> There is no formal standard of ethical conduct in software for practitioners to use as a baseline for their own behaviour.
Such a baseline standard _must_ exist, and _must_ be created. Every applied technology has started out with dreams to "change the world", only to have those dreams shattered by those obsessed with power.
Assuming it _must_ exist, how can we enforce it given that anyone with an internet connection can teach themselves how to make software? There is no centralized accrediting board for programmers, and it’s not very feasible to me when there are so many self-taught programmers today.
In some states anyone can take the Bar Exam to be a lawyer. [1] They all still require time in provable apprenticeship/study in exchange.
Michigan doesn't have a degree requirement for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam to work toward being a licensed Professional Engineer. In general, in the past, the NCEES, which runs the FE and PE exams has made degree exceptions for people with appropriate work experience.
It's absolutely feasible to have accrediting standards and bootstrap in all/most of the self-taught programmers today.
The flip side is admitting defeat and proclaiming software development truly is the new blue collar and has no hopes of truly being a profession.
Such a baseline standard _must_ exist, and _must_ be created. Every applied technology has started out with dreams to "change the world", only to have those dreams shattered by those obsessed with power.
Biology? Biological weapons, nerve agents.
Chemistry? Mustard gas, TNT.
Physics? Nuclear weapons.