My first thought is that "writing code" is not the same as CS, of course.
Second, your comment about "a reputable school" is interesting and indeed, probably, part of the disagreement with some people. On one hand, I'm open to the idea that someone can get a rigorous computer science education at any school, regardless of the prestige or admissions rate or rankings. On the other hand, I work with a bunch of people who are in some stage of earning an undergraduate degree through various online programs, and I sometimes see them doing schoolwork when things are slow (e.g. on a night shift), and I'm shocked that it confers college credit. I'm talking about classes on basic algebra that I learned in the 8th or 9th grade. Someone with a master's degree from a similar program bragged about writing his entire "master's thesis" in one sitting while drinking and receiving a grade of 100%... Anyway, it bugs me that they might think of their degree(s) as equivalent to mine. It's also easy to imagine that they might end up having a low opinion of all college degrees afterward, not realizing how much more rigorous the experience can be at other schools.
Second, your comment about "a reputable school" is interesting and indeed, probably, part of the disagreement with some people. On one hand, I'm open to the idea that someone can get a rigorous computer science education at any school, regardless of the prestige or admissions rate or rankings. On the other hand, I work with a bunch of people who are in some stage of earning an undergraduate degree through various online programs, and I sometimes see them doing schoolwork when things are slow (e.g. on a night shift), and I'm shocked that it confers college credit. I'm talking about classes on basic algebra that I learned in the 8th or 9th grade. Someone with a master's degree from a similar program bragged about writing his entire "master's thesis" in one sitting while drinking and receiving a grade of 100%... Anyway, it bugs me that they might think of their degree(s) as equivalent to mine. It's also easy to imagine that they might end up having a low opinion of all college degrees afterward, not realizing how much more rigorous the experience can be at other schools.