From mboxrd@z Thu Jan 1 00:00:00 1970 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.4.4 (2020-01-24) on polar.synack.me X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=-1.3 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_00,INVALID_MSGID autolearn=no autolearn_force=no version=3.4.4 X-Google-Language: ENGLISH,ASCII-7-bit X-Google-Thread: 109fba,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid109fba,public X-Google-Thread: 1014db,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid1014db,public X-Google-Thread: 103376,1042f393323e22da X-Google-Attributes: gid103376,public From: jfbode@nospam.mail.earthlink.net (John Bode) Subject: Re: Software Engineering is not a hoax... (was Re: Any research putting c above ada?) Date: 1997/05/23 Message-ID: #1/1 X-Deja-AN: 243496246 References: <33859489.7FB8@spam.innocon.com> <3385B67B.1439@msim.co.uk.spamstop> <5m4idq$oc4@bcrkh13.bnr.ca> Organization: EarthLink Network, Inc. Newsgroups: comp.lang.c++,comp.lang.c,comp.lang.ada Date: 1997-05-23T00:00:00+00:00 List-Id: In article <5m4idq$oc4@bcrkh13.bnr.ca>, kaz@vision.crest.nt.com (Kaz Kylheku) wrote: > In article <3385B67B.1439@msim.co.uk.spamstop>, > William M.Gordon wrote: > >> I would go as far as saying that ``software engineering'' is a hoax. > > > > > >I'm what I consider to be a software engineer and I only spend about > >10-15% of my time writing software. The rest of it is to do with > >documentation, design, version control, project management, bug reports, > >etc etc. At home though I'm a programmer! > > Hoax is the wrong word, and I must apologize for it. It's rather ``oxymoron'', > not unlike ``computer science''. > I wouldn't call "computer science" an oxymoron -- most of the *theory* is based on solid mathematical principles. It's just when we try to write something useful that we wind up blowing it. The problem with using the term "software engineering" is that the practice of programming is still more art than science. Computer programs are not like transistors, or gears, or steel I-beams that show up in real-world engineering. We're not dealing with physical principles, but with the codification of thought. Programming (in its current form) is more comparable to composing a symphony or writing a novel than building a bridge or designing a computer chip. And I feel it will always be that way. We can attempt to streamline the process with OOP, with dynamic languages, with visual programming, but it is still a codification of thought, and humans do not tend to think logically. > There are those who feel that their software development development position > doesn't carry the enough prestige, so they prefer to be called software > engineers. It's no different from ``sanitary engineer'', ``certified Novell > engineer'' etc. It's a facetious title. > Regardless of what title I have (analyst, developer, software engineer), I am first and formost a programmer, because that is what I actually do. -- John Bode "Paranoia is just reality on a finer scale" -- Strange Days To email me directly, remove the 'nospam.' from my address.