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From: Andy Askey <ajaskey@gnn.com>
Subject: Re: Programmers -> Engineers; Engineers -> Programmers
Date: 1996/08/10
Message-ID: <320CB7C4.53FE@gnn.com>#1/1
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references: <1996Aug8.115630.4568@relay.nswc.navy.mil>
 <4udri5$dmv@michp1.redstone.army.mil>
to: "Kevin J. Weise" <kweise@c3i-ccmail.sed.redstone.army.mil>
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Date: 1996-08-10T00:00:00+00:00
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Kevin J. Weise wrote:
> 
> 
> I don't have any realistic, hard statistics, but...
> 
> It has been my experience that most companies will take engineers and
> make them do programming.  Some like it, some don't.  I've worked for a
> few companies like this and hated having to clean up the software
> messes left by the engineers (many of whom get *very* uptight that
> anyone would question their bizarre architectures and coding
> practices).  Many engineers (primarily those who give a damn), after
> living on a serious software project, pick up good software development
> practices from good software developers(if they are around) and good
> literature (if they are motivated to look for it).  Conversely, many
> good software developers can pick up the needed background in an
> engineering field (if they give a damn, if they have an associate who
> knows the field, if they are motivated,...).  *BUT*, with management
> usually coming from the engineering ranks, a software developer who
> does a poor engineering job is almost always blamed/punished/rejected
> whereas an engineer who does a poor software job is rarely noticed.
> (Probably because those same managers can't determine if the software
> job was good or not.) (I guess if this was a troll, I fell right in.)
> 
> Anyhow, IMHO, you need both.  If you can get people with good, solid
> backgrounds in both the desired engineering field and in software
> engineering, that's great.  If you can't, but can settle for being a
> CMM Level 1 organization, go for the engineers.  But, then again, if
> you need multiple engineers, you really should consider the software
> part an engineering field as well, and get some software *engineers*
> (i.e., don't settle for merely code-slingers).
> 
> ---------------------------------------------------------------
> Kevin J. Weise               email:  kweise@sed.redstone.army.mil
> COLSA Corp.                  voice:  (205) 842-9083
> Huntsville, AL
> 
> ..standard disclaimers apply


Gee Kevin,

I agree with everything you said except the part of management usually
coming from the engineering ranks.  I have found the biggest problem is
that the managers tend to have neither a programming or engineering
background.  Most have a management background which usually allows them
to screw up everyone and everything involved.

-- 
May your karma be good for forgiving my typos.
Andy Askey