The Erosion Of The Status Of Software Developers As Professionals

However, that doesn't mean it will stop. Imagine what it was like to be a scribe; you were a craftsman, who cared about the details of your work, had the intuition and experience to anticipate how your work would change in the future, and to understand subtle nuances lost on the illiterate.

What happened to the scribes? As literacy matured, and became widespread, they were out of a job. And it wasn't because they somehow became bad at their work. It was because they became obsolete.

Now, I'm not arguing this will happen quickly, and it may look different, but I can't help but look around and see how much more accessible basic programming has become (tryruby.org and all the others). Slowly, very slowly, more people are becoming literate.

They're not experts, and they may never be experts. But all of a sudden these people are experiencing an ability to see their ideas become reality, and more importantly, they're experiencing a new way to think. This is exactly what happened when people became literate, and the scribes disappeared.

Figure out a way to ride this wave, and you'll never be obsolete.

But let's face it: the more extroverted among us are jealous of the "social media gurus" who are waving their hands on the television stations and spewing garbage opinions. They didn't work for engineering degrees like we did, but their words are still heeded more than ours, even though it's just hot air.

Imagine what the world would have been like if the internet had existed when the automobile was introduced. I'm sure that the automotive engineers would be bemoaning the fake experts just are we are now. But the automotible did not make everyone's voices heard.

The very nature of our field means that we create technology that makes it possible for the loudest voices to carry the most weight, even if they don't know what they're talking about. It's the bitter pill we have to swallow.

Fact is, it's extremely likely you've been taken advantage of, financially at some point, for your skills. It's an ugly reality, but I'm betting it has happened to a lot of people, or is happening. There are people who love nothing more than to take advantage of information asymmetries to extract disproportionate amounts of value from you.

I'm having a hard time thinking of any downsides to professionalizing. It cements our place in society, makes it a 'thing' for laypeople to ascribe importance to (however idiotic that concept is), which starts a feedback loop of expecting respect, both personally and professionally.

What exactly do you understand under freebies [for 100y+ prof org members]?

Interesting point about the older prof members being both anti-union and but joining a prof body. I reckon the two have different functions though. e.g. In my case the only thing I hear from my prof org is messages with a "comply or else" tone. Sure they do set minimum salaries for apprenticeships, but those are so far below market rate that its does even matter. A union in contrast would fit for better work conditions, better pay, better benefits etc.

The only benefit I see is accreditation (admittedly a large benefit)...but that is hardly a freebie (took blood, sweat & many tears).