Semi-OT: IT Degrees (was Re: JFS experiences?)

[Jared]

> I was considering getting a four-year IT degree at
> UMKC but I'm having second thoughts now that I've
> spoken to a counselor and found that even though I'm
> getting an AAS in IT from JCCC, none of the technical
> courses will transfer or count for anything.  This is
> because UMKC's "IT" degree is actually a thinly
> disguised CIS degree with a bunch of business classes
> as well.  Oh, and two actual technical IT courses
> thrown in so they can call it an Information
> Technology degree ("look! it has some IT classes!").

Not having been at UMKC for about a decade, I see this as
interesting news. Back in the day, the true geeks had more
authority than this. So what I'm hearing is that UMKC is
churning out a generation of IT folks who believe they
have technical knowledge but in fact are managers of the
worst kind, because they have no technical knowledge yet
believe they do?

Managers who actually have technical knowledge are the best.

Managers who have no technical knowledge can still be
decent as managers, but such managers who only _think_ they
have technical knowledge ... are no fun.

Sounds like the Bloch School of Business needs more Linux
under the hood.

If UMKC has a presence at the ITEC show, encourage them to
put more Linux classes (and machines) in their curriculum.
I believe that Linux has a way of gracefully restoring order
to a top-down managerial-heavy environment.

That oughta put the conversation back on topic. :-)

-Jared