Comment on Software Engineer vs Software Developer
ShrimpsIsBugs@programming.dev 10 months agoAs a former civil engineer who now works in software, “software engineer” irks me. “Engineer” means you’re supposed to be licensed
This really depends on the country you live in. In some countries you need a license, some need you to have some kind of university degree and others don’t care at all. So we cannot really use that measure as a definition.
lysdexic@programming.dev 10 months ago
Not really. There are two aspects to this problem: one is how people assign arbitrary and meaningless titles to themselves, and another is regulatory requirements by jurisdictions to be able to legally assume a role.
I can call myself senior dubstep engineer, and that’s perfectly fine. I can’t call myself a civil engineer and sign off on a construction project or a permit. No one cares if I’m actually a senior dubstep engineer or if I’m junior at best. In the meantime, you will get in trouble if you try to sign off on a construction project, no matter of how stubborn you are with regards to calling yourself an engineer.
ShrimpsIsBugs@programming.dev 10 months ago
This is exactly what I mean with “this depends on the country you live in”. Different countries have vastly different regulatory requirements. Taking UK as an example, you can call yourself civil engineer all day long without having to worry any legal consequences because there simply is no such thing as a licensing system for engineers.
lysdexic@programming.dev 10 months ago
Britain’s Engineering Council disagrees.
www.engc.org.uk/…/access-to-practise-in-the-uk/
ShrimpsIsBugs@programming.dev 10 months ago
Well idk the details in that specific case, this was just the first example I found. My point is, that different countries, states and institutions disagree on this matter. There is no universal rule that defines what you need to have achieved to call yourself an engineer.