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The dangers of unlicensed engineering

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Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#31

Post by amh »

Andys wrote: post #18
VladRussian wrote: post #15

was it started by DMCA? I mean the practice of limiting, even outlawing, of analytical thinking.

I think software industry is slowly headed this way: that there will come a point when you cannot let a member of the public use something based on your code without you being a licensed SE.

I think the uncertainties inherent in writing software that depends on many other complex libraries/frameworks will tend to discourage strong liability for bugs. The average Win32 program or Java web app has a dizzying list of dependencies and it would be impossible for the programmer sitting on top of that software stack to make any guarantees about the stuff underneath.

In certain highly restricted domains (typically embedded systems), liability for bugs becomes somewhat more realistic.

Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#32

Post by CodeMage »

jefe78 wrote: post #20
arch_hunter wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is sounding a lot like a profession making it illegal for others to do anything that could decrease their own income.

Agreed! I shouldn't need an M.D. to stitch you up!

Sure, as long as you don't claim you have an M.D. and I don't care that you don't, then we're okay.

Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#34

Post by sili »

He said there is a potential for violation if DOT and the public were misled by "engineering-quality work"- even if the authors did not claim to be engineers.

I might be too literal here, but if you did not intend to mislead anyone, why should you be responsible for how "the public" interprets your work.

Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#36

Post by zb »

dadro wrote: post #30

It appears as though Mr. Lacy is trying to do "Lawyer Level Work". Someone better make sure he has registered with the NC Bar.

It's legit in his case, he's clearly doing such a bad job of it that nobody could mistake him for a real lawyer ;)

Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#38

Post by ataggart »

notahacker wrote: post #24
arch_hunter wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is sounding a lot like a profession making it illegal for others to do anything that could decrease their own income.

However dubious this instance of censuring someone's comments simply because they've bothered to do some research to support their case may be, I think it generally is in the public interest that people actually representing themselves as engineers have a sound understanding of what they're actually doing (e.g. designing bridges that don't fail and kill people). I doubt civil engineers in the US are disproportionatel…

>I think it generally is in the public interest that people actually representing themselves as engineers have a sound understanding of what they're actually doing

It's not clear to me what calculus should be used to decide "the public interest" much less what calculus should be used to threaten otherwise peaceful adults on its behalf.

Further, while it is good for engineers to have a sound understanding of what they're doing, the issue at hand is whether or not one has the permission of some state bureaucracy. While the latter may intend to yield the former, one should take care not to unnecessarily conflate them.

Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#39

Post by billswift »

Andys wrote: post #18
VladRussian wrote: post #15

was it started by DMCA? I mean the practice of limiting, even outlawing, of analytical thinking.

I think software industry is slowly headed this way: that there will come a point when you cannot let a member of the public use something based on your code without you being a licensed SE.

Microsoft, for one, has been pushing for that for over a decade. I read Steve McConnell's After the Gold Rush: Creating a True Profession of Software Engineering, a few years ago and had read articles in several print magazines, I'm pretty sure Dr Dobb's had several, in the late 1990s.

Re: The dangers of unlicensed engineering

#40

Post by steverb »

jonathanwallace wrote: post #23
jefe78 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed! I shouldn't need an M.D. to stitch you up!

Good thing you don't. Stitch away. Just stick to friends and/or people who won't sue you.

Or yourself. Stitches aren't that hard to do.

If you can get a hold of a medical stapler they're even easier.

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