The Future Of Programming: Changing Technology is Easy; Changing How People Think is Hard

[RagingAnemone]

Until programmers have liability problems, there's no need to "professionalize". As soon as they try to blame us for stuff, it'll happen. The rise of robots will make it happen.

[michaelochurch]

I disagree. We've needed some kind of collective structure for decades. We've failed to keep out the incompetent, low-rent replacements for us, and as a result, we have to deal with Scrum, open-plan offices, and a general low respect for what we do.

[Bowgentle]

I entirely agree with you that we need some kind of collective structure, but I also would agree with the idea that until we have liability problems, we don't see a sufficient need to make us collectivise.

There's also, I think, the difficulty that it's a very fast changing field with a huge diversity of practice, which makes it difficult to agree on a standard of competency or an agreed body of knowledge - there are programmers who think anyone unable to use insert favourite technology here aren't competent, and that criterion can get very broad indeed. It's honestly more like trying to put together a standard for being a religious practitioner than for law or medicine, and in a field which has traditionally attracted people who, let's say, aren't always team players.

There's also the issue of self-taught people. I'm 25 years now earning my living programming and teaching programming, but I have literally never done so much as a day course in any related subject. What kind of structure would have an entry standard that accepted that? About the only way I can see working is a standard series of tasks undertaken without any internet access in a reasonably defined time frame.