2 ms·
Can I ask why you prefer this? I think that prefacing the word engineer with the type of engineering is much more preferable than redefining the word to mean so
by elbrodeur 16y ago
Can I ask why you prefer this? I think that prefacing the word engineer with the type of engineering is much more preferable than redefining the word to mean something to do with physical engineering.
- roel_v 16y agoI think it's not so much about the 'physical' part as about the 'rigorous training, certification and qa assurance practices' part. Developing software is very different from constructing a building (I do both, not as an engineer though); software is new, almost each and every time, because once it's build, you can just copy it byte by byte. Developing software is about pushing the edge in an unconstrained space. Physical construction (buildings, bridges, roads) is about repeatability; rigorous standards to reach a quantifiable production standard, and a build-in inertia to change. Large outfits (IBM, IT dev depts of big-four, that sort of thing) want to get software development to those levels, but nobody has managed so far.
- slantyyz 16y agoIt's a similar situation with the word Architect. Everyone in tech fancies themselves an engineer and architect these days, although they have little nothing to do with the original intent for those long established professions. It can be confusing and misleading for non-tech people.