What about a Software Development Guild?

I work for Microsoft.  However, I wonder if the answer to deciding if a developer is 'qualified' wouldn't be better decided outside these hallowed halls.  Specifically, should software development be self-regulating, like Doctors and Attorneys are?

This discussion came up on a Comp.Object newsgroup thread that started by asking about the Big Ball of Mud (BBoM) antipattern.  The discussion quickly descended into 'whose fault' it was that BBoM code had come into existence.  Both Robert Martin and myself took the stand that developers who write this code are delivering code more slowly, in the current sprint, then if they wrote well structured code.  E.G. "Quick and Dirty" is an oxymoron.

From there, the cnversation further evolved into: perhaps we should have a self-policing guild, like crafthalls of old, that would allow us to decide, for ourselves, who is qualified to carry the title "Software Engineer."

Some folks immediately worried about politics and exclusivity, while others worried about creating a hurdle that the truly gifted among us would make no attempt at (no need to).  Plenty of issues.

My take: I'd like to see a more specific proposal for what a guild would entail.  I'm cautious but not opposed to the idea of Software Developers kicking out one of our own for delivering cr*p on a tight schedule.

What do you think?  Should we consider such a thing?