Especially if Craig Hogan is correct about the source of the otherwise unexplained noise detected by the GEO600 experiment.

When did you form your opinion?

That's what I always wonder when someone tells me, "You need a degree to get into this industry."

Maybe it's true now, or was true in the 1980s, or maybe it's specific to the midwest. It wasn't true for me in the 90s in California or my father in the 60s on the East Coast. It may or may not be true today.

My own experience: I started as a sw. dev. in a small shop in California about 15 years ago. I incurred some debt that is about the same as a student loan I guess. I continued working. I'll have my debt paid off in another year, at which point I'll be debt free for the first time since I was 19. My income is in the upper end of the income curve for my job title and I work for a fairly large (publicly traded) software company. I've been told I'm next in line to take over for my boss when he retires...so I haven't topped out yet.

I think a lot of college grads my age -- and a lot of /.ers -- can say about the same thing. The difference, as far as I know, is that the debt I'm talking about is my mortgage. The ones who can honestly say they'll be debt free soon are mostly renting their homes.

I'm not saying it's the easy road but I have enjoyed it. I'm not saying it's the end of the road either.. I'm planning to get a few more degrees but on different terms and for very different reasons than would've applied when I was 17.