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> And while we can’t just go back to ignoring the economic realities of our discipline, perhaps we should take a stronger ethical stand not to harm users. Ackno

> And while we can’t just go back to ignoring the economic realities of our discipline, perhaps we should take a stronger ethical stand not to harm users. Acknowledging that the user may not always come before the business, but that the business shouldn’t unconditionally come first, either. This is why software engineering needs licensure. Not to check if people understand design patterns, or whether people know the fad library of the day, but to set clear ethical standards and hold people to those standards by disbarring them if they violate those standards. Or more to the point: society > biz > user > ops > dev

ametrau 3y ago
That’s really interesting. Barbers need a license (in Australia), lawyers need one, and yet people writing potentially crucial software do not.
- defrost 3y ago
  There's no shortage of hairdressing "institutes" in Australia promoting certificates awarded after passing their training courses and no doubt existing shops would look to see some evidence of skill before hiring .. however: Licensing/registration of hairdressers, beauty therapists and barbers is currently not required, legally binding or a symbol of any kind of standard in our industry. In previous times, there was a hairdresser’s trade license which was abandoned, without consultation with the industry. Re-establishing such a license would need to be done in conjunction with governments and education partners like TAFE’s and Private Colleges to ensure that the necessary awareness and legal processes are followed. Simply announcing that you are creating a license/registration for employees, and charging on the spot, simply won’t cut it. Hair & Beauty Australia Industry (2017): HAIRDRESSER LICENSE NOT NECESSARY AND NOT LEGAL https://www.askhaba.com.au/hairdresser-license-not-necessary-not-legal/ https://www.askhaba.com.au/hairdresser-license-not-necessary...
krzychukula 3y ago
IMHO. The article makes a wrong call to action. It calls for dev ethics when the problem is biz ethics. Instead of licensure wouldn’t it make more sense to have more rules and oversight for the companies?

ametrau 3y ago

That’s really interesting. Barbers need a license (in Australia), lawyers need one, and yet people writing potentially crucial software do not.

defrost 3y ago
There's no shortage of hairdressing "institutes" in Australia promoting certificates awarded after passing their training courses and no doubt existing shops would look to see some evidence of skill before hiring .. however: Licensing/registration of hairdressers, beauty therapists and barbers is currently not required, legally binding or a symbol of any kind of standard in our industry. In previous times, there was a hairdresser’s trade license which was abandoned, without consultation with the industry. Re-establishing such a license would need to be done in conjunction with governments and education partners like TAFE’s and Private Colleges to ensure that the necessary awareness and legal processes are followed. Simply announcing that you are creating a license/registration for employees, and charging on the spot, simply won’t cut it. Hair & Beauty Australia Industry (2017): HAIRDRESSER LICENSE NOT NECESSARY AND NOT LEGAL https://www.askhaba.com.au/hairdresser-license-not-necessary-not-legal/ https://www.askhaba.com.au/hairdresser-license-not-necessary...

krzychukula 3y ago

IMHO. The article makes a wrong call to action. It calls for dev ethics when the problem is biz ethics. Instead of licensure wouldn’t it make more sense to have more rules and oversight for the companies?