The perils of Java companies

Joel Spolsky writes on the perils of Java schools.Read it. It is an excellent article.

Now dwell on the fact that many of the same conclusions could apply to you if you have never developed a piece of software in a language other than Java or C#. Have you ever created a 5000 line + program in a language other than Java/C#? Do you know (as in wrote some decent programs in) any paradigms other than OO? Do you really know OO? (If you've learned only Java you probably don't). Do you work in a Java(C#) company?

With a new year dawning, it is a good time to make a resolution to improve your programming skills. Alternatively you could just "climb the ladder" and slump into "project management" or "iso/cmm".