Almost 10 years ago, I wrote about how software developers had unjustly absconded with the name “engineering,” a term previously connected to responsibility and public service. Now such false “engineers” are attempting to dismantle parts of the civil service. www.theatlantic.com/technology/a... - ThreadSky

ibogost.bsky.social • 20 days ago

Almost 10 years ago, I wrote about how software developers had unjustly absconded with the name “engineering,” a term previously connected to responsibility and public service.

Now such false “engineers” are attempting to dismantle parts of the civil service.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/11/programmers-should-not-call-themselves-engineers/414271/

Comments

peterallenwebb.bsky.social•20 days ago

I would prefer that software developers start working in ways that live up to the engineering title, but can't disagree.

gothpink.bsky.social•20 days ago

I feel like "software engineer" and "software developer", while outwardly similar, are not all that similar.
while there's programming involved in both, the attitudes and process are not the same

louisingenthron.bsky.social•20 days ago

"Connected to responsibility and public service"? Have people not engineered bombs? Have they not engineered chemical and biological weapons? Have they not engineered mass detention camps?

Engineering is not inherently good or evil, and software engineers have heavily contributed to both sides.

hollyphantpants.bsky.social•20 days ago

These guys are "hackers"

hermgamma.bsky.social•20 days ago

The first lecture in my computer engineering class was about the Halting Problem in Turing machines. In effect, the time complexity to determine whether software works grows exponentially with its size. Most undertakings which produce software ignore it. There is very little engineering going on.

hermgamma.bsky.social•20 days ago

The greatest misnomer, though, is ‘financial engineering’ which is the process of constructing and extracting rents whilst socialising risks. The latter will be a lesson learnt soon by holders policies relating to annuities or life insurances.

icetigris.bsky.social•20 days ago

I went to engineering school and because of the harm we can cause, I believe we should be held to the standards that come with the name. Software can and has killed people and we should treat it like critical infrastructure, because at this point, it is.

icetigris.bsky.social•20 days ago

One of my first classes covered the Therac-25, a radiation therapy machine that had software that didn't properly handle bad input. As a result, patients died from lethal doses of radiation.

icetigris.bsky.social•20 days ago

These people might be unethical, terrible people who are undeserving of the title of engineer, but it's clear that the software they're working with is critical infrastructure. A more apt name for them would be saboteurs.

jibouxfaure.bsky.social•20 days ago

I loved your article and have shared it several times in the past… in the context of today it is terrifying

mt-dangler.bsky.social•20 days ago

And they are supposed to adhere to a code of ethics.

adamorth.bsky.social•20 days ago

Do “Creative Director” next!

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