Earlier quoted context omitted.
Traditionally they're called firemen. Steam locomotives aren't commonly used anymore, so I assume you're making a joke about somebody on a train being a "firefighter".
I think the term stoker also applies.
Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
301–309 of 309 posts
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#302Earlier quoted context omitted.
> I don't consider software engineering to be engineering because we don't have a professional body or licensing or standards Why would this be the defining characteristic of engineering?
It's not the defining characteristic, but I've always understood it to be a necessary requirement before a person can be called an engineer.
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#303Earlier quoted context omitted.
> It's not like he have made calculation of bridge steel welds or something without proper legal papers. Suppose he had. Suppose he found a bridge suspicious, did some calculations, and told a newspaper/transport safety agency about it. Should that be illegal, because the state of Oregon didn't give him permission? Is it okay to very literally fine someone for 'unlicensed use of math'? Thankfully the ruling very stro…
I agree. I meant a calculations for building a bridge, and having responsibility for it.
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#304Earlier quoted context omitted.
If he were holding himself out as a "professional engineer," I'd absolutely agree with you. However, there are entire fields of engineering that have largely ignored the PE. Good luck finding a PE, for example, to work under if you're an electrical engineer to even be eligible to sit for the PE exam. I don't think such engineers are any less engineers because they lack a PE.
Absolutely there are entire fields that have abandoned licensure or have no real need for licensure. These are usually fields where designs are not public facing or reviewed by a state agency and so no implied liability occurs. However, I think it is incredibly important to note that the story in question had a guy who was claiming to be an engineer and talking about traffic signal timing. Traffic engineering (and al…
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#305"What are we going to do about these software guys that call themselves engineers? We gotta take down Dilbert!"
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#306Earlier quoted context omitted.
Let's not oversell the PE or the FE: I took both drunk and completed them in under 3 hours each. The true point of being a professional engineer is that you've satisfied the MINIMUM requirements to be licensed and, therefore, you are licensed by the state to sign off on documents within what you consider your expertise. It relies on you to make that determination with the understanding that you should know better, re…
If he were holding himself out as a "professional engineer," I'd absolutely agree with you. However, there are entire fields of engineering that have largely ignored the PE. Good luck finding a PE, for example, to work under if you're an electrical engineer to even be eligible to sit for the PE exam. I don't think such engineers are any less engineers because they lack a PE.
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#307Earlier quoted context omitted.
Absolutely there are entire fields that have abandoned licensure or have no real need for licensure. These are usually fields where designs are not public facing or reviewed by a state agency and so no implied liability occurs. However, I think it is incredibly important to note that the story in question had a guy who was claiming to be an engineer and talking about traffic signal timing. Traffic engineering (and al…
Sure, traffic engineering requires a stamp. Traffic light timings? That's a little rich considering the guy who created the formula in question was a physicist who never held a PE.
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#308Earlier quoted context omitted.
If he were holding himself out as a "professional engineer," I'd absolutely agree with you. However, there are entire fields of engineering that have largely ignored the PE. Good luck finding a PE, for example, to work under if you're an electrical engineer to even be eligible to sit for the PE exam. I don't think such engineers are any less engineers because they lack a PE.
This is false. My company has about 200 electrical engineers (I'm one) and there are probably 50 that have a P.E. and many in management...finding someone above you that you've worked for/with is not difficult and I say that as someone whose company puts nearly zero value on it. If I ever change jobs though, it could be valuable. My father is also a EE and his was required to advance.
Re: Federal judge finds state law governing who is an engineer violates free speech
#309Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don’t undersell it either. The minimum, as you pointed out, is safe. Your capitalization implies “it’s barely acceptable” and any engineer that has passed those tests would know this.
My capitalization means exactly what it says: someone with a license has met the minimum requirements from the state. Nothing else can be garnered from someone possessing a license. The minimum requirements have, historically, resulted in engineers who put out public facing designs that, more often than not, do not bring harm to the public. As someone who “has passed those tests” and been practicing for almost a deca…