It's a fascinating subject. Robert Martin had quite a few ideas on this topic.
Here is what I am scared of. We lack rules that define what a developer should do/be. Anybody can become a developer. Developers rule the world. What company doesn't rely on software these days? Governments can't enforce laws without using software at some point along the way. Of course, most of us do not have such powers or responsibilities, but it is a little daunting to think about our job in this context.
Just think about the Wolkswagen thing, where they cheated some pollution tests. During the hearing, the company official talked about 'developers who did it'. Fine, so we cheat to get by a pollution test. What next? Will we cheat to pass other security tests? People already die because of poor software. Maybe one day, some developers will decide to cheat to pass on a software test on a plane. Because of that, maybe one of those planes will crash in a stadium full of people....
Of course, I'm imagining the worst case scenario. But if that time comes, what will happen? What will we say? ' Well sorry, but that was the only way we could meet the deadline so we went for a shortcut this time...' . Pretty sure that won't work.
At this point, people might realise that we have no idea what we are doing, and it has been this way for a very long time. People will be upset, of course. Politicians will get on the case. And politicians will do the only thing they can: legislate. They will tell us what degree you must have to code. What language you must use, what tools, what libraries, frameworks...
I know it sounds very pessimistic :D But, I don't believe such an oath could be enforced by the developers on their own, but I think we definitely should while we're still free to do what we want.
Woah, that's a scary picture you paint right there! When you put it like this, I can definitely see it happening. And it makes for a damn good story too. I sure hope not though.
I guess there are quite a few regulations when human lives are involved, and when shortcuts or downright foul play is exposed companies do pay the consequences. Volkswagen definitely felt the consequences of their cheating diesel cars. Market forces sort of work when the consequences are directly felt.
But to continue on the VW example, I wonder what the engineers that applied the techniques to cheat the test are up to? Did they ever get any flack of that? Did they get away with saying 'I just did what I was told'? Did anyone even bother to ask what their responsibility is in this all?
To end on a positive note, I think there will always be a place for autodidacts in technology. There are new techniques to work on and experiment with every single day and a degree will always be a few steps behind current technology!
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It's a fascinating subject. Robert Martin had quite a few ideas on this topic.
Here is what I am scared of. We lack rules that define what a developer should do/be. Anybody can become a developer. Developers rule the world. What company doesn't rely on software these days? Governments can't enforce laws without using software at some point along the way. Of course, most of us do not have such powers or responsibilities, but it is a little daunting to think about our job in this context.
Just think about the Wolkswagen thing, where they cheated some pollution tests. During the hearing, the company official talked about 'developers who did it'. Fine, so we cheat to get by a pollution test. What next? Will we cheat to pass other security tests? People already die because of poor software. Maybe one day, some developers will decide to cheat to pass on a software test on a plane. Because of that, maybe one of those planes will crash in a stadium full of people....
Of course, I'm imagining the worst case scenario. But if that time comes, what will happen? What will we say? ' Well sorry, but that was the only way we could meet the deadline so we went for a shortcut this time...' . Pretty sure that won't work.
At this point, people might realise that we have no idea what we are doing, and it has been this way for a very long time. People will be upset, of course. Politicians will get on the case. And politicians will do the only thing they can: legislate. They will tell us what degree you must have to code. What language you must use, what tools, what libraries, frameworks...
I know it sounds very pessimistic :D But, I don't believe such an oath could be enforced by the developers on their own, but I think we definitely should while we're still free to do what we want.
Woah, that's a scary picture you paint right there! When you put it like this, I can definitely see it happening. And it makes for a damn good story too. I sure hope not though.
I guess there are quite a few regulations when human lives are involved, and when shortcuts or downright foul play is exposed companies do pay the consequences. Volkswagen definitely felt the consequences of their cheating diesel cars. Market forces sort of work when the consequences are directly felt.
But to continue on the VW example, I wonder what the engineers that applied the techniques to cheat the test are up to? Did they ever get any flack of that? Did they get away with saying 'I just did what I was told'? Did anyone even bother to ask what their responsibility is in this all?
To end on a positive note, I think there will always be a place for autodidacts in technology. There are new techniques to work on and experiment with every single day and a degree will always be a few steps behind current technology!