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>So I tend to agree with Mike's statement - especially in a college/university setting.

Paul --

Yes, I have encountered cases like this in academia as well. Unfortunately, it happens all too often in that particular setting, and we in the real world have to "re-shape" the new CS grads after they get out of school. It is a tremendous time sink.

My point was that MOST of the folks I have encountered(in the real world, not in college) who teach and write are highly competent, and they also have very solid business and technical backgrounds. There are exceptions, and we've all been inflicted with their "misknowledge" at DevCons and such. I just happen to think that they are the exception, rather than the rule.

College is another matter altogether. Your story about the competent guy being let go just because he did not have a degree (PhD, in this case) really got my jaws tight. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens a lot, especially in academia.

FWIW -- Bill