[hga]

The last time I was a part of this activity in a company (1997-8), using similarly rigorous pre-screening, we had about the same results, only 50% of the people we interviewed could program their way out of an (EDIT) wet paper bag.

[kaybe]

How would I go about programming my way out of a paper bag? It creates the weirdest ideas and images in my mind.

[hga]

Oops, although this won't help your mind ^_^, the correct expression is "... out of a wet paper bag". From more apropos usage about fighting or escaping from such a flimsy thing.

And now that you mention it, I have no idea either ^_^ ... except that it ought to be easy. In that last company where I was part of the hiring process I myself got the job only because I was the only one they interviewed who could pass their dry erase board tests (at the time they didn't have good pre-screening or access to a good candidate pool; I myself answered a want-ad). Tests that were to me so simple I barely remembered them (two decades of experience by then).

[kaybe]

Maybe if there was a robot to program, I guess that would count.. now that would be a great opening move on part of the company! :D Let's see.. you'd have to get the robot into the right position (maybe find it with sensors - what kind of wet paper bag are we talking about, the dark kind?) and control another part that's capable of ripping the bag. Depending on the size of the robot you'll have to move it around a lot to make a hole big enough for yourself. Of course, you can also have the applicant design a robot for that task.. uhm, I'll stop now.

[hga]

Well, you know, MIT's introductory EECS course is now Python programming of robots, so as soon as those students start graduating ^_^....

Thanks for calling me on this rather mixed metaphor I've been using for a long time in a most amusing way. You're brightened my end of the week.