[finnw]

> I have friends with computing science degree yet they cannot code or have shipped software.

So do I, but CS degrees are not about memorization. At least not in North America or Europe. For my CS degree, I had to follow the math and deliver code. Toy code of course, but its a long way from "recalling and reciting references." If it had been about memorization I would probably have failed.

I also know people who say they got CS degrees through memorization and the ability to recall and recite references. They are Indian and Chinese. And they can code (even if they believe their degrees do not help.)

[notastartup]

How the hell does this lead to stereotyping an entire race? Just so you know India and China have produced a large bulk of academics in computing science, across various educational institutions in North America and Europe. So I find your statement very arrogant and condescending.

Of course you can't memorize your way through a CS course requiring you to write code, but my point is exactly that, school doesn't teach you to actually be able to ship code or write something. It's something one must discover on own terms.

[finnw]

> How the hell does this lead to stereotyping an entire race?

It does not. It is just an anecdote, from three people I know, who were required to memorize stuff, and found their coding ability did not contribute much.

> Just so you know India and China have produced a large bulk of academics in computing science, across various educational institutions in North America and Europe.

Yes, I did.