> The difference between reversing a string and pulling data from a database are, literally, completely different tasks. The killer is that the latter is something that a candidate will do in a job.
Why can't you do both? Seriously? Pulling data from a database is orders of magnitude harder to get right than reversing a string.
That's not the point. You have a finite amount of time in an interview, so why on earth would you ask a question regarding a meaningless skill that the candidate will use maybe once in their entire time at the company when you can ask something that, you know, might actually tell you if they're a good programmer or not.
Why can't you do both? Seriously? Pulling data from a database is orders of magnitude harder to get right than reversing a string.