> The whiteboard interview was to write out algorithm for a merge sort. I thought it was the silliest thing in the world.

Last one I had was to implement QuickSort. Had a -huge- argument with the interviewer who insisted there was an off-by-one error and it would never work. Needless to say, he was thoroughly wrong once it was coded up and I didn't get the job. :)

> It was such a turn off

It's pretty much an automatic "no" for me now too.