In many engineering disciplines one needs to be a "Professional Engineer" to well actually do engineering stuff (I'm looking at you Structural Engineering). In

In many engineering disciplines one needs to be a "Professional Engineer" to well actually do engineering stuff (I'm looking at you Structural Engineering). In some places (Canada for example) the title is reserved exclusively (and by law) for those who got an accredited engineering degree and go on to apprentice under what would be a thought of as a PE in the USA. I personally don't have a problem with the title "engineer" being reserved for what would amount to a US "professional engineer". I'll note that PE don't require either an advanced degree nor a million dollar liability policy, so I'm not sure why such would be required from a "software engineer". Really in the end, I don't think programmers should be calling themselves architects or engineers. I feel like we do so because we covet the prestige associated with these professions, but work in one that is not old enough for our own secret societies or iron rings or titles. For what it is worth, internally in my company I have co-opted and use the title "Jedi Master". It is just as valid/invalid in my opinion as software engineer or architect and is way cooler.