[Discuss] Programming vs Engineering

[gaf at blu.org (Jerry Feldman)]

On 01/22/2012 01:20 PM, Richard Pieri wrote:
> On Jan 22, 2012, at 12:06 PM, Robert Krawitz wrote:
>> This analogy is wrong.  It isn't construction workers, but people who
>> participate in the design of a bridge.  They don't all need to be PEs; a
>> PE ultimately may have to sign off on their work (at least for public
>> infrastructure), but that's it.
> No, this is the heart of the matter.  Mechanics are not Mechanical Engineers.  Electricians are not Electrical Engineers.  Bricklayers are not Civil Engineers.  They are all skilled tradesmen but they are not Engineers and they typically are not part of the design process.  That isn't their expertise.
>
> We don't expect mechanics to know how to design a supertanker.  We don't expect electricians to know how to design a power grid.  We don't expect bricklayers to know how to design a skyscraper.  But programmers -- people who's expertise is writing code -- are expected to design programs.  Or, to turn that around, people who's expertise is designing programs are expected to spend more time writing code than getting the design right.  I think that this is a major factor in why so many applications, especially embedded applications, are such wrecks.
>
The issue is the licensing of people who are performing a task to the
consumers. mechanical, electrical, or civil engineers only need to be
licensed if they provide the service to the public. An engineering
company may hire many engineers, but many of those do not need to be
licensed. Computer companies hire mechanical and electrical engineers
but few are licensed. How many EEs does NSTAR or National Grid have on
their payroll, and of those what percentage are licensed.

-- 
Jerry Feldman <gaf at blu.org>
Boston Linux and Unix
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