Had an interview yesterday where I was asked to reverse a linked list. A linked list. In 2026.

I get that DSA knowledge shows problem-solving ability, but when was the last time anyone actually implemented a linked list in production code? Even the standard library implementations of LinkedList in Java are rarely used because ArrayList is almost always faster due to cache locality.

I feel like there's a disconnect between what interviews test and what the job actually requires. At my current job, the hardest problems involve distributed systems, data modeling, and API design - not reversing linked lists.

Am I just salty because I failed the interview, or is there a legitimate argument that interview processes should evolve?

Edit: to clarify, I'm not saying DSA knowledge is useless. I'm questioning whether the specific problems asked in interviews are the best proxy for engineering ability.