Mandated Regulation/Certification for Computer Repair?

josquint asks: "Does the Computer Service/Repair field need to be regulated? This is a question I asked myself after spending a day off from my position as Lead Technician at a local computer shop, in an auto repair shop and a hair salon. In both places, I noted that all the employees had their trade credentials displayed for all customers to see. They are not only displayed as a matter of pride or to gain customer trust (as my A+ and Network Security certificate is) but as a matter of law. This regulation, to me, makes sense. If you're going to pay good money to have your automobile repaired, it better be by someone trained and proficient at doing it (otherwise I might as well do it myself!). Also, there is a matter of safety --an error in repairing a car can easily result in injury or death of quite a few people, so some accountability is needed. The salon regulation, to me at first, seemed like the usual overkill large government regulation. However, it too is a matter of safety to the clients, as the chemicals and equipment (tanning beds especially) can also do harm if used incorrectly. Would you view regulation or mandatory certification as a good thing in the computer repair/installation/maintenance world? What kind of regulation would you like to see, if any? How and at what level would it be implemented and enforced?"

"I personally would like something that requires certain basic certifications for the techs themselves, and possibly something to do with retail shop areas (use of static mats, data backup procedures, etc). And enforced at the State level similar to most small business type codes.

I wouldn't have a problem following some such type of regulation, and probably wouldn't need to do much if anything to make code. I do a fair share of cleaning up after fly-by-night companies/consultants/johnny's-14-year-old nephew-that-really-knows-computers. It costs a lot of the local businesses serious money to replace lost data and sub-standard equipment. I just completed a total system replacement at a clinic that had the system replaced about 2 months ago. It cost them over $10,000 for a system the should have been close to $3,500, but they had to replace the first replacement due to a consultant that had no experience or knowledge in that type of system trying to put one in.

While regulation wouldn't solve everything, I think it might cut down on the riff-raff and wannabes in an industry that many businesses can't do without as they can't do without electricity."

certification?

[chimpo13]

Computer certification would be GREAT! We've all seen that there's no dishonest mechanics.

Re:definitely

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would you actually pay someone to fix your computer? Can't you do it yourself?

No regulation.

[Mustang Matt]

Is this article flamebait?

There are too many idiots working in PC repair. If it were regulated they'd all be out of jobs.

All you need is your A+ and Network Security certs

[isa-kuruption]

If the gov't is going to require certification, all you need is your A+ and Network Security certs. You know how "advanced" the A+ is with all of it's DOS and Windows 3.1 questions.

Anyone who passes these tests is definately qualified to repair my computer running my favorite flavor of *BSD or Linux!

It's important because...

[CFBMoo1]

There no ordinary dust bunnies in computers! They have a mean streak a mile wide and big, nasty, pointy teeth!! *Puts fingers to lips* ... Look at the bones!

In addition to a certificate of qualification

[TerryAtWork]

They ALSO need 10 stars on eBay and excellent Karma on /. !

Regulate, Control, Oppress, Profit

[ackthpt]

Regulation of computer repair, ah, the possibilities...

"Your computer doesn't support Palladium, sir, you must 'upgrade' or we'll have to notify the government."

FATAL ERROR - THIS UNIT WAS OPENED/MODIFIED BY NON-CERTIFIED PERSONNEL

"Oh, back in them days we just handed your server off to an available teenage nerd and charged $50/Hr for repairs. Now that all our technicians are board certified it'll be $250/Hr for repairs, but you can rest easier at night."

UNSIGNED DRIVER INSTALLED - U.S. Department of Homeland Security has been notified, please turn yourself in to reduce expense of taxpayer dollars in tracking you down and hitting you repeatedly with a bat, you filthy terrorist!

It's a brave new world...

Safety Issue

[Shamanin]

"An automobile mechanic is certified and licensed because there are safety issues that can be fatal when a mechanic performs their duties improperly."

Yeah, well when I am playing BF1942 and get shot up due to a poorly responding NIC driver or a fragged drive I want some sort of accountability. It IS a safety issue.

If for nothing else, do it for the children.

Slight problem.

[WPIDalamar]

Cars aren't broken out of the factory. But a PC with Windows on it? Doesn't seem to fair to me.

Re:definitely

[ackthpt]

Because if your $100 sink gives way, you can have $50000+ of water damage to contend with....

Besides, it may violate zoning ordinances or homeowner association rules to have a waterfall running out your front door.

whereas on a computer the stakes are usually much lower.

Oh, I dunno, I suppose it's only a matter of time before you have to get a building permit to construct one of those super dual overclocked PC's with all the lights and stuff.

"Where's the environmental impact report on waste heat, you can't overclock without one ya know, and don't let anyone catch you watercooling without a master plumber's oversight."

Re:definitely

[stephanruby]

Because in one case, you'll be entering my home and if you start any funny business while you're in my home -- I'll have your license taken away.

Re:Scenario

[RealAlaskan]

Hey Jeff, could you come over and take a look at my computer?

Sorry man, I could get in real trouble if I work on your computer. I don't have a license...

I was against it until you pointed this out.

This sort of idea amounts to restraint of trade, the sort of thing that IBM and Pitney Bowes and Microsoft have all been slapped for. These stupid, mandated, credentials devalue the experience and reputation of the truely competent, and do little to protect the public from the incompetent and the fraudulent. They DO help keep wages and prices up for the people who have bought the certifications.

Still, if it lets me get out of repairing folks' computers, it might be worth it.

Regulate This!!!

[PlyWolf]

Yeah, that's what we need....more regulation. Because there's nothing to make your job worthwile like having Uncle Sam having strings attached. Hey, Cliff, instead of doing the California Soccer Mom Shuffle and recommending NEW FREAKING LAWS, why don't you not take any more days off, if you're just going to sit around thinking, "How could the government regulate me MORE?" I have the certifications you listed, as well as many other useless pieces of paper. They were never what got me my previous jobs, nor were they what qualified me to do what I've done. So, before you go dreaming up new bureaucracies to create, new lines to stand in, new fees to pay, DON'T. The only thing that would happen is the A+ would cost 400 dollars US, require a 6 hour wait in an office 20 miles from your house in the most crumbling part of town, and guarantee NOTHING in the way of quality tech work. Thanks to great minds like yours, 6 years from now, you won't be allowed to work a tech job in America unless you have a US Department of Technology Oversite license, which requires an A+ type test to receive, a large license fee, and have strings. Guess what? You can never be issued our license if you've ever visited a DIVX newsgroup, or burned mp3s of songs you didn't pay the RIAA for the permission to burn. Good thinking, pinko moron!

You Know Who Should Be Certified? USERS!!!!!!!!!!

[calgodot]

It's true that a know-nothing doughboy who fancies himself computer savvy can ruin a system. It's also true there's no shortage of scam artists and other hucksters in the computer tech field. But nobody can fuck up a computer like a user! If I had a dollar for every dingwit admin-type who downloaded Kazaa and a near-infinite variety of spyware onto their machine, plus another dollar for every manager who though s/he knew what s/he was doing when s/he installed that neat shareware program, or opened that attachment from that total stranger, then I'd be a rich man. We'd all be rich, I tell ya, because I'd have so much money I'd have to give it to my fellow Slashdotters in order to avoid becoming one of those Rich Assholes. (I'm already an asshole, so giving me money is just going to compound the problem.) I've admin'd a lot of places, and at every one of them I suggest user education. New toilet seats are a higher priority at most businesses. Most companies would rather undergo a external audit by Satan and his accountants than actually spend money on employee training. "They should already know how to do that stuff," is the attitude and answer I encounter the most, though at no point during the hire process are they assessing computer skills. (I guess the temp agency is supposed to take care of that!) Additionally, if users were certified, we certified techs could refuse to work with uncertified users. "Can you help me with my email?" "Let me see your certs." At least then they might know the difference between SMTP and POP! (Some of this was parody. Some of it was satire. Some of it was real. I can't tell the difference anymore.)

Re:Whose certificates shall be accepted?

[Blackneto]

Guild!
The word I think we are all looking for is Tech Guilds. Now if we can just hire some thugs to enforce things...

Yeah, and regulate Slashdot too...

[sleepingsquirrel]

Why stop at just regulating technicians? I see a lot of low quality posting on Slashdot that I would prefer not to see. Maybe the government should regulate Slashdot posters to ensure high quality posts. I mean, if I'm a sysadmin for a large company and I take some advice from "Ask Slashdot" respondents, I could royaly screw up my network. And for that matter, I see a lot of low quality advice from untrusted sources all over the internet. What we probably need is a government controlled firewall to protect us from all of the bad things we might encounter on the 'Net. I'm also concerned about buggy software. It costs untold billions in security breaches. And I suspect that whole Linux thing is merely a trojan, waiting for a critical mass of people to adopt it, before it unleashes itself on an unsuspecting world. I know I would feel a lot better if people who wrote and/or distributed software were regulated. Of course hardware is no different, just think of all the copyright violations that could be avoided if hardware was regulated to prevent unauthorized copying of copyrighted material. That's probably another $100 billion or so that could be saved by just a little more regulation. And anyone who would oppose these ideas is probably just a terrorist scumbag and we should lock him up without trial or due process. Trials and due process cost a big-ole bundle of money and our goal is to save people (taxpayers) money with just a little bit government regulation. Arrrrgh! Come on people, THINK OF THE CHILDREN!

Re:definitely

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know when the last time you fixed your sink was, but if you can backflow from the drain through the air and into the faucet, that'd be a trick I'd pay good money to see.

Re:definitely

[PunchMonkey]

Unfortunately, I could show you a few... but those were a few years ago. I hope everyone else learned from their mistakes :-)

We would of course tell everyone in advance, and when it came to reformatting someones drive to reinstall windows, 9 out of 10 people would say "Yeah, go ahead, it's just the kids games anyways".

Re:definitely

[itsyourunclebill]

Uh, as a GOVERNMENT LICENSED computer technician I was obligated to remove the 40 gigs of MP3s that had no documentation to show you owned them legitimately. And about those dated shareware programs that haven't been deleted, hey just a sec, there's a couple of guys in suits at the door........