4 ms·

He is an engineer, changing the title as you suggest makes it sound like he isn't.

slantyyz 9y ago
>> He is an engineer, changing the title as you suggest makes it sound like he isn't. Is he really though? He has an engineering education, but in Oregon he's not officially an engineer. In a lot of jurisdictions, you can't call yourself an engineer unless you've been certified by the professional body. A Canadian politician had to apologize for calling himself an engineer because he was no longer certified [1]. I get that we in the tech industry like to be fast and loose with words like "architect" and "engineer", but those words can be protected by law. I assume the reasoning behind that is for consumer protection -- to ensure people are hiring people who meet a certain standard. At some jobs I held, I used to have the word "architect" in my title, and everyone outside of tech would ask me if I designed buildings when I gave them my business card. I tend to think that if I had the word "engineer" in my title that a layperson would think I have an engineering education and certification. [1] https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/14/liberal-mp-apologizes-for-calling-himself-an-engineer-during-election-campaign.html https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/14/liberal-mp-ap...
- Buttons840 9y ago
  If the goal is to ensure that qualified people are hired then perhaps background checks and validating certifications would be enough without having to make a word illegal to use by the majority of the population.
  - slantyyz 9y ago
    True, but I'm only pointing out how it is, not how it should be. Unfortunately, not liking an outdated law doesn't invalidate it or prevent it from being enforced. That's a separate issue.
- valuearb 9y ago
  He's officially an engineer. A jurisdiction can't change that. Words can't be protected by law. It's called freedom of speech.
  - slantyyz 9y ago
    Words are protected by the law all the time, especially as it relates to copyright/trademarks, commerce, certain professions and consumer protection.
    - valuearb 9y ago
      Name one thing an individual citizen can't utter because it's protected by "copyright/trademarks, commerce, professions or consumer protection".
      - slantyyz 9y ago
        You're missing my original point, which is to say the guy can't legally call himself an engineer in Oregon, at least in a professional capacity, which would be related to a profession/consumer protection. If you actually followed the thread, my point was a response to a response about changing the title to not call the person an engineer in the headline. It had nothing to do with him being sanctioned for expressing his opinions about the red light cameras, which itself is a free speech issue. If words are used to misrepresent, incite, defraud or defame, there can be legal consequences. If you had a slab of horse meat you were selling and someone asked you what it was, and you said only the word "beef", do you think there would be no legal recourse of action against you if the buyer found out it wasn't true?
        valuearb 9y ago
        If the guild of professional Kobe beef ranchers were given government authority to fine anyone who referred to non-kobe cow meat as “beef”, would it be right?
        9y ago

>> He is an engineer, changing the title as you suggest makes it sound like he isn't. Is he really though? He has an engineering education, but in Oregon he's not officially an engineer. In a lot of jurisdictions, you can't call yourself an engineer unless you've been certified by the professional body. A Canadian politician had to apologize for calling himself an engineer because he was no longer certified [1]. I get that we in the tech industry like to be fast and loose with words like "architect" and "engineer", but those words can be protected by law. I assume the reasoning behind that is for consumer protection -- to ensure people are hiring people who meet a certain standard. At some jobs I held, I used to have the word "architect" in my title, and everyone outside of tech would ask me if I designed buildings when I gave them my business card. I tend to think that if I had the word "engineer" in my title that a layperson would think I have an engineering education and certification. [1] https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/14/liberal-mp-apologizes-for-calling-himself-an-engineer-during-election-campaign.html https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/11/14/liberal-mp-ap...

Buttons840 9y ago
If the goal is to ensure that qualified people are hired then perhaps background checks and validating certifications would be enough without having to make a word illegal to use by the majority of the population.
- slantyyz 9y ago
  True, but I'm only pointing out how it is, not how it should be. Unfortunately, not liking an outdated law doesn't invalidate it or prevent it from being enforced. That's a separate issue.
valuearb 9y ago
He's officially an engineer. A jurisdiction can't change that. Words can't be protected by law. It's called freedom of speech.
- slantyyz 9y ago
  Words are protected by the law all the time, especially as it relates to copyright/trademarks, commerce, certain professions and consumer protection.
  - valuearb 9y ago
    Name one thing an individual citizen can't utter because it's protected by "copyright/trademarks, commerce, professions or consumer protection".
    - slantyyz 9y ago
      You're missing my original point, which is to say the guy can't legally call himself an engineer in Oregon, at least in a professional capacity, which would be related to a profession/consumer protection. If you actually followed the thread, my point was a response to a response about changing the title to not call the person an engineer in the headline. It had nothing to do with him being sanctioned for expressing his opinions about the red light cameras, which itself is a free speech issue. If words are used to misrepresent, incite, defraud or defame, there can be legal consequences. If you had a slab of horse meat you were selling and someone asked you what it was, and you said only the word "beef", do you think there would be no legal recourse of action against you if the buyer found out it wasn't true?
      - valuearb 9y ago
        If the guild of professional Kobe beef ranchers were given government authority to fine anyone who referred to non-kobe cow meat as “beef”, would it be right?
        9y ago