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Tell HN: Thanks and hats off to all the non software engineers

news.ycombinator.com

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Re: Tell HN: Thanks and hats off to all the non software engineers

#12

Post by Yujf »

Historically a lot of progress was made in these areas and what they are able to do is amazing, but I dissagree that it is necessarily harder today.

Many engineers in all disciplines do things that are relatively easy and some of them also do novel things that are hard.

I don't think that is different in software.

Re: Tell HN: Thanks and hats off to all the non software engineers

#14

Post by melony »

benatkin wrote: post #3

I agree - but one reason that it's nauseating to see so much celebration of software engineers ("pampered folks") is the freedom-destroying force that FAANG is. It doesn't have to be like it is with walled garden after walled garden. https://ghuntley.com/fracture/

Oh my sweet summer child, you think civil, electrical and mechanical engineering are clean, ethical businesses? You don't get started in any serious EE work without signing manufacturer NDAs. Half the reason why our devices are so locked down is because of the hardware manufacturers. Behind beautiful skyscrapers are legions of corruption, middlemen, and organized crime. The cloud may hold your data hostage but the pricing is at least somewhat transparent. Mechanical engineering have their own ways of enforcing lock-in. You can't easily swap out a supplier just because you can see what a part looks like. Be glad that software isn't as regulated, you would not like to work in a industry where trade groups decide everything, and where licensing and accreditation unions are used to keep engineers in line like cattle.

Re: Tell HN: Thanks and hats off to all the non software engineers

#16

Post by melony »

dougSF70 wrote: post #10

Yes, but. Most real world engineers could also be software engineers too. I studied Mechanical Engineering and had to learn Fortran and Pascal as part of my undergrad. What I find strange is that some of the best software engineers are not as strong at Math as you would expect. Of course there are exceptions (and no doubt they are all here on HN!). So while real world engineers can cross the divide to become software…

Discrete math is still math. A software engineer may not be able to do a Laplace transform without reaching for a book but your typical traditional engineer won't do well with data structure and algorithm questions without training either.

Re: Tell HN: Thanks and hats off to all the non software engineers

#17

Post by polishdude20 »

doliveira wrote: post #8
polishdude20 wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always wondered why we say "giants" here. It would be more accurate and empowering to say "everything was built on the shoulders of our ancestors" they weren't giants. They were regular people.

Interesting, referring to remarkable people as giants doesn't exist in your native language?

Yes but the point being that technological achievements aren't the work of a small group of remarkable people. They are due to the hard constant work of regular people making incremental improvements that add up to the achievements we see.

If anything, a giant in this case is an organization of humans who have toiled on those small improvements through many years.

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