[ummonk]

>Programmers are everywhere, but a programmer that also knows chemistry or biology or economics or art history or just about anything stands out.

Really? I have a physics degree with some experience in rocket science, but my most valuable skillset (measured by how much pay I can fetch for it) is plain old software engineering. I don't think I'd be able to leverage my area of specialization to exceed or even match what I can get from FB/LI/G as a generic software engineer.

[criddell]

You don't think your broader education and experience makes you a better software developer (that encompasses programming, writing, and working with other people)?

[ummonk]

That's a good point. Not going through the standard CS track and straight into software engineering has probably given me broader experience and skills (both soft and hard) that I wouldn't have developed as well otherwise.