"Not to rag on PHP or Visual Basic, but people could get by with just memorizing certain keywords"
That's bullshit. Yes, PHP/VB programming may be easier, and yes, they may not be tackling hard problems, but "problem solving" approach revolves around analysis and how to address different situations.
That is best expressed by the "if.. then.." construct.
Look - I'm not going to claim the ability to program in VB makes you a good problem solver. However, I am claiming that it is a difference of skill level, not skill set. Memorization is a different skill to problem solving.
That's bullshit. Yes, PHP/VB programming may be easier, and yes, they may not be tackling hard problems, but "problem solving" approach revolves around analysis and how to address different situations.
That is best expressed by the "if.. then.." construct.
Look - I'm not going to claim the ability to program in VB makes you a good problem solver. However, I am claiming that it is a difference of skill level, not skill set. Memorization is a different skill to problem solving.