Re: Comments/views appreciated...

"Duncan Langford" <d.langford_at_ukc.ac.uk> wrote in message news:d.langford-ya02408000R1302061425570001_at_news.ukc.ac.uk...
> Many years ago I was writing a book on appropriate computer use, and
posted
> here in the hope I'd be able to gather some relevant views from 'real'
> professionals, rather than just relying on 'academic' CS people, like
me...
[snip]
> So I would be very interested indeed in your learning your current views
on
> the relevance of 'professional issues' or 'ethics' to your professional
> practice. Do please take as much or as little space as you need, and bear
> in mind that (I hope!) tomorrow's professionals may well be reading what
> you say; negative as well as positive opinions are very welcome.

IT "professionals"? Now there's a laugh!

There is no such thing. The IT industry is a gigantic fraud. The overwhelming majority of people working in it have no professional credentials whatever. The very biggest systems (for big business and most especially for government) are built by big consultancies like EDS, Accenture, KPMG, and so on. They do not hire IT "professionals" (and couldn't if they wanted to--which they probably don't). They hire vast cadres of bright, energetic, motivated young university grads, often (maybe even usually) with not even a numerate science on their transcript, and set them to work copying and adapting the handiwork of last year's induction. (There is, I admit, often a lot of on-the-job vocational training available in these companies, but it is not a professional education, and it is done too late.)

No one would hire an engineering firm to build a plane or a bridge or a telephone network without it had lots of engineers. No one would hire an accounting firm to prepare their taxes without they had some accountants. Ditto law firms. Ditto medical services. These are all professions. They have professional standards; professional development, and professional regulation. IT is about as professional as used-car sales. A code of ethics is a nice-sounding idea but it would convey a wholly bogus image of professional integrity. (Is it ethical to propose such a thing then?)

Roy Received on Mon Feb 13 2006 - 16:20:09 CET