alien_blueprint's Journal: Can someone please put the ACS out of our misery?

After a series of increasingly bizarre press releases from this organisation comes this headline: ACS pushes own IT 'licence'

"THE Australian Computer Society (ACS) has called on government to support its bid to become the accreditation agency for the IT profession, making membership mandatory for computer staffers ranging from Microsoft Certified Engineers to high-level project managers."

Here's the full article.

So, let me get this straight: in order to practice programming, I have to join the ACS despite the fact that they don't know what a kilobyte, a megabyte, or a megabit is? Too bad if I would prefer to join some competing society, right? Or none at all. Why work to stay relevant if you can just force people? I guess a crusty old-boys club will just get to say if I can work, what I should be working on, where I can work, how much I should be paid and for whom. Too bad if we disagree with their insane politics. Or their *continual* kissing up to any large company with a little cash. So much for freedom of association. "Join the local union or get out!" Great news.

The chances that any of the people behind this are listening are zero, but just in case, get this - this is the absolute last straw, I will NEVER JOIN YOU. If you can NOT get me to give you my money of my own free will, then PUT YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER, and GET A CLUE. Do *not* attempt to force me to - that is simply fascism and it is immoral. I don't care what you do, I will move to a free country instead if this should happen, because this one certainly won't be any more.

Rant over.

23/10/2004: I decided to take the swearing and cheap shots out. I wrote the original in extreme anger, and that won't help. Since some people seemed to like the original, I'll email to if you like.