>> Typically, their "program" consisted of several files with plausible 
>> filenames, containing words like "class" and "public" and "int", 
>> but... it wasn't Java. It wasn't even remotely parsable. It vaguely 
>> resembled
> 
> Ditto in our C++ programming sessions, I'd say about 50% "got it" and 
> finished in about half the allotted time, the other 50% had no chance 
> and were still there after twice the allotted time with nothing even 
> resembling a compilable program, and having to ask for help at every stage.

In fairness, C++ is actually hard. Java is relatively easy.

But yes, it appears that programming shows a curios bimodal distribution 
like that... I'm not sure why.

>> Are you *kidding* me? Drawing an ordinary circle is almost impossible 
>> to start with. :-P
> 
> Well you are allowed to use tools like a compass, ruler, etc.

Is there a way of drawing an ellipse with a compass?

(FWIW, I have trouble drawing a circle even *with* a compas. Invariably 
I end up with a spiral, or ripped paper...)

>> Heh. Sounds like the "software development project" I did at uni. 
>> There were four of us, and only I knew how to actually program in any 
>> language.
> 
> Hehe that's great on a CS degree :-)

In complete fairness, I think for that particular module the Computer 
Science and Information Systems groups were in the same room, and the 
guys I was working with were all doing IS not CS. That might be pure 
recall bias though...

I seem to recall that even in the CS class, there were few people who 
appeared to "get it" where programming was concerned.

More fun was that time the lecturer wrote Shannon's channel capacity 
limit theorum or whatever the hell it's called on the board. Everybody 
starts spazing out and going "what the hell does 'log' mean?" And the 
lecturer is all like "oh, sorry, I just *assumed* that 3rd year CS 
undergraduates would know what a logarithm is..."

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