Web developers are software engineers, too

http://www.nczonline.net/blog/2012/06/19/web-developers-are-software-engineers-too/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nczonline+%28NCZOnline+-+The+Official+Web+Site+of+Nicholas+C.+Zakas%29&utm_content=Google+Reader

by puppymaster • 14 years ago

8 5 14 years ago

nczonline.net

debacle2• 14 years ago

Most web developers are not software engineers. They are bad programming handymen - errant, reckless, and ignorant of best practices.

Software engineers can be web developers, but that doesn't mean all web developers are software engineers.

Disclaimer: I program for the web.

asolove• 14 years ago

Most people with the title "Software engineer" are not software engineers. I don't know that this is any more prevalent among web programmers than, say, Java programmers.

angdis• 14 years ago

OK, but the truth is most software engineers are not software engineers. "They are bad programming handymen- errant, reckless, and ignorant of best practices".

debacle2• 14 years ago

I don't have enough knowledge to say whether that's true or not. Most C# programmers I meet, for example, are pretty competent compared to your average WordPress "programmer."

pwny• 14 years ago

I can't agree with the article. Quite the contrary, I believe the term engineer is grossly overused.

I'm a Software Engineer student in an Engineering University, sitting through purely engineering-related (as opposed to development-related) courses such as software requirements analysis and studying software development processes. It pains me to see articles like these where people belittle the engineering profession. It's not about pride or entitlement, it's about the fact that a software engineer (at least here in Quebec) is someone part of the Order of Engineers and who bears along with his/her title the burden of social responsibility.

Designing great UX/front-ends is a very tough job and I believe should be rewarded and designated as such but writing code and creating software does not qualify you automatically for the title of engineer. You went to school, passed the Order of Engineer exams (or equivalent) and were granted the engineer title, you get to be called as such (and get to have the word engineer in your job title). You didn't go through all of this? It doesn't make you a worse developer or person, but it certainly doesn't make you an engineer either.

Web developers are software engineers, too

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