[timje1]

You don't need to study CS to get good technical skills either. I didn't say a humanities degree is the only way to get good writing skills, only that a humanities degree develops your writing skills. I propose that gaining good reading, comprehension and written communication skills would come in handy in a wide variety of careers, including software development.

[bobbbinsIII]

it's much more likely that a technical student has developed good communication skills than the other way round. in the real world, people are not required to write in depth literary analysis: most people have all the core reading and written communications skills they need after high school.

it's also important to point out that your friend's example is a special case. when looking at the value of a particular degree, it's important to consider the full distribution of outcomes.