John

>You have articulated why the software development discipline will never be regarded as a profession....

This is a cool thread...just wanted to jump in...

Perhaps the current state of IT and software development could never be considered a profession, but I think John R. makes a good point in talking about ways that software development (heretofore referred to as "SD") could become a profession in the future.

Why not try to develop standards bodies and certifications that start a cycle of excellence? Even in the realm of medicine, there were days (and probably still are in many places in the world) where medical sorts ranges from leech-flinging buffoons to truly gifted surgeons. As communication and verification became more feasible, groups (like the AMA) came about to raise the bar on what a "doctor" truly meant, and a level of professionalism was added to the realm.

True, it is easier to code software than it is to become a certified doctor. But it does take a long time to become a GOOD software designer, and such developers should be brought together under a more standard (read: non-vendor based) professional banner.

I think the world of SD is going to evolve so that true "developers" (no interns, no script kiddies, etc.) will become the definition of the word "developer", while everyone else will be considered users or perhaps "power" users. I would not consider someone that codes VBScript macros in Excel to be a true developer. No more than an herbalist would be considered a physician.

It is true that SD is different from being a doctor in that barely passable coding can get a job done, while just barely passable medical behavior can kill a patient. But there are other non-fatal professions that have unions, or guilds, or artisanships such as carpentry, and these areas all have meaningful certifications.

I think John R. hit it on the head when he said it comes down to meaningful, real-word certifications and such so that people can start trusting them. Right now, when an HR person sees MCSD on a resume it might be enough to get that resume onto the short list, but the IT manager doing the hiring doesn't have any idea if the certification is meaningful. But imagine a resume item that says something like "spent 4 years as apprentice to Anders Heljberg (creator of Delphi) before attaining software development artisan status". I would hire the person instantly, and that person would be good.

A lot of this is pie-in-the-sky, I know. But I think that as SD matures, things may very well look like something we cannot even imagine now. Proper credentialing and professionalism are inevitable for any important discipline requiring intelligence and experience. That's my opinion, anyway.

Thanks for the discussion! Happy Holidays!
JoeK