I need a geek friend who is a professional developer and loves outdoors and biking. Anyone?

Oh this should be good...

I don't do java.

I am a student at Kaplan University, getting my BS in Information Technology - animations.

I'm sorry.

http://www.google.com/search?q=kaplan+sucks&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a

I see that you found a few bad reports on kaplan which are from 2006. The information you are providing is out dated and from someone who is unhappy with the way they run things. Every online school will have some bad reviews but just like any school. You have to concider the source from which it comes from. If you did not go there then you cannot say anything bad about them. I suggest that you do more research on them and other schools like them, then make you a chart with reliable resources to prove your theory. Then you can post proven facts instead of posting opions.
Before you post something like that try to get more information first, do your research then post.

Here is some links for you http://www.shgresources.com/colleges/online-colleges/
http://www.distance-education.org/ReviewsList/Kaplan-University-12

I graduated from Vatterott.

If you research Vatterott they are not a regional accredited school.
You can go to rip-off report.com and find just as much bad reviews as any other online college or university. The report I viewed was from march,2009.

http://www.ripoffreport.com/reports/0/430/RipOff0430256.htm

What I am saying is, who know's what school is good or bad unless you actually went there and expeienced it for yourself.
So far only problem I have is the classes are to easy and I am way ahead of the class.

I'm not putting you down for attending Kaplan. Just still a bit annoyed with my experiences at Vatterott.
I did not know Kaplan was regionally accredited though.

alright.. lets chew on this...

Computer degrees are so bastardized...

This seems to be along your degree plan:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Science_in_Information_Technology


This is the wiki classification of the study of Information Technology:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bachelor_of_Information_Technology

note the Business affiliation in that description.

note the science orientated degree listed in the description, Computer Science.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Science

If you read through the material/content within the Computer Science and Bachelors of Science in Information Technology articles, you'll note the major difference between the two, in study. Computer Science 's material actually emphasizes on ARTS & SCIENCES* (or the theoretical side of computers and computation). Information Technology's material emphasizes on BUSINESS (or the applicable side of computers within business, and computer fields of business). Of course, the basic mathematical and basic conception of how computers work is distilled in Information Techs, but does that really warrant the degree to be 'of Science', as opposed to 'of Business' for Information Techs, which it most definitely is business related.

The whole computer degrees structure from university to university seems screwed up, and ambiguous.

Doesn't it annoy you that you're not receiving a business degree? Or perhaps even a Business and Science degree, if you're in fact covering more theoretical material than what the article posted?


* - As you know, Arts & Sciences are actually part of the same department in most, if not all, universities, based on their abstract conceptual similarities (remembering that science is actually based on our relevant perception in accordance to repeatable results).

:P

Well,
I am pretty into computers. I used to do a lot of web development. I know some languages and will be learning even more in the future. Learning ends for me the day I die. I am currently a student at the University of Scranton currently working on the BS degree in Computer Science but later going to go for the MS in Software Engineering.

I noticed this conversation turned more into an odd conversation of which schools and curriculums are better then others. I do not worry so much about that in general as I go to school to learn and not for a piece of paper that nobody will look at besides me. Employers do not ask for your degree they ask to see your transcripts. Your transcripts will say on them any degrees you have met the requirements for.

You see I was brought up to believe if it was not a degree of science then it was not a degree in the eyes of most businesses. I know that is not always the case but it is how I was taught.

Now as far as choosing a school to learn from that is a very personal decision. I would be sure that any school I went to was Nationally accredited at a minimum. I would tend to shy away from schools that do not issue degrees or transcripts in the same name as they go by while your attending. There are some colleges out there that sell themselves as one company like the Art Institute but the transcripts come from South University. While the diploma may say Art Institute the employers look at the transcripts and they do not mention Art Institute at all. Many of those type of schools will also require more then normal amount of credit hours to even grant you a degree as well. I found that when you add up all they require you are far better off going to a brick and mortar school with a good reputation. If you go to a college that business people recognize the name you will be far better off then if you had not. Not all schools are created equal.

I hope this is helpful but I am not really sure what you were asking in the first place.

i have been trying to program the vcr for decades...I finally did it....only to find....that Video tape is passe'

me

I tried learning C++ and Java via those "C++ and Java for Dummies!!!" books you get at your local bookstore. However, the books were about as confusing as the programming languages they were supposed to teach, so they're currently gathering dust in my library.

lol

Java_Swing came back!

(I totally thought this was one of those 'post one post and never come back' scenarios.)

well, miracles happen...:)

Welcome back Java_Swing nice to see you again.

Interesting thread. I was intrigued by the lack of professional developers responding to the thread. I figured there would be a lot of us.

Anyway, I am a developer/consultant with about 15 years experience in a number of languages including Java. I have created a few Java Swing applications, and am a member of the Tulsa Java Users Group. My last assignment as a contractor was for airport baggage and ticketing software with a hybrid of C++, C#.net, and Java with JNI. I'm currently on a C#/Asp.net gig doing sports programming for TV stations.

I won't say anymore, but if you're looking for a guy that does programming every day for a living, I'm the guy. lol

Everyone have a good day!
Bill