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So if a teenager who is getting into programming has an aunt who is selling quilts on the side, he can't help her set up a custom website? Or he can, as long a

So if a teenager who is getting into programming has an aunt who is selling quilts on the side, he can't help her set up a custom website? Or he can, as long as he only writes static HTML and not a line of javascript, or he can do that as long as she doesn't pay him even a nickel or a free quilt?

kec 9y ago
He can't represent her in court or officially do her taxes, why should he be allowed to officially render other professional services to her?
- crystalmeph 9y ago
  Define "professional services." Forget programming, can she pay him to help her build a shed in her backyard? It makes sense to require some sort of accreditation for systems that must be failsafe against significant financial, legal, or physical harm. But it doesn't make sense to require it for the digital equivalent of a backyard shed. And even safety-critical systems don't require the force of law. I develop embedded software for safety-critical systems. There is no force of law governing that in the US, but there are industry-recognized service providers that will evaluate your design and provide a certificate affirming that it adheres to specific standards such as ISO13849 and IEC61508. No-one in this industry will buy an uncertified product, despite no law telling them they have to. There is no need to create a law that will have massive unintended consequences.
- dsacco 9y ago
  Because the alternative is rent collecting. What you're proposing would make it illegal to upload HTML you can wrote yourself to a domain you own and collect money for it. It's one thing to require credentials for specific specializations within the industry that have critical safety impact (like aviation); it's another thing entirely to require my nephew to be licensed before he can upload code to the internet. It's mind boggling to me that you'd even make this argument...taxes aren't even a good example. I can officially do my own taxes and I'm not an accountant. So would the aunt have to "unofficially" have her nephew write the code, then pretend to have written it herself and everything is fine? That's currently legal with taxes - I help my own family with them. Furthermore, ask me how often I'm seen a company get hacked that had ISO 27001 certification from a security firm with more letters after their names than employees.

kec 9y ago

He can't represent her in court or officially do her taxes, why should he be allowed to officially render other professional services to her?

crystalmeph 9y ago
Define "professional services." Forget programming, can she pay him to help her build a shed in her backyard? It makes sense to require some sort of accreditation for systems that must be failsafe against significant financial, legal, or physical harm. But it doesn't make sense to require it for the digital equivalent of a backyard shed. And even safety-critical systems don't require the force of law. I develop embedded software for safety-critical systems. There is no force of law governing that in the US, but there are industry-recognized service providers that will evaluate your design and provide a certificate affirming that it adheres to specific standards such as ISO13849 and IEC61508. No-one in this industry will buy an uncertified product, despite no law telling them they have to. There is no need to create a law that will have massive unintended consequences.
dsacco 9y ago
Because the alternative is rent collecting. What you're proposing would make it illegal to upload HTML you can wrote yourself to a domain you own and collect money for it. It's one thing to require credentials for specific specializations within the industry that have critical safety impact (like aviation); it's another thing entirely to require my nephew to be licensed before he can upload code to the internet. It's mind boggling to me that you'd even make this argument...taxes aren't even a good example. I can officially do my own taxes and I'm not an accountant. So would the aunt have to "unofficially" have her nephew write the code, then pretend to have written it herself and everything is fine? That's currently legal with taxes - I help my own family with them. Furthermore, ask me how often I'm seen a company get hacked that had ISO 27001 certification from a security firm with more letters after their names than employees.