[caseyamcl]

There is a definite argument to made for putting in-place more rigorous standards for developer education. My wife is a nurse, and there are very strict standards for getting a nursing license and graduating with a BSN degree. After all, she deals with human lives, and mistakes could be deadly. I believe such systems help ensure consistent behavior, and I agree that such a thing might be useful in certain areas of the developer world.

However, we have to be careful, because a big part of software development involves inspiration and creative work. If people aren't interested and encouraged to pursue development as a hobby or career path, where will the masters of the future come from? Think of the amateur, but not so great, photographer hobbyist who grows up to become a legend in their field.

I also have to disagree with Uncle Bob on the use of the term "hordes" to describe "many people interested in a craft". The negative connotation is indicative of the kind of snobbery that people as the top of their field may be entitled to, but certainly doesn't win people over when trying to make a convincing argument. It smacks of somebody looking down from the Ivory Tower of Enlightenment and sneering at the ignorance of the perceived mobs below...