[Gllug] VACANCY: Site Reliability Engineering

[Balbir Thomas]

On Thu, Feb 19, 2009 at 10:51 AM, Lesley Binks <lesleyb at pgcroft.net> wrote:
> A PhD can be likened to studying more and more about less and less until
> one knows an awful lot about nothing i.e. in many areas the highly
> specialized knowledge developed in postgraduate research is not useful
> outside the aims of getting the PhD.

We must not however under estimate the skill that develops by doing protracted,
intensive, independent analytical work. Skill as opposed to knowledge is not
gained in a short period of time by reading a book for instance. I can not speak
much about a Ph.D in liberal arts (out of ignorance), but as far as a
Ph.D in any
discipline that follows that scientific method, the skills gained are CERTAINLY
usefully in a field like software development, which is also based on the
logical and analytical skills of its practitioners. In particular the
ability to take
a complex problem, break it down to sub problems, then devise a solution
strategy for the sub problems bottom up must sound very familiar to a
software architect.

In summary the utility of the Ph.D in industry is not NECESSARILY what
specific area of knowledge that he has learn't but EQUALLY WELL,
the skills he has gained in the process.

I make no further assumptions on what a successful graduate may or
may not expect.

regards
bt
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