Credential, knowledge and network come apart

A course delivers three things and they are separable. The credential is a signal to employers. The knowledge is what you actually learned. The network is who you met. Different courses deliver very different mixes, and being clear about which you are buying prevents a great deal of later disappointment.

It also explains a common frustration. Somebody who wanted knowledge and bought a credential feels cheated. Somebody who wanted the credential and got a demanding education feels overcharged. Neither course was bad — the purchase was unexamined.