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GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Alister Morton8-Jul-24 2:52
Alister Morton8-Jul-24 2:52 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
dandy728-Jul-24 4:12
dandy728-Jul-24 4:12 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Peter Shaw8-Jul-24 8:46
professionalPeter Shaw8-Jul-24 8:46 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Alister Morton8-Jul-24 22:13
Alister Morton8-Jul-24 22:13 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Peter Shaw8-Jul-24 22:28
professionalPeter Shaw8-Jul-24 22:28 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
den2k887-Jul-24 22:08
professionalden2k887-Jul-24 22:08 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Roger Wright8-Jul-24 12:05
professionalRoger Wright8-Jul-24 12:05 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Greg Utas6-Jul-24 18:46
professionalGreg Utas6-Jul-24 18:46 
I will weigh in on both sides of this.

Engineering has a history of what emerged as accepted designs, formulas, and processes that generally produce safe, reliable products. Software can't make this claim, though I'd say that OO and patterns, in most settings, are an step in that direction. But systems are very diverse, so software remains far more craft and art than it does engineering.

On the other hand, much of my career (starting in 1981) was spent in a company whose products were becoming more and more dependent on software, and less so on hardware. Consequently, many EE types moved into software. Yes, they could do it, and most had a smattering of it in university, but few were or became good at it. I said it was like putting me in an EE role if my expertise was that I'd noodled around, building speakers in my basement.

One major difference, as I see it, is that the essence of software systems is evolution. Expecting a bridge to be lengthened by 30m as part of its "next release" would provoke derisive laughter, yet the equivalent is commonplace when working on software. How to deal with this is a central challenge.
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GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
charlieg7-Jul-24 2:31
charlieg7-Jul-24 2:31 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Matt Bond8-Jul-24 6:38
Matt Bond8-Jul-24 6:38 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Amarnath S6-Jul-24 19:01
professionalAmarnath S6-Jul-24 19:01 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
MootlyObviate8-Jul-24 2:36
MootlyObviate8-Jul-24 2:36 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Peter_in_27806-Jul-24 20:41
professionalPeter_in_27806-Jul-24 20:41 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
charlieg7-Jul-24 2:19
charlieg7-Jul-24 2:19 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
dandy727-Jul-24 3:47
dandy727-Jul-24 3:47 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
charlieg7-Jul-24 3:48
charlieg7-Jul-24 3:48 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
honey the codewitch7-Jul-24 6:13
mvahoney the codewitch7-Jul-24 6:13 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Ravi Bhavnani7-Jul-24 9:34
professionalRavi Bhavnani7-Jul-24 9:34 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
charlieg7-Jul-24 9:41
charlieg7-Jul-24 9:41 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Ravi Bhavnani7-Jul-24 11:46
professionalRavi Bhavnani7-Jul-24 11:46 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Richard Andrew x647-Jul-24 12:33
professionalRichard Andrew x647-Jul-24 12:33 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Ravi Bhavnani7-Jul-24 17:52
professionalRavi Bhavnani7-Jul-24 17:52 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
jschell10-Jul-24 15:19
jschell10-Jul-24 15:19 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
Ravi Bhavnani10-Jul-24 15:45
professionalRavi Bhavnani10-Jul-24 15:45 
GeneralRe: The term engineer - it's getting a little loose.... Pin
den2k887-Jul-24 22:09
professionalden2k887-Jul-24 22:09 

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