To my mind there is another aspect to the newbie questions that is as apparent as the 'now','now','now' attitude is the complete lack of comprehension of the basics of programming: specifically 'how to test'.

They read a problem, write a solution (sometimes!), run it, and if it doesn't work they're lost. No understanding of how to break the problem down, no understanding of any testing or debugging techniques. Grrr.

Sometimes I think that the IT industry should become a proper profession like accountants or doctors and membership of a professional body is a requirement for employment. Then again, the industry is fast moving and constantly changing, leading to qualifications that are out of date before the ink's dry.

rdfield

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