debate

I do not believe that the days of the piper are numbered. I know that the way piping is done has changed, but piping is still piping.
Let’s look at it this as an example. You can go to a computer store or an electronics store and buy a software program that has archictectural symbols and the capabilities to create walls, roofs, doors and windows. You can buy this for only a few dollars. You can take this program and produce pretty graphics and drawings of your present home or your dream home. That is easy.
But! And this is a big “But.”
Having the architectural software and having the skills to manipulate the architectural software does not make you an Architect.
Using this example and applying it to piping I say that someone who just learns PDS and does not spend time learning the technical side of piping is not a piper. This person is nothing more than a CAD machine operator who will someday do something very wrong and get someone killed.
As for the moving of “the really big jobs” offshore, I think that we will see some parts of some jobs shared with corporate partners located in other parts of the world. We now see more and more companies in foreign countries doing their own work. This is their right and is a good thing. The important thing to remember is the importance of and the complexities of the piping profession. These pipers in foreign countries need help to learn piping and how to do “it” right.