Re: Coding skills

Malcolm McLean wrote, On 18/02/08 11:32:
"Flash Gordon" <spam@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message news:4isn85x0ft.ln2@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Malcolm McLean wrote, On 17/02/08 22:45:

<snip Malcolm redefining "profession" to exclude engineering disciplines and the BCS>

That is to say, it does not control conditions for entry into a profession known as "computer programming", and it has no powers to prevent anyone from practising as a computer programmer.

If you are going to use your own definitions for terms then you need to state what definition you are using otherwise no one will know what you means. So in this case what you intended is true but what you actually stated is clearly false. Tell me, have you redefined all the terms used in your field of work as well, such as molecule?

The word "professional" is one that is misused so often that it is beginning to change its meaning.

Yes, and *you* are misusing it. Definitions include:
a calling requiring specialized knowledge and often long and intensive
academic preparation

None of the definitions I can easily find mention your suggestion that there is a requirement to be a member of a body before you can practice it.

It means "do for a living", as in "professional cleaner", or "has a good job" as in "man, 34, professional, GSOH". However the real meaning is that a professional is a member of a professional body which regulates the conduct of its members for the protection of the public, under a charter.

The dictionaries disagree with you.

Historically the UK government also disagreed with you. Being a chartered engineer allowed you to formally whitness documents that required a professional to witness them. One example was countersigning a passport application, the rules are relaxed now but explicitly list membership of the BCS in a professional grade http://www.ips.gov.uk/passport/apply-countersign.asp
The list was a *lot* shorter when I got my first passport and it was a member of the IEEE (or maybe the IEE) I had countersign for me.

<snip>

The British Computer Society is using the term professional in a misleading sense. They do have a charter, but it's a Mickey Mouse one, because they don't control entry to IT careers.

Rubbish. They use the term professional in the same way the dictionary does. Also, just so this is not entirely UK-centric, the Australian government disagrees as shown here http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/277772/fromItemId/6193
So does Princeton http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=profession

In fact, I have failed to find a dictionary definition that agrees with you.
--
Flash Gordon
.

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