Similarly, an architect friend of mine is particularly annoyed that 'architect' has been almost entirely co-opted by the software industry.
Hehehe, I imagine it bothers the astronauts as well...
Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
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Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#12"Engineer" can be either degree/qualification or position. In software business there are no mandatory degrees, only positions. Person without formal education can be in "chief leading senior engineer" position if he has good personal track record. Personally I like the word programmer more than engineer.
As they point out in the article, Engineer as a title is often regulated. I'm in Ontario and it's actually written in law that one the Professional Engineers Ontario regulates the use of the word. Microsoft was actually taken to court for the use of Engineer in MCSE (they lost and were fined). So, they dropped the actual words and left it as just the letters. Before them, Novell had the same issue. Individual people…
What do Canadians call train drivers and the people who keep ships running?
Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#13Google and Facebook, amongst others, have shown that the quick iteration strategy works, even for complex, critical systems. The key to success in that strategy is in good tooling--something that allows people to move quickly without breaking critical systems.
With that, understanding your goals is important in deriving strategy. Developing software for NASA space shuttles is going to be inevitably slower and more scrutinized than working on Google Music. Therein lies a traditional engineering problem of using the right tools for the job.
Software also does contribute to the public good in that an open-source mindset is built into the subcultures of the profession in general. It's pretty cool that I can get involved in programming using free tooling from day one, where my friends in finance or more traditional engineering careers cannot.
Overall, the author feels like they're arguing from some twisted version of the "golden age fallacy." In fact, this seems like the same type of tired arguments I hear stipulating that video-games are not art: built as an argument from the old guard to bully the new kid on the block.
Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#14Thanks for the thinkpiece, Atlantic.
Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#15First of all, most titles --but by no means all-- are bullshit. I prefer titles like {Junior, Senior, Lead, Chief} Programmer or Member of Technical Staff (I, II, III, ...}. Although I have been assigned titles like DevOps, Engineer, Developer and so on, my Linked In profile reads 'Programmer'.
I used to think so as well until I realized that some companies pay more for an Engineer than a Programmer.
I found the same. It's about how you market yourself to prospective employers. Any sufficiently technical staff member knows the title is BS...HR does not. You just have to back it up with the knowledge.
Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#16"Engineer" can be either degree/qualification or position. In software business there are no mandatory degrees, only positions. Person without formal education can be in "chief leading senior engineer" position if he has good personal track record. Personally I like the word programmer more than engineer.
As they point out in the article, Engineer as a title is often regulated. I'm in Ontario and it's actually written in law that one the Professional Engineers Ontario regulates the use of the word. Microsoft was actually taken to court for the use of Engineer in MCSE (they lost and were fined). So, they dropped the actual words and left it as just the letters. Before them, Novell had the same issue. Individual people…
The issue is, it depends on the country. It might be regulated in Canada (and in my country, France, a developer can't call himself engineer unless he has the diploma) , but in some countries engineer is not a title, it's related to the task the worker needs to do. In most western countries, the title of doctor is regulated, that's just not always the case for the engineer title. The "technician" title is also a regulated in France. Is that the case in Canada? maybe, maybe not. My point is it may piss you off but your degree might be "meaningless" abroad since a self taught developer can call himself and apply for an engineering job.
Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#17Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#18Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#19Writer: Stop calling yourself a journalist.
Re: Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers
#20I would also like if scientists which no understanding of logic apart of mathematical one and no understanding of philosophy of science would stop to call them self scientists (both are required to define truth value). Its not going to happen...