What's the story with the BCS?

**orac** · 2 May 2010, 18:39

Bcs

As a member of the BCS I have never considered it a proper professional organisation. It has no real power.
I guess the management have spent money on the Chartered stuff and some people see it as a waste of money.

**minestrone** · 2 May 2010, 19:21

I do like this line...

"BCS, the chartered institute for IT"

God knows why anyone gives this mob money, or the PCG who are equally as crap. I mean what do you actually get from them?

**Ardesco** · 2 May 2010, 19:22

i worked with a chairman of one of the BCS's and he was without doubt the most incompetent person I have ever worked with. With that in mind i'm not a member and have no intention of ever becoming one...

**thunderlizard** · 2 May 2010, 19:37

BCS has traditionally been the preserve of 5% "active members" i.e. academics whose institutions give them the time/money to attend/run its events while the 95% in the commercial sector are too busy working. Hence commercial sector has traditionally seen BCS as irrelevant. BCS now has new CEO who wants to make BCS more commercially oriented. The academics don't like that.

At least that's one way of looking at it.

**Doggy Styles** · 3 May 2010, 13:06

I found the BCS locked in an elitist time warp - the only serious computers were mainframes, "computer programmers" were graduates and held in greater esteem than rocket scientists, and documentation was only needed by idiots.

If they are still like that, they are coming to their natural conclusion. Sod them.

**BlasterBates** · 3 May 2010, 13:43

If you are going to have an institute it should be like the IEEE (Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers in the US), in this institute anyone can be a member so no chartered garbage, and it focuses purely on being a "learned" forum, providing useful resources for members and organising "recognised" international conferences, as well as being instrumental in setting standards. Unfortunately the BCS has lost it's way it doesn't have any role either in organising (meaningful) conferences or setting standards.

The chartered status only has meaning in the construction industry, or Electricity generation, it doesn't really work in computing. Though in most countries the only thing that counts is your degree. Only the UK has this "chartered" thing, probably completely out of date, as the only criteria other than your degree is an interview just to prove you have two years responsible work experience, what a waste of time and effort filling out the bl**dy forms, and taking a day off work.

**AtW** · 3 May 2010, 14:00

IEEE sets well known standards.

**TimberWolf** · 3 May 2010, 14:14

They were keen on outsourcing, so they reap what they sow, and should rename themselves the ICS. They were also in league with New Labour, with honours awarded to the top people.

They're a big rip-off IMO, existing to extract money from members.

**cojak** · 3 May 2010, 14:17

How about the IET (formally the IEE and the IIE) in the UK?

I thought they were the UK's electrical engineering body?

What's the story with the BCS?