the self taught enthusiasts vs the educated professionals

I have had a particular experience
on my mind as we have been discussing
digital culture this week.

a year and a half ago (boy, time flies)
my husband and i traveled to denver
to see one of our favorite bands -deftones
(artist of the namesake song)

while at the concert
we were right in front of the gate
while this was great for being
right within arms reach
of the band and tour memorabilia
and of the guards to protect us from
drunk wailing fan girls

we were specifically pointed out
in the crowd and told to put away
our phones and cameras and especially video recordings

while we still got our pictures
and others who were farther away from the front
have since posted their videos on youtube

i have pondered this experience in relation to
this idea that Jalena happened to also comment on:




perhaps they really just didnt want us taking pictures
but i keep going back to this idea,
of what i will call,
the replacement of the educated professional 

if everyone in the crowd is taking pictures,
taking videos, posting them online
this takes away from the professionals
who are paid to be there and do that exact thing.

this launches into some discussion.

on Jalena's post above
i commented:

"I think this is a very good point. I have dabbled in photography which is something where specialization in the field is becoming unappreciated because anyone can go out and buy a fancy camera. However, I dont think people really realize and appreciate how much specialization and actual schooling contributes to these fields. Sure, you can get really good at working a DSLR and figure things out; but I think a lot more can come from an actual degree. But there is a lot of debate on this... hmm blog post and research to come. "

obviously this is the blog post and research.

back to the photography.

how many "momographers"
have started up their own photography business
and volunteer to shoot weddings
to put your special moment in the
hands of their self education

not to get too offensive here

but there is a lot of respect and devotion
that used to be given to professional photographers
who slaved over a degree
practiced thousands of hours
learned the intricate details of the trade
so that they could have a reputable degree.

and now soccer mom decides she wants a fancier camera
so she bought a budget friendly entry level dslr
that has a basic kit lens and auto mode
and BAM shes a photographer!
of course she will shoot your wedding!

having experienced both ends of the spectrum
-a professional photographer shooting my event
and a "momographer" in the same position

you can really see the difference in having a degree

you have the professionalism
and knowledge that comes from
taking the classes and working to earn
this knowledge and education

of course, this isnt knocking on self taught enthusiast
(myself being one)

this is acknowledging the almost unfair
situation that our creative occupations
are being replaced by amateurs  who can fake
the comparable skills at half the price

however, if you look at it in a few different angles:

surgeons.
we dont want our surgeons
self teaching themselves off the internet
and then being hired on to preform
open heart surgery on our newborn child
because they can pose comparable skills

so why do we want a "momographer"
documenting our once in a lifetime moments

but in this same yet different light

i have a friend who has stopped
taking classes at BYU because
she doesnt like her classes
and she just wants to write her book
and who looks at her degree for that anyways
--authors are historically self taught

but you can go to BYU
and get a degree in creative writing
so why is it offered if not really needed

and how is this so different then noted above

author situation aside,
it is because we have come to the point where
if we like it, if it looks good enough,
if we can get it for cheaper,
who cares about the credentials

we can learn how to do anything
ourselves online for free

offer similar products for half the price.

and who needs a degree.

the internet can solve anything
it just takes some self will

and not that this is all a bad thing.

this past summer when the Aurora Massacre occurred
 a few people on reddit compiled wonderful
coverage of the happenings concerning the shooting

while journalism is fading,
was this unbiased coverage
and collection of time events not a wonderful
and refreshing
solution and resource for this time of disaster

so perhaps we can do things better in teaching ourselves and being self taught enthusiasts

but then again
how do we find this confidence that
replacing our formal knowledge with
that of simple research on the internet
is really that better.

in my own life, however,
i have been directly blessed due
to the capability of becoming self taught enthusiasts

my husband has taught himself
some workings of information systems

this has lead to him be able to get a great job
due to his self directed learning

while this has been a great blessing
does it really replace a degree?

not right now.
in the future though?
is there a reason why a degree
or the same experience
will be better than one another

I found a great article related to this:
"Self-Taught Programmers vs CS-Educated Programmers"

he explains the difference in
programming specifically
how a degree and non degree differs

Loved this (long) quote that so well explains it:

"For example, I love learning new spoken languages ("Obrigado!") and have spent a good time learning them through Pimsleur language learning courses. I even own some texts. But when I learn a new language, I'm not learning the concepts of language all over again. I already understand grammatical structure, the relationships between subject/object/verb and the uses of prepositions. Learning a new language simply teaches me to communicate the same thoughts and feelings but in a different way. This is the same with programming languages: you accomplish the same tasks in a different language that has different syntax.
But language is simply a vehicle to manage communication (amongst the other ways we communicate). We use it to do much more complicated things like tell stories, convey metaphors and similes and express emotion. In this same notion, languages are simply used to create complicated algorithms, large platforms and other complex uses.
So what's the point? Formally-educated computer science students are better programmers? No.
The point is that learning a language and learning to program is really one small piece of computer science. The truly talented self-taught programmers are really self-taught computer science students. Also learning to program and learning a language isn't exactly equivalent to a formal education."

So where does this leave us?

where does this leave me?

in a very scary place.

thats where.

i have X amount of debt in student loans
when who knows if teaching is close to follow
that of photography and journalism

in the same breathe
because of this great new
wide acceptance of the self taught enthusiasts
my husband has been able to work
doing servers from his self taught experience
and put me through school

im on both sides of the boat.

what is the correct answer?

who knows.
i guess we will find out.