Engineer as a title is largely meaningless in the software world because anyone can apply it to themselves. Once the self-proclaimed engineer hit critical mass,

Engineer as a title is largely meaningless in the software world because anyone can apply it to themselves. Once the self-proclaimed engineer hit critical mass, people who may not have otherwise done so now feel compelled to join the bandwagon lest they get looked down upon or take less pay because the well-financed companies hire engineers, not hackers or programmers. It seems OP is mocking this mindset.