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Completely agree on software engineering. Not sure if it shouldve been callled engineering ever, but calling it applied philosophy sounds even more pretentious,
by p_v_doom 1y ago
Completely agree on software engineering. Not sure if it shouldve been callled engineering ever, but calling it applied philosophy sounds even more pretentious, and while we try to pretend to be rigorous and structured, software engineering really shares a lot more with writing than with building bridges.
That said, I think we sometimes tend to overestimate how structured projects like bridges are, and that almost everything we have discovered about software projects applies there too, just to a less extend - delays, changing requirements, unrealistic planning, last moment extra requests etc. etc.
- hilbert42 1y ago"Completely agree on software engineering. …engineering really shares a lot more with writing than with building bridges." OK, so what happens when the weak link in the chain in building a bridge or other critical structure like a plane is the software that helped design it? So-called software engineers want their cake and eat it too. They aren't prepared for the rigors and discipline of real engineering yet they expect to take equal part (and claim credit) in engineering projects. That's how we get disasters such as the 737Max and I'd bet London to a brick it won't be the last. I'm not alone in holding this view: https://www.fceia.unr.edu.ar/asist/gibbs00.html https://www.fceia.unr.edu.ar/asist/gibbs00.html
- p_v_doom 1y agoNah, managers are usually the ones that are not prepared for the rigors and discipline, because managers view writing code as something both easy and kind of wishy-washy.