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>> When they do discover that CS isn't for them, they will be stuck with the ability to write scripts and analyze data.

>> With all due concern for not wasting students' time, this is a problem we in CS should willingly accept.

Or, programming skills are good for you, even if you dont do it professionally.

Or, you can learn programming skills without learning computer science.

But they will be stuck with only the ability to create web apps, iphone apps, word processors, operating systems, video games, network servers, web browsers, text editors, robot control systems, embedded software... oh wait, that's not sounding so bad.

You can also work at a high level in CS research without doing any programming.

Depends what role obviously. If your doing research into compliers, or programming language semantics or something then programming will be required.

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