News
The Survey.
In MWM004 we asked the following question:
"Do you consider those who work in the area of software development (e.g. analysts and programmers) to be professionals in the same way as doctors, layers, accountants, architects, etc?"
Readers had to choose "Yes" or "No" and provide a reason.
The results are are as follows:
Total Number of Submissions: 174 out of which 21 were duplicates (this was determined but checking for duplicate e-mail addresses). Therefore the poll 153 records.
Of the 153 records. 61 did not supply a reason to supplement their choice.
Total: 153 entries |
||
| Choice | Head count | Percentage |
| No | 86 | 56.2% |
| Yes | 67 | 43.8% |
The reasons
| No | Yes |
| There aren't the standards certifying bodies or standard of performance expected of these professionals. They are tradesman rather than professionals. | Enjoy Professional money, need hi-level training, must keep skills current. BTW what is a professional layer? |
| There is no board or bar that LEGALIZES practice nor incarcerates for practicing without a license. | Provide a service which can have catastrophic impact if performed with impunity. |
| No commitment beyond employer. | A company would simply stop functioning without these people. |
| All it takes to become a professional is a computer at home. | It is how we feel. I feel like a professional |
| People hold such positions because of promotions within a company. | Production of quality work in these areas requires a high degree of technical training technical expertise and aesthetic awareness. |
(Entries have been edited)
The entry below voted Yes and we feel that it merits further discussion:
"A true professional provides a service that others can not perform. However, there are a lot of people who claim to be programmers and/or analyst but are not truly professionals, which does not happen as often in other professions."
The results of this poll have been posted in a number of newsgroups. MWM will be monitoring comp.lang.mumps for feedback although people who have comments are kindly asked to cc any comments to mwm@mcenter.com with the subject line set to MWM004 Survey.
To participate in this issue's Opinion About..., click the hyperlink.
The Best in MWM004 are:
Best Article: Fractal Viruses
Page Layout: TOC (Graphical)
Best Graphic: MFreeZone: Joe Camilleri
The Browser: A little more than 80% of those
who submitted our questionnaire during MWM 004 use Netscape 3.0 or higher.
