There's more to good code than algorithms.  I really don't understand why some people in the HN community continually overstate the importance of algorithms.  This is about the last place on the internet you need to go convincing people algorithms are cool.<p>Yes, algorithms are great.  They are not everything, however.<p>Taking an algorithms class will only elevate you above some very basic mistakes.  It will not make you an expert.  Also not all algorithms professors are Knuth.  I've seen the code of the ones who think that study of algorithms is sufficient to know programming and it's not pretty.