[aplusbi]

Like I said, 80-90% of candidates can answer my questions. I am also very generous with what I accept as an answer and how much help I give. My interview is as much a discussion about the question as it is the solution.

As for what I get out of the interview - you're right, it's not going to tell me how good of a programmer the candidate is. But it will tell if they can code, and will give me some idea of their problem solving abilities. (I've also personally solved both questions without help in under 15 minutes each, though not under stressful interview conditions).