Stay wrote:
> It would seem to me that
> at least for a developer or even sysadmin, that using those 2-4 years
> in gaining experience and learning within your field could be more
> productive and have more fruitful results.

Well, sure, if you enjoy installing and maintaining someone else's
software or writing yet another method to push bits back and forth from
a database, why even bother getting any degree?

Advanced degrees may provide diminishing returns, but that doesn't
change the fact that certain careers require them. Some people enjoy
implementing e-inkwells to dip the pretty girls pigtail's in because
poking is _so_ last week. Others are more interested in researching the
linguistic pressures that will drive development of voice controlled
cars just as soon as industry builds out the infrastructure. Which one
has chosen the "best" career path?

Instead of pointing out that we can make bundles of money by
demonstrating an ability to use existing knowledge, why not point out
how miserable life can be struggling to extend the limits of our
knowledge.

http://www.thecrimson.com/article.aspx?ref=521323
http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north427.html
http://www.stanfordalumni.org/news/magazine/1999/julaug/articles/phd.html

Of course, if no one were willing to take the risk, we'd probably still
be coding in COBOL.