From: John Young <jya@pipeline.com>
Date: Sun, 22 Jan 95 09:42:50 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Locksmith's Guild wants limit on free speech
Message-ID: <199501221742.MAA25260@pipe1.pipeline.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


 
Commenting on Tim's comment about the decline of the guilds of "licensed
professionals" (I'm a licensed architect long-time arguing against the
breed's conceits and camouflages and irresponsibilities): 
 
 
Here in NYC there is a new trial policy to allow architects and engineers
to "self-certify" their construction documents as in compliance with the
building code rather than being approved by a municipal examiner. 
 
 
Over decades a sub-species has grown called "code consultants" or
"expediters", which advises and processes documents for A-E's who have
become ignorant of the arcana of the building code.  This group of several
hundred, has pretty muchly dominated, by default or by design, the
non-governmental side of construction through their specialized knowledge
of the code, procedures, interpretations, regulations and who to see for
favorable treatment in the Building Department. 
 
 
A-E's used these folks with happiness, usually, for it relieved the
self-certified high-minded animals to concentrate on the important stuff of
design and schmoozing and puffing feathers. 
 
 
On the municipal side, agency employees found that it was easier to deal
with these consultants than contrary professionals.  And, the culture
welcomed ex-public officials into their well-paid ranks to lubricate the
wheels. 
 
 
An odd result so far is that while owners and professionals like the idea
of speeding up the process they are reluctant to take on the concomitant
responsibility for deficiencies in meeting code standards in final
construction.  The city will inspect 20% to keep tabs. 
 
 
Both fear that they do not know the code well enough to take the risk of
being found at fault by random municipal inspections of construction. 
A-E's dread the liability and blame by owners for well-known construction
corner-cutting, and owners suspect their professionals competency and
ethics -- afraid that the pros will certify in ignorance or cupidity and
that the owners will face costly corrections without having the traditional
scapegoat of over-weening government to justify cheating in the field. 
 
 
The code consultants I've talked to say they wait for the animals
frightened of their own shadows to return to the safe stables.  
 
 
Perhaps "code consultants" precurse the trajectory of cryptographers?