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From: dan@pokey.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.lang.ada
Subject: Ada Professionalism
Message-ID: <283@pokey.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 1-Dec-85 14:46:50 EST
Article-I.D.: pokey.283
Posted: Sun Dec  1 14:46:50 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 3-Dec-85 07:29:57 EST
Distribution: net
Organization: U of Wisconsin CS Dept
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>

As a member of SIGAda, I would also like to express my disapproval of
any involvement of SIGAda in this area.  Ada, in spite of the mystique
some seem to wrap around it, is just another programming language, and
can be learned by anyone with a reasonable background in computer 
science.  The idea of licensing and apprenticeship implies that the
skill of Ada programming is something akin to the skill set required
of an actuary, or a CPA, or a plumber.  That is pompous nonsense.  Not
only does it overestimate the importance of the programming task, but
it grossly underestimates the significance of the non-programming skills
that go into making a competent computer professional.

No one does Ada or its users a service by announcing publicly that
Ada is so different from all other languages that one needs apprentice
and test into the inner circle in order to be considered a "professional"
Ada programmer.  If the government wants to institute some bogus civil
service type test, fine.  If an employer wants to give some sort of
proficiency test to prospective employees, also fine.  To my understanding
however, the ACM is an organization which exists to promote the state of
the art and continuing education.  It does not and should not exist to
screen potential employees for government and industry.