About 100 years ago, all you needed to become a doctor was to move into some town with your snakeoil and set up shop. There was no certification process. In fact, most people didn't know that there was a learning process to become a doctor, other than the apprenticeship process.

Then, some upstart organization calling itself the American Medical Association decided to come along and say "You're not a doctor unless we say you are". It took a while, but after the federal government gave the AMA its blessing, then people started demanding to see AMA certification before they'd send their kids to you.

Within a generation, AMA certification started saving lives. Sure, a lot of people complained, citing most of the same complaints that you did. But, I think we're all happier knowing that the AMA does exist. I know I am.

Now, what about creating the American Computing Association, along the same lines? Computing professionals certify their own, just like doctors, lawyers, and accountants do. We, as a community, say "Yes, that person can do the things we feel that a given computing engineer in the field of XYZ should be able to competently do."

As for what a Computing Engineer should do ... Masem has it right. They would be responsible for making sure that a given project is certifiably sound. That all the correct designs and processes were followed in the lifecycle of the project. Exactly the same way any other engineer would do it.

Yes, this would slow down the software releases for those products that have to be certified. You know, things like air control, electricity generation, and Microsoft Office.

Why Office? Not because the government will demand it, like it would the former ones. Because the marketplace will demand it. Can you imagine a multi-billion dollar company saying "Yeah, we'll take your uncertified software" when there is a possibility to purchase certified software, even if it is more expensive? I certainly wouldn't.

Now, there will always be a market for uncertified software, because it'll be cheaper. But, the idea that ALL software would have to be certified is ridiculous. And, to use that as an argument against certification of any kind is equally ridiculous.

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We are the carpenters and bricklayers of the Information Age.

Don't go borrowing trouble. For programmers, this means Worry only about what you need to implement.