[thelist] Hiring Eye Opener - Web Skills Testing (long)

Warden, Matt mwarden at mattwarden.com
Tue Feb 26 13:38:06 CST 2002


On Feb 26, Richard Bennett had something to say about Re: [thelist] Hiring...

><<4.      What is the primary difference between scripting languages and
><<compiled languages?
><<         a.      Scripting languages are parsed or compiled at run time,
><<(for instance, when a web page containing script is requested) where
><<compiled languages have already been parsed or compiled into machine level
><<code and are just awaiting information to be passed to them for the
><<operation to be performed.
>How is this relevant to an entry level web developer? Should they know COM?
>or be able to setup a UNIX server?
>Interesting facts, yes - but relevant ...?

arguably incorrect, too.

i, personally, would NEVER have given this answer to the question. why?

JSP - parsed into a servlet upon first request, then compiled, then
executed. from then on, it's not compiled again, no matter how many times
it's requested.

ASP/etc. - are "pre-compiled" and held in memory for a certain amount of
time. subsequent requests in that time period cause NO parsing or
compiling.

JSP is really the thing that would trip me up. Remember, I don't nkow how
smart YOU are when i'm taking your test. I have to guess how technical you
want me to get. JSP isn't really the thing that gets directly
"executed". But, it DOES get indirectly executed, and it's executed as
compiled java byte codes.

You don't think JSP is a compiled language? Well, do you think servlets
are? They both get compiled into the same compiled state.

THe point is, it's extremely confusing for both:

a. idiots
b. people who really know what they're talking about

To get this question right, i think you have to be somewhere in the
middle.


>>>9.      What is the "7 Second Rule"?
>>>         a.      The "7 Second Rule" is a usability rule that states a web
>Not having heard of this yet, I searched Google - if it is a commonly
>acknowledged usability rule, it is not well publicized:
>http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&querytime=nuD93B&q=%227+Seco
>nd+Rule%22

I've never heard of it. In fact, I remember discussing this on evolt a
year or so back. I heard everything from 5 seconds, to 15 seconds, to
"depends on your audience" (which it does).

Again, I'd never get this right.

>>>18.     You will now be given a sample web page (printed) and provided
>with
><<  <snip>
><<2 points each for the correct required tags (x 1 for each tag used)
><<         <html></html>                   <a href=""></a>
><<         <head></head>                   <p></p>
><<         <body></body>                   <table></table>
><<         <h1></h1>                               <tr></tr>
><<         <h2></h2>                               <td></td>
><<         <strong></strong>                       <ol></ol>
><<         <li></li>                               <div></div>
><<1 point each for the correct required tag attributes (x 1 each attribute
>used)
><<         alt =                                   align =
><<         bgcolor =                               class =
>
>I would think <strong> and "align" and "bgcolor" should be expressly
>avoided?

no. <strong> is correct. as is <em>. or, at least more correc than <b> and
<i> respectively.

>I think more research could have gone into the test - accuracy is important
>when peoples lively-hood is at stake.

I too feel that the test itself was a major player in the results. A *lot*
of effort has to go into the wording of questions and the accuracy of your
answers. For instance, you'll get two different answers if you ask:

How fast did car A smash into car B?

and

How fast did car A contact car B?

Asking "What is ASP used for" is such a broad question that I dont know
how you could have an answer written down.

I would have said:
"ASP is used for bringing in cash to pay my bills"

anywho...

--
mattwarden
mattwarden.com




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