Re: [ontolog-forum] Software Engineering — NOT!

[Pavithra <pavithra_kenjige@xxxxxxxxx>]

In computers, there is Computer Engineering,  Network Engineering,  Software /Systems Engineering.   Software Systems Engineering certification covered most of the conceptual topics that are discussed in this forum.

In product development ( both hardware, and software) there is life cycle management of products and services..  that is considered engineering.  Many require specialized industry certification. 

We have discussed about the topics for Ontology certification  here too.

In British School/ common wealth school system - a science degree would be 12+3 years and engineering is 12+4 years ..    So in common wealth school system, if you call a science major person an engineer...  an person with engineering degree would snif..

However in US any collage degree both science and engineering would be 12+4 years and have enough flexibility to include engineering and science and humanity and other area of interest courses.. In US school system, one needs to complete required core courses + electives to get a degree in a particular field.  Required core courses are mandatory ..  So if you have computer science degree and have software engineering job, you are not sniffed at..  Because even to get a undergraduate computer science degree, one has to study assembler,  computer system architecture, operating system and even electronics & algorithms! 

So I am not sure whether it makes a difference if you call a person with an undergraduate degree in CS  as computer science person or engineer depending what his profession is..



--- On Mon, 12/27/10, David Eddy <deddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

From: David Eddy <deddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [ontolog-forum] Software Engineering — NOT!
To: "[ontolog-forum] " <ontolog-forum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Monday, December 27, 2010, 5:46 PM

Mike -

On 2010-12-27, at 4:42 PM, Mike Bennett wrote:

> The problem is less acute in non English speaking countries, and
> in English speaking countries outside of the UK and the Americas.
> In most countries, using the term "Engineer" is considered to be
> as precise as using the term "Doctor", but somehow in British
> usage it has become reduced to a generic term along the lines of
> "workman". This hasn't helped anyone in software "engineering" to
> find themselves part of the culture and practice of engineering,
> sadly.

A realistic assessment.

Folks call them selves "enterprise architect" when they've built a 
website.  Huh?


Last week I was at MIT (in the same room where the Data Quality 
Financial Services track met).  Topic was "complex systems."

Eventually someone brought up "software engineering"... which I 
jumped on.  To my delight challenging "software engineering" as 
engineering got a big laugh.


How can a profession be considered "engineering" when after 60+ years 
we don't even have a universally recognized, accepted, and practiced 
means of measurement?  At least in the UK, screw thread standards are 
down to a manageable 5... after what?  300 years?


By a show of hands, who here—with the exception of JFS—(1) knows what 
Function Points are, (2) has used them, and (3) is in an organization 
that relies on them?  Don't everyone raise their hands at once.

I'm happy to argue that since we're no where close to measuring the 
software process, putting forth ontology as an engineering discipline 
is a tad premature.

___________________
David Eddy
deddy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx

781-455-0949


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