[teampractices] "It will never work in theory"

[Sam Smith]

I'm reminded of Glenn Vanderburg's "Real Software Engineering" from Lone
Star RuCo 2010 [0].

He argues that software engineering as it's taught isn't engineering. He
then explores engineering and settles on a definition. After having defined
engineering he proposes that the analogy between software development and
engineering that we currently draw is incorrect and that we should redefine
software engineering thus:

Software Engineering is the science and art of designing and making, with
> economy and elegance, [...] systems so that they can readily adapt to the
> situations to which they may be subjected


With that definition in mind, he concludes that strict application of agile
methodologies is engineering for software developers.

–Sam

[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NP9AIUT9nos

On Tue, Jan 20, 2015 at 7:17 AM, Chris McMahon <cmcmahon at wikimedia.org>
wrote:

>
>
> On Mon, Jan 19, 2015 at 6:50 PM, Greg Grossmeier <greg at wikimedia.org>
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> I disagree with the term "software engineering" to describe the software
>> development that happens today. I don't think it's accurate, and indeed
>> I think the concept's too much of a fantasy for the term to be used
>> seriously about practicing developers do.
>
>
> Back when I used to write about such things I argued that software
> development expressly is not and can not be engineering*. (I have reasons
> for believing this if you want to talk about it...) This is my favorite
> piece, and even Andy Hunt said nice things about on on Twitter at the time,
> which is apparently unusual:
> https://pragprog.com/magazines/2010-11/writing-and-performing . I have a
> few other bits along those lines in various places as well.
>
> * As I understand it, it is illegal in Texas to call yourself a "Software
> Engineer".  The State of Texas requires that anyone with the title
> "Engineer" have a degree or certification from an accredited engineering
> program, and "software engineering" is not acceptable.
>
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