Engineers are expected to lead projects of sometime very large scale.
Therefore, the project management side including accounting and other
related matters are far more advanced within their curriculum.
Being an experienced electronic technician, I know I can discuss with an
engineer up to a certain point, but there are things I do not know...
And I generally have the capability to understand them when explained.
I have always seen engineers to be more knowledgeable in theoretical
work and management functions.
I have always seen technicians to be more knowledgeable in practical
work and day to day operation.
This does not prevent one to excel in the other's realm, although, I
understand this to be an exception.
However, we do have technologists that do bridge the gap between
technicians and engineers.
In regard to the software field of activity, It must be clear that the
so called "computer science" is a very young science.
Many do regard Babage's Analytical Engine as being probably the first
programmable computer, as demonstrated by Lovelace in 1843.
I understand that "computer science" should include both hardware and
software sides in his definition.
For hardware, there are engineers that work at developing chips that are
more and more powerful and faster bits cruncher.
For software, there are engineers that work at developing languages that
are more and more powerful and easier at realizing programmer's will.
I may be out in the field, But my current opinion is the following:
- For a person to create a programming language, having an
engineer's degree should be considered very helpful. Knowledge
of algorithms and advanced mathematics is definitely a plus.
- For a person to program tasks in any computer language, an
engineer degree should be considered optional. One has to keep
in mind that the task to be program might very well have been
defined by an engineer.
How about someone defining a new sorting algorithm in C or Pascal? This
is awfully close to an engineer field of work.
How about someone doing coding according to predefined requirements?
This is awfully close to a technician's field of work.
It is quite hard to make a line in the sand and state that neither
technicians nor engineers can cross it.
Now... What if the act of creation is reserved to engineers?
If writing software is an act of creation, then anyone writing a piece
of software is an engineer.
Personally, creating a new programming language should be considered
engineering work.
Creating a piece of software using an existing programming language
should be considered technical work.
Generally speaking, engineers are expected to be able to start doing
their work on a white page.
Generally speaking, technicians are expected to use documentation,
schematics and tools in order to get things done.
This is what I call "using existing building blocks".
It is true that, from time to time, they too can create something new
out of assembling those block in an way that was not foreseen by the
engineers.
So it is also with programmers.They too are "using existing blocks".
That does not turn programmers into engineers!
Well, in the end, it seems it is the social responsibility that can be
bestowed on someone that makes him an engineer or a technician.
And that ability is generally recognized by a certificate, a diploma or
a degree.
It is called social recognition.
For an engineer, there is an "oath" or two attached with the practice of
their profession.
There is no such thing for a technician.
I currently do not know if there is an oath for a technologist.
YLL
Le mercredi 21 octobre 2015 à 12:00 -0400, [email protected]
a écrit :
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> Today's Topics:
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> 1. Re: Software engineering and politics (was: North America
> Fedora LUG) (Patricia Campbell)
> 2. Re: Software engineering and politics (was: North America
> Fedora LUG) (Nelson Asinowski)
>
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Tue, 20 Oct 2015 16:49:41 -0400
> From: Patricia Campbell <[email protected]>
> To: Montreal Linux Users Group <[email protected]>
> Subject: Re: [MLUG] Software engineering and politics (was: North
> America Fedora LUG)
> Message-ID:
> <cagwhzbh-fpo4qfvw5tnfbxrh7nlvan9nau+_qsj_fb7ao9z...@mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
>
> They are two different disciplines. Engineering has been trying to
> coop Computer Science for ages. Often job titles for developers use
> the title Software Engineer but don't require an engineering degree.
>
> I am not sure where this "fight" will go but I am not sure how they
> will gain more influence. Right now there are not enough people to
> fill the ICT jobs. The universities will not close down their
> Computer Science departments.
>
> A software engineering degree tends to focus more on planning and
> management than do pure CS degrees.
>
> Anyone else have thoughts on this ?
>
>
>
> On Fri, Oct 16, 2015 at 8:57 AM, Stefan Monnier
> <[email protected]> wrote:
> >> CGI), and two large technical parks dedicated to software engineering.
> >> ETS is a university dedicated to software Engineering.
> >
> > Just to clarify: the Quebec Order of Engineers (a professional
> > association with a lot of money and political clout) wants to take
> > control of everything that has to do with IT or CS in Quebec (so as to
> > gain yet more influence).
> >
> > For that reason, they try and convince everyone that all of IT and CS
> > falls within the scope of "software engineering".
> >
> > In most of the rest of the world, software engineering is just one
> > sub-field of computer science.
> >
> >
> > Stefan
> > _______________________________________________
> > mlug mailing list
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>
>
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