> the programming profession needs a similar credential
I don't think it needs the credentials, it just needs (language?) to distinguish between roles where you can sign off on a product and be held legally liable if the product is found to fail its specification.
This, in my mind, is the difference between a software engineer and a software developer (I consider myself a software developer).
I worry that this won’t have the effect you want. Some of the worst software I’ve ever used met all aspects of its specification because “be pleasant to use” could not be meaningfully captured in a formal spec.
I’m not sure what the solution to bad software is, but I don’t think it’s making the spec higher stakes.
I don't think it needs the credentials, it just needs (language?) to distinguish between roles where you can sign off on a product and be held legally liable if the product is found to fail its specification.
This, in my mind, is the difference between a software engineer and a software developer (I consider myself a software developer).