Comments on: What is Professional Software Development? http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2006/what-is-professional-software-development Wed, 23 Jul 2008 23:03:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Basil Vandegriend http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2006/what-is-professional-software-development#comment-4 Basil Vandegriend Wed, 11 Jan 2006 16:38:45 +0000 http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2006/what-is-professional-software-development#comment-4 I really didn't want to get into a discussion about the profession of software development - that's why I made that comment on craftmanship as a footnote. I'm trying to save the controversial posts for later. :) I will say this. Being a professional, in the context of my article, has no relationship with being a member of a profession. Membership in a profession is granted by an external organization, while acting as a professional is determined by one's actions and beliefs. (And I'm not Pete McBreen, but I did read his book.) I really didn’t want to get into a discussion about the profession of software development - that’s why I made that comment on craftmanship as a footnote. I’m trying to save the controversial posts for later. :)

I will say this. Being a professional, in the context of my article, has no relationship with being a member of a profession. Membership in a profession is granted by an external organization, while acting as a professional is determined by one’s actions and beliefs.

(And I’m not Pete McBreen, but I did read his book.)

]]> By: Dwayne http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2006/what-is-professional-software-development#comment-3 Dwayne Mon, 09 Jan 2006 00:34:22 +0000 http://www.basilv.com/psd/blog/2006/what-is-professional-software-development#comment-3 Interesting opening topic, and so much that one could say. ;-) Here's some fodder, if you want to use it, for future discussions: How do you see all this relating to the 20:1 (or 10:1, depending on your source) productivity difference between developers? Is it it just education gaps? Professionalism gaps? Is it something innate, or is it just a combination of experience & education? A profession can be inhabited by anyone that meets a minimum qualification. What would this be? How would you measure it, or is it something that an individual simply ascribes to himself? Does "profession" imply that there's a (finite) body of knowledge for software development? Given the roles/tasks/etc. you've ascribed to a software developer, is this really covered by one skill set, without the developer being required to be Superman? Is the canonical/legendary wizard software developer that can't be introduced to the customer just a myth or a programmer? What's up? Would you say that all crafts have scientific underpinnings, so that your statement about development being a craft doesn't undermine Computer Science as such? And are you really Pete McBreen (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201733862/)? ;-> Interesting opening topic, and so much that one could say. ;-) Here’s some fodder, if you want to use it, for future discussions: How do you see all this relating to the 20:1 (or 10:1, depending on your source) productivity difference between developers? Is it it just education gaps? Professionalism gaps? Is it something innate, or is it just a combination of experience & education?

A profession can be inhabited by anyone that meets a minimum qualification. What would this be? How would you measure it, or is it something that an individual simply ascribes to himself? Does “profession” imply that there’s a (finite) body of knowledge for software development?

Given the roles/tasks/etc. you’ve ascribed to a software developer, is this really covered by one skill set, without the developer being required to be Superman? Is the canonical/legendary wizard software developer that can’t be introduced to the customer just a myth or a programmer? What’s up?

Would you say that all crafts have scientific underpinnings, so that your statement about development being a craft doesn’t undermine Computer Science as such?

And are you really Pete McBreen (http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0201733862/)? ;->

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