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From: kaz@vision.crest.nt.com (Kaz Kylheku)
Subject: Re: Software Engineering and Dreamers
Date: 1997/05/27
Message-ID: <5meuvm$hpf@bcrkh13.bnr.ca>#1/1
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References: <JSA.97May14201336@alexandria> <5md1fl$9f4@bcrkh13.bnr.ca>
 <338A2D0D.5B14@ix.netcom.com> <dewar.864731403@merv>
Organization: Prism Systems Inc.
Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.ada
Date: 1997-05-27T00:00:00+00:00
List-Id: <comp.lang.ada>


In article <dewar.864731403@merv>, Robert Dewar <dewar@merv.cs.nyu.edu> wrote:
>tim says
>
><<It may not be semantically correct to refer to 'software engineering
>technology'
>but the programming metaphor forces the issue...>>
>
>
>Of course it is semantically correct. You can refer to the technology
>of graphology, or the technology of basket weaving, or anything else.

Yes, you can. But by stretching the words too thinly, so to speak, they
lose their ability to discern.

>Technology is a *very* general word in normal English usage. Kaz is
>pushing his own remade lexicon, but do not get confused by it. The trouble

I don't think that the lexicon is remade. And in any case, I'm not going to
resort to the lowly tactic of changing the definitions on the fly.

>with this kind of discussion of the meaning of words is that a lot of
>readers of CLA are not native English speakers. It is not helpful to anyone,
>but especially not helpful to that group, to use English words in a 
>non-standard manner!

Such as using technology or engineering to refer to software.

Engineering is the application of *physics* (and derivative hard sciences close
to physics) to create technology. This is seems to be perfectly clear to
everyone except a minority of computer weenies who suffer from engineer envy. I
know real engineers who _laugh_ at the term software engineering.

This definition steps on some people's toes, because they can no longer fancy
themselves to be engineers. The problem is with their complex, not with my
lexicon. 

Perhaps their father wanted them to become an engineer and they have
disappointed him by becoming ``mere'' computer programmers. I have known such
cases.