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How do you account for the Dunning-Kruger[1] effect when asking your "How do you rate yourself?" question? I would guess that answers in the range "6 or 7" could span a really wide range of actual knowledge. Does that agree with your experience?

[1]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect

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I understand that he just asks real question on that level to calibrate your answer. It's just faster to start from some reference point.

Right, even if someone miscalibrated we can quickly get to the proper calibration. Though, I stress ten as being the creator of said technology. For example, in the case of PHP ten would entail actually being able extend PHP via C/C++. In my experience most people calibrate pretty well initially or after an initial miscalibration.

Ask for code. TALK about algorithms at a high level. I have an aptitude for reading people, but my day two impressions of coding with a new person tend to lead to valid assumptions about them months later.

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