The term “technologist” is perplexing.  My friend, Will Burrus, has been called a technologist.  I’ve heard a few people call Dave Culbertson and Joe Payton technologists.

Wikipedia defines technologist broadly:

A technologist is a specialist who is trained to perform work in a field of technology. In some countries, there is a clear definition defined by law, and only individuals who have graduated from an accredited curriculum in technology, and have a significant amount of work experience in their field may become registered technologists.

Depending on the country, a technologist’s recognition may be in the form of a certification or a professional registration. Canada has Certified Technologists and the United Kingdom has a professional registration for engineering technologists, known as Incorporated Engineers. The Sydney Accord and the Engineering Technologist Mobility Forum (ETMF) are two international efforts to improve cross-border recognition for technologists. An Engineering Technologist is sometimes called an Engologist or an Ingologist in Continental Europe. In the United States, a technologist is synonymous with Applied Engineering as defined by the Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering.

By this definition then, a technologist is defined by certification from a specific organization, depending on the country in which you live.  Okay.  For me, that still leaves three small disconnects:

• The standards and focus of the specific organization govern the definition.  In the cases above, a technologist would most likely deal in some type of engineering.
• Associations often offer accreditation and certification as a means of generating revenue.  That’s not a bad thing at all, but it is a driving factor.
• Technology is now changing at a more rapid pace than ever before.

What about experienced web designers or WordPress gurus?  What about the small sector of developers who have taken on learning FBML?  What about bloggers and other content creators who are experts in social technology, due to the requirements of their job and/or passion?

Here are a couple of honest questions, and I’d really like to know what you think:

• How do you define a technologist?
• Do you consider yourself a technologist? If so, why?

(photo credit: King Power Cinema)

nateriggs

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