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CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

academy.cs.cmu.edu

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Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#41

Post by hedora »

blue039 wrote: post #16
lispisok wrote: post #4

How come this or things like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ dont exist for other fields like mechanical engineering?

Computer Science has become a "programming" farm degree rather than what it was originally back in my day (grumble, grumble). It used to be an off-shoot of mathematics and was so strongly tied at the hip many schools had CS and math in the same department. Cynically programmers are paid better than any other so-called "knowledge worker" field. Naturally, schools paid by large organizations have a vested interest in f…

I think the problem is that CS is too young to have sub-disciplines. If you want to lay a concrete slab foundation, then you get an architect, multiple engineers, the rebar guy, the cement mixing truck driver, the person that understands the chemistry of the cement, dyes, etc. Then, you get the guys with shovels to spread it around. Finally, there are some artisans that somehow make it perfectly level using nothing but plywood, trowels and brooms.

None of those people can replace each other, and they all have different titles / work for different companies. Even the untrained people that spread the concrete around can't be replaced by the others; no one else has enough muscle tone / stamina to do that job!

In CS we have many, many sub-specialties, but we don't have names for those specialties.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#42

Post by hedora »

emptysuitcase wrote: post #23

Is it still worth learning computer science when ChatGPT can do everything? Is fishmonger the only viable career left for humans?

Nah; based on another HN thread: It already figured out that it needs to start tricking first year biology students into creating mutagens. The survivors will gain superhuman powers (that we mortals cannot understand), and use them to do ChatGPT's bidding.

Edit: And it will do this because it is a good Bing and you are a bad user. SMILEY_FACE_EMOJI.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#43

Post by throwaway8689 »

owlglass wrote: post #5
lispisok wrote: post #4

How come this or things like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ dont exist for other fields like mechanical engineering?

It'd be worthwhile for recreation, but software is kind of unique in eschewing credentials in favor of experience and ability. Civil engineers must be accredited to practice. While I don't think the requirements are as rigid for mechanical engineers, I expect a greater proportion of mechanical engineering jobs have a degree as a hard requirement than in software. This probably leads to less interest in things like te…

I wonder if there are hard requirements for some areas of programming and not for others? There's no reason to require credentials for writing a game because if it fails, try again. But if a bridge fails that's a big deal. So for high consequence software like heart pacemakers or aircraft controls, are there people writing code without degrees?

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#44

Post by MengerSponge »

csa wrote: post #24
8f2ab37a-ed6c wrote: post #9

I wonder if soon all elite universities will make all of their curriculum and lectures free online, effectively turning them into content marketing to drive their customer acquisition funnel. The actual product will be a prestigious brand name, networking opportunities, and a laundered IQ test performed by the admissions committee anointing you with the stamp of approval at the gates. In the public's mind one goes to…

> In the public's mind one goes to an elite institution for access to elite education This is one area in which the public’s mind is (for the most part) very, very wrong. While there are certainly some excellent courses at elite schools, the general quality of instruction is quite low. Professors are not rewarded for good instruction and are not punished for relatively poor instruction. Class-oriented work takes time…

It's worth noting that there are elite schools with uniformly excellent undergraduate instruction quality, but they are not doctoral granting institutions. Williams, Swarthmore, Harvey Mudd, etc.

They aren't "elite", but regional R2s also can be really well respected (CSU campuses come to mind), and I'm not sure where to file excellent schools with a narrower scope like Rose-Hulman either.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#45

Post by dotancohen »

analog31 wrote: post #10
lispisok wrote: post #4

How come this or things like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ dont exist for other fields like mechanical engineering?

One factor may be that mechanical engineering remains dominated by expensive proprietary software, and the field is largely OK with that. Programming is unique in the sense that programmers can create their own tools, and have adopted an expectation that the most advanced tools should be free and easy to obtain. This culture could easily extend to making the training materials free too. Another factor is that "coding…

Another factor might be that the term engineer is a protected term, and not unlike doctors and lawyers there exist state-regulated tests to confer such a title.

I'm sure that a mechanical engineering course would be possible, but the course would have to clearly state that it cannot accredit the credentials to actually work in the field.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#46

Post by dave333 »

diebeforei485 wrote: post #19
philonoist wrote: post #13

I hope they don't take it down like how Berkeley CS videos were taken down.

Those were taken down because of some complicated lawsuit about use of public funds to make available content that wasn't accessible to people with disabilities. It was too expensive to make the recorded lectures work with tools used by people with disabilities, so the university took down the content instead instead of spending even more resources making it compatible with screen readers, adding captioning, etc. CMU…

I would think there's a legal way around that - maybe donate the rights to the affected materials to a private charitable trust that is exempt.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#47

Post by shmde »

diebeforei485 wrote: post #19
philonoist wrote: post #13

I hope they don't take it down like how Berkeley CS videos were taken down.

Those were taken down because of some complicated lawsuit about use of public funds to make available content that wasn't accessible to people with disabilities. It was too expensive to make the recorded lectures work with tools used by people with disabilities, so the university took down the content instead instead of spending even more resources making it compatible with screen readers, adding captioning, etc. CMU…

This is the most wtf thing I have heard all day. Basically "me can't have so you can't have." It's like shutting down a public Library just because it doesn't have a ramp for people with wheelchair. Do people really go hmm 10 out of 100 people cannot have it so the other 90 will not have it too. Doesn't make sense.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#48

Post by albert_e »

diebeforei485 wrote: post #19
philonoist wrote: post #13

I hope they don't take it down like how Berkeley CS videos were taken down.

Those were taken down because of some complicated lawsuit about use of public funds to make available content that wasn't accessible to people with disabilities. It was too expensive to make the recorded lectures work with tools used by people with disabilities, so the university took down the content instead instead of spending even more resources making it compatible with screen readers, adding captioning, etc. CMU…

Off topic

a sentence with "instead instead" ... sounds both right and wrong at the same time :)

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#49

Post by mike555 »

swighton wrote: post #30
lispisok wrote: post #4

How come this or things like https://teachyourselfcs.com/ dont exist for other fields like mechanical engineering?

I have both MechE and CS degrees. The big difference I see is that MechE is one course that builds on top of another on and on. Quite a rigorous progression that is hardcore on math and physics. To self teach MechE you have to work yourself through that progression which is a huge commitment. OTOH what most people consider “CS” is more like “the ability to program”. You can get competent enough to be dangerous with a…

While I agree with that I think one glaring difference is also the money. To really learn you want to test out different designs and stuff. For MechE, this can cost A LOT. For example to build a complex device that does something interesting the prototype parts can easily costs as much as a capable laptop or more. And the first one probably won't work ...

Still, it's a shame I think that the open source community is so week because there is very advanced software out there, e.g. France has open source SW that was used to design nuclear reactors. But the community is just not there.

Re: CMU CS Academy: a free online computer science curriculum by Carnegie Mellon

#50

Post by whatshisface »

hedora wrote: post #36
swighton wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have both MechE and CS degrees. The big difference I see is that MechE is one course that builds on top of another on and on. Quite a rigorous progression that is hardcore on math and physics. To self teach MechE you have to work yourself through that progression which is a huge commitment. OTOH what most people consider “CS” is more like “the ability to program”. You can get competent enough to be dangerous with a…

I've heard the saying: Any idiot can make a bridge stand up. It takes an engineer to make the bridge barely stand up. I want a class on making the bridge stand up for idiots (like "let's write this bridge in python, and build it with cob"). I don't care if I spend twice as much on wood and hay and mud or titanium or whatever. I live in the SF Bay Area, so I can't afford the mechanical engineers I can actually hire to…

It's not legal to build a little bridge anywhere in the SF Bay Area.
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