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It is far more than semantics, the term engineering denotes a rigid adherence to processes and protocols, whereas 90% of people that call themselves "software e
by USNetizen 13y ago
It is far more than semantics, the term engineering denotes a rigid adherence to processes and protocols, whereas 90% of people that call themselves "software engineers" are just developers at best - they write code to do what they are told it should do with very little concern for the overall processes involved in an engineering discipline.
- benched 13y agoThis misses my point completely. My point is that the term 'software engineering' is not meant to denote a type of engineering. It may include engineering as a loose metaphor, but the term 'software engineering' stands alone as a word in itself, with its own meaning, and that meaning is obvious to anyone who is or works with software engineers. More analogies: Should we not have software architecture, because it isn't real architecture? Should we not refer to systems programming, unless the practitioner has studied systems theory? Should we not have windowing systems, because no real windows are involved? Almost everything in computing is termed by metaphor with 'real' things.
- Brakenshire 13y agoIt's closer to the British use of the word engineer, which can mean anything from the civil engineer who designed the Channel Tunnel, to the mechanic who repairs the trains. I think I prefer the prescriptive definition, though, it's useful to have a word for someone expected to work with that level of planning and rigour.