No Unions, Guilds or Controlling Bodies
I am not in favor of an IT union, guild, or any other controlling body in the industry, and would leave the industry were one to become mandatory. Unions preserve the weak and level everyone at mediocre in the name of benefits for all, which promotes sloppy work and an "I'm entitled" attitude regardless of performance or ability. Unions once served a purpose in combating the evils of an oppressive economic system prior to laws and regulations, but as with any bureaucracy over time became corrupt and self-serving themselves.
Guilds are simply unions with tighter controls over who gets what. While they do promote expert craftsmanship, a producer-side guarantee of quality, the rigid structure of apprentice / journeyman / craftsman / mastertraps its members in a lengthy learning process with certification at the whim of those with whom you'll be competing for jobs. It is in the interest of a guild to keep you at lower craft levels to preserve the scarcity of Master craftsmen (thus preserving higher rates of pay, and maintaining the supply of new apprentices dreaming of getting that pay). Demand for the craft can moderate the ability of a guild to control its output of Masters, but if there's that much demand for your craft then why do you need a guild to get a good job?
