The inherent problem with this is that for the vast majority of users, there's precious little choice. Why would someone want to use Linux or something similar when they use Win'95 at work or school? Why would someone who doesn't know much about computers want to fool with something like OS/2 or Linux?
Sure, they might not like Win '95 or NT, but they don't really have a reasonable choice either. That's the problem, everyone hates Win '95/98/NT, but there's not a viable alternative, so they keep on buying the sub-standard software. I'm starting to think that this is only going to be solved in the courts.
I think the problem with all the responses here is that most of you are equating designing/developing with coding. There's a difference, you know.
Who would I rather have fixing my brakes? The guy with 10 years experience fixing cars and no tech school degree, not the brand new mechanical engineer.
Who would I rather have design my brakes? The engineer, hands down. Just because someone can build or fix something, doesn't meant they necessarily have the first clue of how it works or how to design it.
I think what the certification would ensure is that the people in charge of design, not coding would be held responsible for it and the coding, much the way that engineers don't draw blueprints or things like that, but when their stamp goes on the plans, they're responsible for them.
Having a certification akin to most States' Professional Engineer(P.E.) would hardly pave a road for morons to enter the programming world. I'll go so far as to claim that it would do the opposite- it'd at the very least make project managers a known quantity, as opposed to some yahoo with "C++ for Dummies" who may have a lot of experience... programming BADLY! Experience is nice, but it only works on what you know. If you learn the right things to begin with, your experience will be that much more valuable than someone who didn't learn the right stuff.
Major in Software Engineering?!? Which schools offer that as a separate degree from Computer Science? Where I went to school(Texas A&M) we had the choice between CS, Computer Engineering(hybrid of EE and CS), and MIS(business). We essentially had the choice of a very tough degree with tons of math, or a real cream-puff degree. I chose the tougher route, and I'm still not quite sure where learning 3 dimensional vector calculus does me any good. Discrete and combinatorial is another story though.
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The inherent problem with this is that for the vast majority of users, there's precious little choice. Why would someone want to use Linux or something similar when they use Win'95 at work or school? Why would someone who doesn't know much about computers want to fool with something like OS/2 or Linux?
Sure, they might not like Win '95 or NT, but they don't really have a reasonable choice either. That's the problem, everyone hates Win '95/98/NT, but there's not a viable alternative, so they keep on buying the sub-standard software. I'm starting to think that this is only going to be solved in the courts.
Yeah... I found it mildly funny that they say "No Porn", and yet call themselves "Home of the Whopper"!
I think the problem with all the responses here is that most of you are equating designing/developing with coding. There's a difference, you know.
Who would I rather have fixing my brakes? The guy with 10 years experience fixing cars and no tech school degree, not the brand new mechanical engineer.
Who would I rather have design my brakes? The engineer, hands down. Just because someone can build or fix something, doesn't meant they necessarily have the first clue of how it works or how to design it.
I think what the certification would ensure is that the people in charge of design, not coding would be held responsible for it and the coding, much the way that engineers don't draw blueprints or things like that, but when their stamp goes on the plans, they're responsible for them.
Having a certification akin to most States' Professional Engineer(P.E.) would hardly pave a road for morons to enter the programming world. I'll go so far as to claim that it would do the opposite- it'd at the very least make project managers a known quantity, as opposed to some yahoo with "C++ for Dummies" who may have a lot of experience... programming BADLY! Experience is nice, but it only works on what you know. If you learn the right things to begin with, your experience will be that much more valuable than someone who didn't learn the right stuff.
Major in Software Engineering?!? Which schools offer that as a separate degree from Computer Science? Where I went to school(Texas A&M) we had the choice between CS, Computer Engineering(hybrid of EE and CS), and MIS(business). We essentially had the choice of a very tough degree with tons of math, or a real cream-puff degree. I chose the tougher route, and I'm still not quite sure where learning 3 dimensional vector calculus does me any good. Discrete and combinatorial is another story though.
Somehow I don't quite see how having fewer humorless, bean-counting accountants is such a bad thing!