[jared314]

I think you are talking about something different. I can practice basic medicine, but no one would call me a doctor. And, no person would accept me calling myself a doctor without some form of external validation that they believed was valid. I can build software, but being a programmer for someone else requires being validated, even minimally, by something external to myself. Even if the validating entity and the person looking to validate me are the same.

[officemonkey]

100 years ago, in many places on this earth, you could very well have passed yourself off as a doctor. The reason you can't now is because other doctors and governments decided to enforce a minimum standard.

100 years from now, perhaps there will be "Licensed Professional Programmer" certifications. Until then, you're a professional programmer if someone pays you. Even if that someone is yourself.