It took me a long time to figure out that the referenced study/paper is not
using the word profession in the way I would.  They explicitly refer to a
profession as meaning it has fixed certifying bodies like the AMA that
serve as a guarantor of a certain body of knowledge, or some other explicit
training/qualification, like a certified engineer.

Given my widely aired views on the value of certification in general, my
initial revulsion to the statement is softened.  I believe that the paper
in question is playing redefinition games, but keeping their redefinition
in mind, it reduces my concern.

It's a long essay that goes into many different areas.   I won't comment on
most of it for now at least, but it was an interesting read, even those
parts I disagreed with.




On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 9:42 AM, Joseph Kern <[email protected]>wrote:

> *"As you know, I work the cybersecurity trade, and I am gratified that
> ten days ago the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, on behalf of the
> Department of Homeland Security, concluded that cybersecurity should be
> seen as an occupation and not a profession because the rate of change is
> too great to consider professionalization."*
>
> Dan Geer just gave an amazing keynote (that I am currently writing up a
> review for on my blog) and this quote stuck out at me as an interesting
> topic of discussion for LOPSA.
>
> Here is the text of the keynote: http://geer.tinho.net/geer.uncc.9x13.txt
> Here is the study cited:
> http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18446&page=R1
>
> I don't think I've ever heard "rate of change" as being included in a
> definition of a Professional before. Does this argument carry any weight? I
> imagine Doctors and Lawyers experience a "rate of change" that is far lower
> than that of a Systems Administrator or a Security "Professional".
>
> --
> Joseph A Kern
> [email protected]
>
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