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> engineers have a degree in engineering > An engineer writes the sort function, and can tell you its complexity and why the algorithm he chose (or invented) i
by jolmg 5y ago
> engineers have a degree in engineering
> An engineer writes the sort function, and can tell you its complexity and why the algorithm he chose (or invented) is the most appropriate one for the particular sorting task, and what the cases are where the sort will perform poorly, and why.
So what of the people that can do this but don't have a degree? And what of the people that have a degree in engineering but can't do this? Are both also engineers, or are neither of them engineers, or is one an engineer but not the other?
- WalterBright 5y agoI said that Boeing defined engineers as having a degree in engineering. That is clearly not my definition. I've known engineers that were no better than mechanics. And a couple (very rare) mechanics who could do engineer work, and would be engineers in my estimation.
- jolmg 5y agoOk. Rather than offering an alternate definition, it seemed to me that you were explaining why Boeing's definition made sense by leaning on the implication that the possession of a degree equaled whether or not you could do such things. I misread.
- WalterBright 5y agoNo problem! BTW, I know a very good mechanic who I tell him now and then that it's a tragedy he didn't get a degree in it. He's a born engineer, held back by not having the math training.