I agree with what you say. I also KNOW that coding bootcamp works for the people running the bootcamp and no one else. If you go, you literally piss your money into the pocket of someone else, and leave with nothing of value. Amazing, depending on what side of the fence you reside.
I think it depends. My sister went to Hack Reactor in SF and got a position doing front-end development paying $115K per year. She also had a degree in oceanography from UC Berkeley, so that probably helped. I doubt she would have been able to get a programming job with just the degree.
Hack Reactor apparently has a decent reputation in San Francisco so that probably helped.
Regarding the parent post, it seems to me that most people feel comfortable hiring those who are similar to them. So if you are a comp sci person, you will probably want to hire comp sci people. If you are a self-taught developer, you will probably feel more comfortable hiring self-taught people. You can't base the efficacy of a program based on whether or not any given tech company loves or hates hiring people who do coding bootcamps. When you are starting out, you just have to apply for jobs until you interview with someone who feels comfortable giving you a shot.
I don't know if Fifer is in SV, but there's a big problem on this site of SV folks thinking that SV represents the rest of the world. But if you went to a coding bootcamp in Chicago, you'd be flooded with entry-level job offers in Milwaukee or Madison.
