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"Computer Science" is Not Science and "Software Engineering" is Not Engineering

geocities.com

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Re: "Computer Science" is Not Science and "Software Engineering" is Not Engineering

#91
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Etymology is one area where I know not to trust Wikipedia. I'm pretty sure an "engine-er" maintains an "engine", in the act of "engineer-ing".

Would you trust dictionary.com? It agrees with Wikipedia. Origin: 1350–1400; engine + -eer; replacing Middle English engin ( e ) our http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/engineer

They both probably have the same incorrect source. I trust the OED.

Re: "Computer Science" is Not Science and "Software Engineering" is Not Engineering

#92
post #8

I only clicked on this link because I saw the geocities.com. I was expecting more BLINK tags and animated gifs :(

I assumed all geocities.com sites have been deleted. How is this possible?

This is not an answer, but there is a previous discussion in a submission of mine: http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=4136682

Re: "Computer Science" is Not Science and "Software Engineering" is Not Engineering

#93
This article truly deserves 'TL;DR'.

BUT, having lightly skimmed it, I get the general idea because "real" engineers have been whining about the Software Engineer title since nearly the first day I was at college like 11 years ago.

Oddly, perhaps, I haven't ever heard scientists complain that computer scientists aren't scientists.

I can't speak so much about software engineers as that is not really what I do, but as a computer scientist I can say without reservation that it is indeed a science. Research and experimentation is a core part of a lot of what computer scientists do. Solving problems that had no solutions until you came along and invented them.

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