Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer? • Hacker News Board

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#11

Post by kmlymi » Wed, May 16, 2012, 7:38 PM UTC

dagw wrote: post #6

Maybe I'm far too old school, but I want my engineers to have engineering degrees. I don't have a degree in engineering (software of otherwise) so I call myself a programmer.

Yeah, my title at my previous job once changed to Software Engineer, and I asked immediately "Is it legal to call myself an Engineer without an Engineering degree?"

It felt really wrong.

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#12

Post by Akram » Wed, May 16, 2012, 8:24 PM UTC

aforty wrote: post #7

Akram wrote: post #5

I pretty much think the same way. Having funky title like Jedi or Ninja may sound cool but it is not digestible for the outside world. I being a Web developer / software engineer prefer being called a Software Engineer cause it is all about software engineering that I deal with and it doesn't always have to do with the web. Being called a programmer narrows my skill set, Cause it is more about finding solution, desig…

"Being called a programmer narrows my skill set" This. Also feel the same way about "developer" especially when I see people who only do HTML mockup being called "web developers."

True!

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#13

Post by factorialboy » Thu, May 17, 2012, 2:56 AM UTC

Well, I'm of course a programming 'Ninja', 'Rocktsa' and 'Gangsta' .. ;-)

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#14

Post by rmATinnovafy » Thu, May 17, 2012, 3:31 AM UTC

I honestly don't care. Just pay me.

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#15

Post by elviejo » Thu, May 17, 2012, 4:17 AM UTC

I like developer. I think the term developer entails someone capable of working on the full lifecycle..analysis, design, code or maintenance.

Sw developer is good.

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#16

Post by elviejo » Thu, May 17, 2012, 4:20 AM UTC

I hate all the ninja, rockstar and other terms. A company that uses those terms seems pretty juvenile to me. The kind of place full if nerf guns that dont take the joh serously enough.

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#17

Post by rajdesai225 » Thu, May 17, 2012, 6:05 AM UTC

A real hacker would not really care about title. I have never looked at the title when accepting a job. I much rather look at job description and see if it's something cool, refreshing, novel and challenging. Otherwise, I simply say no - thanks.

Re: Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

#18

Post by brewerhimself » Fri, May 18, 2012, 4:38 AM UTC

As far as anyone who isn't technically literate is concerned, I'm a programmer. In my domain (the software realm), I prefer to be called referred to as a Software Engineer. dagw pointed out that engineers should have an Engineering degree, but I don't really agree.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone who meets the requirements of the definition of 'Engineer' ('A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or public works.', according to Google) is qualified to be called an Engineer. Having an engineering degree doesn't make you a good engineer anymore than not having an engineering degree makes you a bad engineer.