> "e.g. In my case the only thing I hear from my prof org is messages with a "comply or else" tone." That is one of the primary functions of professional organ

> "e.g. In my case the only thing I hear from my prof org is messages with a "comply or else" tone." That is one of the primary functions of professional organizations. The idea is that you'd rather self-regulate than have the government all up in your business. Disputes and claims of impropriety can avoid the courts (and the public limelight) and be resolved internally. The consequence of that is that you actually have to self-regulate, and that your enforcement arm needs to have teeth. This is how it works in traditional engineering. Most engineering misconduct - short of the catastrophic stuff that makes the evening news - is dealt with internally. For the most part they do a good job of it, which is why they've been able to avoid being outright regulated deeply by the government.