Re: [hangout] Re: pittance

On Sun, 2004-04-11 at 16:40, Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS wrote:
> > 
> > This isnt a licensing issue, this is a comprehension issue.  The problem with
> > the IT profession is that there are too many 'competent geeks' and not enough
> > professionals.  What a competent geek may be capable of is beyond the scope of
> > the majority of the population.
> 
> 
> Wrong
> 
> Computers are for everyone.  You have a growth market of some 50 million 
> workers in the US alone.  Under what form of magic do you believe that 
> any of the basic allorgithms involved in program design is beyound ANY
> normal adults grasp?

No I dont think that a basic algorithm is beyond the grasp of any normal
adult.  What I am saying is that any adult who wants to contribute
meaningful code should pass this licensure.
The premise of a licensure should be based on comprehension not only in
being able to understand the basics of an algorithm.  The test should
also consist of a portion where the test taker is able to demonstrate
comprehension of abstract programming methods.  As well as being able to
explain those abstract methods in an everyday language.

> If what your saying is true, your in the wrong field because dependency of
> such 'rare' guiniess is not enough fuel for an industry to make.

This doesnt require the level of genius you think doesnt exist.  Anyone
who is able to understand a novel would probably be able to perform well
on this sort of test.

> It's not guenius which is fuels the digital age, nor is guenus providing 
> pay scales.  

Its innovation that fuels the digital age, in fact its innovation that
fuels any economy.  On the one hand the steel makers were right to try
to protect themselves from competition.  On the other hand they acted
not unlike the domestic automakers during the late part of the last
century.  Protecting their territory long enough to try to make up for
the miscalculation they made in foreign imports.

> For that matter, gueniuses can't even guarantee good pay for 
> themselves, forgetting about the other some 50 million individual intellectual
> giants needed for today.
> 
> IT industry, like any other profession, depends on skilled educated craftsmen,
> with fidiciary responsibility.  And Licensing these skilled worked is the single
> fastest	means to assuring them fair payment for their skills and oversite of
> the most important criticle infrastructure in today world.

Yes, skilled and educated.  Craftspeople?  Well, is writing a book a
craft, is it a skill or is it a talent?
We have to keep in mind that programming is not like any other 'trade'
out there.  It is a melding of many trades and a big mistake would be to
compare in too much depth to any other 'trade'.

Steve M

> Ruben
>