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Comment by laichzeit0 | Hacker News Reader

Expecting a CS prof to know how to program is like expecting a pure mathematician to know how to use Mathematica/Matlab. It’s absurd and doesn’t follow at all.

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This is more like an anatomy professor who's never touched a cadaver. Far less excusable than a theoretical mathematician not knowing Matlab - because Matlab is not the only way to apply math (the mat in Matlab is for matrix not math)

The guy has a PhD in algorithms. He’d he writing proofs, not writing code. The same for programming languages, you’re proving things, like the Pumping Lemma. Computer Science is not about producing coders for industry. You can learn how to code from a boot camp or Coursera, but it has very little to do with Computer Science.

No this is more like an anatomy professor who doesn't know how to remove an appendix without asking a surgeon.

And C isn't the only way to apply computer science.

I know how to build a C++ compiler, but I'm not very good at C++ code.

Is anyone good at C++ thou, didn't Bjarne only rate himself as 7/10 at C++ coding

I don't know. I'm not even able to recognize good (modern) C++ code when I see it.

I figure it's like being the race car designer. He can design a fast car, but he can't drive it fast. And the driver can't design it.

Indeed, Dijkstra barely ever even used a computer. I can't say I agree with trashing a Prof with deep expertise in algorithms for not knowing C while doing a favour by substituting for a colleague.

It's like expecting a pure mathematician to know if 57 is prime. https://wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Grothendieck

It's more like expecting an astronomer to know how to use a telescope :)

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