Re: Autodidact

[shotgunefx]

I'm totally self taught, no formal education at all. Picked up programming after I dropped out of high school (because of math!).

I think there is something to be said for the self taught crowd. While it is an excruciatingly slow process, you learn so much more that way. Sort of like being given a car in pieces and having to figure out how to put it all together. Slow going at first but you gain much real-world knowledge and experience.

My first software job was at a game company in 93. I went in with this 2 paragraph resume. It was laughable, No previous computer related experience on it at all, but I beat out some people who had their Masters. Why? Because I brought a 3D texture mapped game I was working on (Ran on a 386sx 16mhz at 10-15fps, Hey anyone remember Xsharp library? )

I would think it is more difficult now for those without the formal education. Back then, everything that was on the edge wasn't old enough to be in schools anyway so it was more of a "show me" type of attitude. Games today have large teams and most of the prominent business technologies in play have been around long enough to make it into the curriculum so I would suppose it would be much harder to "walk in"

I personally judge by what I see. A piece of paper is just a piece of paper to me. I've met plenty of incompetent and incapable people with and without a degree.

-Lee

"Ching! My two cents."