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In the UK you can get CEng (Certified Engineer) as part of the certification process through the British Computer Society. I did think about myself, but it's been years since I did anything that mrchaotica rants about above (I wrote software for medical heart monitors as my first job. Scary stuff); so I just applied for CITP instead.

Join the IEEE Computer Society instead.

http://www.computer.org/

Brits: The British Computer Society

http://www.bcs.org.uk/

Aussies: The Australian Computer Society

http://www.acs.org.au/

etc etc.

I could not get any information from Royal Mail's current website though. Anyone ever tried those services?

I could not get any information from Royal Mail's current website though. Anyone ever tried those services?

I'm not sure if you're talking about the first computer built -- computer being used to refer to what is now known as the Von Neumann Architecure -- or when this architecure was designed. If it's building the first computer, then I think I can say with reasonable confidence that the first computer was the Small Scale Experimental Machine (SSEM), also sometimes referred to as the Mark 1 prototype or Baby, and was built at Manchester University by Tom Kilburn and Frederic Calland Williams, being completed in June 1948. If it's the design of the architecure in question, this may be a more difficult question.

This page is informative, I think. It claims that Wilkes' EDSAC was the first computer, but has what I consider a weak argument -- it suggests that EDSAC was the first computer, because it was the first useful computer. That seems a bit beside the point. Ok, so Baby was just designed as an experimental machine, but it could still run programs stored in memory, just not very big ones (initially a memory of 32 words, each 32-bits).

Anyway, I say I have reasonable confidence in this, because I believe the question came up on Slashdot not too long ago, and I think it was rather done to death at the time.

Comverse customer EMI will soon unveil Keychain, a hand-held device for m-commerce, likely to fit on a keyring.

Jay Samit, new media senior vice-president at EMI Recorded Music in Hollywood, explains how it works: 'You're listening to the radio in your car, you love the song but you don't know who it's by. Flick the Keychain and it instantly knows which radio station you're tuned into, and where you are on the planet. It connects to the station, finds out about the track and sends you an e-mail to tell you where you can buy it.

'In a restaurant you find you love a bottle of wine. You could scan the barcode into the Keychain and it will e-mail you where you can buy that wine, on-line or in the physical world.'

Jay Samit says the Keychain will be given away free to listeners by radio stations. The feedback they will get on people's personal preferences as they use it to get details of broadcast songs will be invaluable as well as anonymous, safeguarding personal privacy. Advertisers will benefit from extra marketing data and sales.

Neither cover all important points and both have problems, but they are a good start. In particular neither are very clear when two requirements contradict. For example from the BCS Code of Conduct:
3. You shall have regard to the legitimate rights of third parties.
may contradict
4. You shall ensure that within your professional field/s you have knowledge and understanding of relevant legislation, regulations and standards, and that you comply with such requirements.
In some cases where DMCA or EUCD apply.

Despite these problems, the various documents are certainly worth a look:

• BCS Code of Conduct
• BCS Code of Practice
• ACM Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct

I have a degree, it comes in useful, it allows you to put letters after your name and looks good on your CV. And I would actually say they were the best 3 years of my life, and I would have no hesitation recommending University to anyone. Although a Degree with no experience is a pain, job experience with a degree will put, maybe, 20% onto your salary.

But if university is not an option have a look here where if your are good enough I suppose you could qualify with a BSc in 2 years, and then go on to an MSc.

Also have a look at the BCS as their qualifications are to degree standard (although you would have *BCS after your name instead).

For instance, in the UK you can join the British Computer Society (BCS) which requires various levels of competence for various levels of membership, and all members have to agreee to a 'Code of Conduct' and a 'Code of Practice'...