In a 2015 article titled “Programmers: Stop Calling Yourselves Engineers” by the Atlantic, the author argues “The title ‘engineer’ is cheapened by the tech industry” and sites software-related incidents including many large-scale data breaches of companies such as Target, Home Depot, and Blue Cross Blue Shield. Other software-related faux pas, such as the Volkswagen diesel-emissions exploit, draw criticism towards the informal nature of software development and lack of professional standards in Software Engineering. In searching for formalized Software Engineering standards, I found that the Software Engineering exam developed in 2013 for NCEES (The National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying) was discontinued after only being offered five times due to lack of exam takers. The title “Software Engineer” is not a protected title in the United States, opening doors for many to fill a growing, gaping job sector. My take is it is largely up to the individuals in Software Engineering or related roles and their organizations to seek quality, standards, and alignment with laser-sharp intentionality. It is crucial they do so, since Software Engineering is not exempt from the same (or sometimes, greater) levels of impact and risks as the classic engineering fields.
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