Using "Bug of the Month" column to determine somebody's C/C++ skills
Those of us who read regularly either "
Dr. Dobb’s Journal" or "
C/C++ Users Journal" definitely have noticed the "Bug of the Month" column where various bugs are given for curious reader to track down. After remembering Eric Lippert’s article "
Six out of ten ain't bad" I had this strange idea - what about picking 10 (or any other number) random problems from "
Bug of the Month" column and using this as some kind of indicator to determine the C/C++ skills of the person being interviewed? Will it give better/broader/more random coverage than EveryonesFavouriteSetOfC/C++Questions? It’s definitely a good self-assessment tool ;-) Please note that I'm talking about specific technical skills only, not general qualities as intellectual horsepower, problem-solving skills, creativity etc. My main rational is based on a idea that one should be able to prove that his/her knowledge is practical, applicable, and can be used to solve real life problems.
Fred Brooks once said: "A scientist builds in order to learn; an engineer learns in order to build."