Stupid interview questions: how to (not) write a file copy program

When I was hiring recently I set a programming task:

Write a program that prints the numbers from 1 to 100 (inclusive), but if a number is divisible by three print "fizz", if a number is divisible by five print "buzz", and if it's divisible by both three and five, print "fizzbuzz".

80% of applicants failed.

For those who succeeded we then talked about symmetrical code, repeated tests, parametrisation, leveraging library code, converting routines into blocks, and so on.

But we started by making sure they could actually write code.

And most of them couldn't.

I welcome people who ask relevant design questions, but I've found that some of them can't actually code either.

I resent the wholesale condemnation of simple coding tests in the hiring process. Perhaps they are the sign of someone who has limited vision or scope.

I'd reject hiring him, not because of technical ability, but because he's a dick who can't see past technicalities and discern the meaning behind questions.