Computer science. Just what is it? Webster says:
computer science: (noun) a branch of science that deals with the theory of computation or the design of computers.
Seems simple, doesn’t it? We use computers every day. And that’s the whole point—we use them literally every day. Your cell phone has a computer in it. Your car has a computer in it. You might swipe an ID to get in the door at work, before logging in to your computer and beginning your day. The office coffee pot might even have a computer in it, delivering freshly-brewed coffee at just the right temperature, directly into your cup. Computers are ubiquitous.
And yet, when is the last time you stopped to think about how something like that was made? How the computer got in your cell phone, or your car, or even your coffee pot? Or what goes on inside it? To most of the world, it’s magic.
And computer science teaches us how to make the magic happen.
Old Dominion University’s Department of Computer Science created the Computer Productivity Initiative (CPI) with the National Science Foundation in an attempt to bridge the gap between theory and reality for computer science students. Too many were graduating with a mind full of theory, but little to no experience actually doing computer science—making something. Or so the story goes, anyway. Other schools have similar initiatives for their computer science and computer engineering students, as a capstone to their education.
Since this is my last year in undergraduate study, I of course have to run the gauntlet too. I must prove I can use three years of education in computer science to actually make something. I must prove I can work with others in a collaborative effort (What? Computer science isn’t just nerds hacking away in their mom’s basement? I’ll cover these stereotypes someday, I swear). And above all, I must prove to myself that computer science is a tool—the means to an end, not the end itself.
What’s CS got to do with it? Everything.
I get that a lot in IT, people not really understanding computers. All they care about it whether or not it is working. And we are the magicians that make it happen, for better or for worse.
I think it's interesting you mentioned that Computer Science in school is comprised of a lot of theory but little practice. Many times I might meet a fresh CS graduate at one of my jobs (and believe me, I've had the chance to see quite a few job sites), with his fancy degree hung on his wall, and realize he doesn't actually know much. I've had to explain how to open a command window, or why the port in the wall needed to be patched to the switch, or even why his new domain ID will not work when his computer isn't connected to the network.
Oh... and don't even get me started on stereotypes...
To be fair, most of my classmates don't understand the first thing about networking until they start taking classes on it, if they do at all. It's a specialty for us here, and for most of them if it isn't in their specialty they don't know the first thing about it.
Although, there's no excuse for the command line incident.
nice article
nice share, thank you