Yes, software dev absolutely is closer to philosophy than engineering. There is such a thing as software engineering, but that isn't what most of us do (nor is

Yes, software dev absolutely is closer to philosophy than engineering. There is such a thing as software engineering, but that isn't what most of us do (nor is it what we should be doing, IMO). NASA needs software engineers. Low-level critical systems need them, so the G-MAFIA has a few. For most business purposes, though, the iterative exploratory "let's get a UI out there and see how it works" is exactly what we need. It's a useful, cost-effective strategy when lives aren't on the line, and it isn't engineering. (My current job title is "Software Alchemist")