[kictanet] Regulation of ICT Industry or Practice?

[Grace Mutung'u]

Dear James,
A few responses inline
>
> There is no contention on the need for hard working, innovative "ICT
practitioners" passionate about their craft.
>
> What is in contention is whether this is the right time to bring in
regulation to the industry, not regulation of the practice. What we don't
have, because the ingredients forming the industry are still changing
rapidly is an ICT profession. Will there ever be an all-round ICT
"professional"?
>

This is not the premise.  There is a whole new world where we do not even
have questions about " the profession ". Because these barriers are being
eliminated everyday by alternative thinking.

> Looking at human medicine, the human body is not changing, so one can
standardise the medical profession, with known practices and various
specialisations once the basic learning is done.
>
> It that it?
>

But even old professions are being affected by disruption.  Let me give an
example of the law. The protectionism around it is decaying. Because people
have realized that you do not need seven years to "know" the law. The long
study is about prestige,  rites etc. You can learn it by yourself and use
it,  case in point,  Omtatah.
And Kenyans are now questioning these things,  what is the intent,  who
will benefit most?
And it is the thing about children born in the digital period. They
question tradition and form their own supercultures.

> We need to accept that ICT is in everything now. And it is entering
mission-critical, life dependant places. And for a doctor who wants to
carry out a remote surgical operation, the ICT professional helping him set
up the equipment on local and remote site better be qualified in something
beyond passion and innovation. Those don’t cut it at that point.
>

And the important qualifications in your example is knowledge of machines.
Never mind whether someone stepped into a tertiary class and obtained
papers. They could be self taught with a bit of apprenticeship etc
But leave alone ICT,  AI is coming.....who will need regulation then... Man
or machine?

> The Wright brothers had no flying license. The pilots today do.
>

And today, planes can fly without pilots.

> I liken it to weaving a rope. At some points all the strands have to come
together and form the rope. Are we looking at the quality of the strand or
the strength of the rope? If it is both, then there are two different
mechanisms at play.
>

We could be in the era of unweaving the rope. Deconstruction of ideas that
have protected certain quarters in society. At some point strands have to
separate.
Depends on how well woven the rope was.

Regards,
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