Regulation of the software industry
- by Flexo
Every few years someone proposes tighter regulation for the software industry.
This IEEE article has been getting some attention lately on the subject.
If software engineers who write programs for systems that expose the public to physical or financial risk knew they would be tested on their competence, the thinking goes, it would reduce the flaws and failures in code—and maybe save a few lives in the bargain.
I'm skeptical about the value and merit of this. To my mind it looks like a land grab by those that proposed it.
The quote that clinches that for me is:
The exam will test for basic knowledge, not mastery of subject matter
because the big failures (e.g. THERAC-25) seem to be complex, subtle issues that "basic knowledge" would never be sufficient to prevent.
Ignoring any local issues (such as existing protections of the title Engineer in some jurisdictions):
The aims are noble - avoid the quacks/charlatans1 and make that distinction more obvious to those that buy their software. Can tighter regulation of the software industry ever achieve it's original goal?
1 Exactly as regulation of the medical profession was intended to do.
