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The Australian Computer Society's response to Matt Barrie

28 points by damian2000 14y ago

damian2000 14y ago
Here's the original article for context: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130131000939-921366-the-australian-computer-society-should-be-disbanded http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130131000939-92... HN comments here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5142872 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5142872
zik 14y ago
TL;DR: "It wasn't us, it was an organisation closely affiliated with us with almost the same name who we have absolutely nothing to do with". Convincing.
- mattbarrie 14y ago
  Spot on. Also no mention about why they get a monopoly on accrediting skilled visa applications for computer scientists. Two comments I got overnight: "The ACS is run by a whole bunch of accountants and lawyers who can't believe their luck that people associate them with the technology industry" "You’re right that the ACS has to go. Back in 2001 I contacted the ACS to discuss some policy things and was horrified to discover the “experts” I was talking to were nothing more than accountants. Later they elected a lawyer as president, and then a recruiter, prompting me to publicly condemn the ACS as a fake during the period 2004 – 2006. The ACS is actually an anti-professional organisation. Their agenda is not to promote computer science or engineering expertise, but rather to allow pretenders to hide in the generic vagueness of “ICT Professional.” They actually work to devalue real expertise, since engineers and computer scientists pose a threat to accountants, MBAs and lawyers who want to claim membership of the technology professsions. I think the solution has to be a formal inquiry into regulation of the IT professions, with a view to government stepping in and, as you put it, disbanding the ACS. At the moment, the ACS has insinuated itself too strongly into formal regulation. Simply starting a rival organisation for software engineers, say, would not work. Government has to dissolve existing ACS influence and leave the way open for new specialist organisations."
mattbarrie 14y ago
"We have nothing to do with this group" Just take a look at who the board is lol: http://www.acsfoundation.com.au/static_aboutthefoundation.cfm http://www.acsfoundation.com.au/static_aboutthefoundation.cf...
- mattbarrie 14y ago
  I wonder how many board members of the ACS and ACS foundation actually have computer science degrees. Would their qualification pass "accreditation" by the ACS or do somehow the lawyers and accountants gain "life experience" sufficient to be an "ICT professional" which makes them qualified to run the "peak body" for computer scientists?
- shoerust 14y ago
  That last photo...

28 points by damian2000 14y ago

damian2000 14y ago

Here's the original article for context: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130131000939-921366-the-australian-computer-society-should-be-disbanded http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20130131000939-92... HN comments here: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5142872 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5142872

zik 14y ago

TL;DR: "It wasn't us, it was an organisation closely affiliated with us with almost the same name who we have absolutely nothing to do with". Convincing.

mattbarrie 14y ago
Spot on. Also no mention about why they get a monopoly on accrediting skilled visa applications for computer scientists. Two comments I got overnight: "The ACS is run by a whole bunch of accountants and lawyers who can't believe their luck that people associate them with the technology industry" "You’re right that the ACS has to go. Back in 2001 I contacted the ACS to discuss some policy things and was horrified to discover the “experts” I was talking to were nothing more than accountants. Later they elected a lawyer as president, and then a recruiter, prompting me to publicly condemn the ACS as a fake during the period 2004 – 2006. The ACS is actually an anti-professional organisation. Their agenda is not to promote computer science or engineering expertise, but rather to allow pretenders to hide in the generic vagueness of “ICT Professional.” They actually work to devalue real expertise, since engineers and computer scientists pose a threat to accountants, MBAs and lawyers who want to claim membership of the technology professsions. I think the solution has to be a formal inquiry into regulation of the IT professions, with a view to government stepping in and, as you put it, disbanding the ACS. At the moment, the ACS has insinuated itself too strongly into formal regulation. Simply starting a rival organisation for software engineers, say, would not work. Government has to dissolve existing ACS influence and leave the way open for new specialist organisations."

mattbarrie 14y ago

"We have nothing to do with this group" Just take a look at who the board is lol: http://www.acsfoundation.com.au/static_aboutthefoundation.cfm http://www.acsfoundation.com.au/static_aboutthefoundation.cf...

mattbarrie 14y ago
I wonder how many board members of the ACS and ACS foundation actually have computer science degrees. Would their qualification pass "accreditation" by the ACS or do somehow the lawyers and accountants gain "life experience" sufficient to be an "ICT professional" which makes them qualified to run the "peak body" for computer scientists?
shoerust 14y ago
That last photo...