What Is An Engineer Today

Sure, everyone is an engineer these days.

The guys who pick up my trash are sanitation engineers (or so I'm told).

en·gi·neer Noun /ˌenjəˈni(ə)r/ Synonyms: verb: plan, design, scheme, project, construct noun: machinist, engine driver, mechanic engineers plural

1. A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or public works
2. A person qualified in a branch of engineering, esp. as a professional
• aeronautical engineer
3. The operator or supervisor of an engine, esp. a railroad locomotive or the engine on an aircraft or ship
4. A skillful contriver or originator of something
• the prime engineer of the approach

5. An accused in a case who engineered the plot.

<rantmode>

Or how about:

"I have an 11kW motor. What size supply cable should I use for it?"

Or

"Please tell me about busbar sizing calculations."

Or

"Does anyone know about ABC123?"

</rantmode>

I like the ones that ask for instantaneous infusion of 20 years worth of knowledge attained by getting an education and work experience.

Homework???? Don't even go there!

Then there's this, just in: Php Programming This is a great example of "do my work for me".

Quite.

Times change. Titles change. Job descriptions and requirements change.

I think they can have "engineering" departments if they want them. They may be populated with mathematicians and theoretical physicists, but who cares.

I harken back to a time long ago when a congressional committee was discussing what pronography was. One Senator said something to the effect of "I may not know how to define it, but I sure do know it when I see it."

It doesn't take long to spot the "real thing".

I saw "pronography" and I honestly didn't think of it as a typo. I waited for the explanation of what it meant, but it didn't come.

pronography: The study of the pronunciation of words in different geographical locations...

pronographical engineer; One who innovates linguistic colloquialisms..

I didn't come, either! It just wasn't the same....

I believe it was Justice Potter Stewart.

Depends on the job description

Of course she doesn't always appreciate that response, but she would if the response was "I can fix that now"

In the beginning of binary logic were the questions, and their answers were 'true' or 'false'. Things have progressed quite dramatically since then....

The proliferation of graduate Electrical engineers deployed in/ opting for software-related design careers has resulted in others writing software using the title....

The term is often used for PLC programmers, where only specific logic/ language is used. One can learn and become proficient in this without qualifying as an engineer.

To answer the question more specifically, yes I do consider that Google must have an engineering department as you describe, although they may not refer to it as an 'engineering dept.' themselves. (I don't know about Facebook).

Perhaps more to the point of conversation/ debate, would be the entire global shipping industry using the the title 'engineer' for their engine-room personnel.

Same as an engineer was at any time in history.
I don't expect many of us could build an old fashioned windmill very quickly, but we'd soon learn. I don't expect a medieval millwright could use my digital camera or send an E-mail, probably couldn't even read, but given the chance, he'd probably pick it pretty quick.
A neolithic man making a boomerang with stone tools can't analyse it's aerodynamics.
So in my book an engineer is someone who can actually create stuff rather than just talking about it.
Del
_{(Doesn't even need a time scale, budget, risk assesment, and a certificate from HR saying he's been on an interpersonal skills course).}

A medical doctor is one who posses a degree in medicine. An accountant may have a degree or passed exams conducted by an Institution of Accountants. But in engineering it is not the case,there are engineers with degree,diploma,certificates,passed exams by Professional Institutions,City & Guilds, Employer etc. Some employers promote technicians/supervisors as Engineers even though they don't have any qualifications. Even Sales Engineers are found nowadays. Also Software engineers are there.Drivers of locomotives also called Engineers. I think it is due to the literal meaning of the word-a person who does a job- misleading isn't it?. It is time to organise the profession.

Hello its from kerala.We do have a saying from our ancestors "pattaril pottan mechanical engineer" Mechanical engineering needs lot of imagination and a real engineer is one who practice with moving parts.

Wow - I for one am offended by your last statement. I think that "real engineers" also work on static systems. Consider bridges for example. Hope some "real engineers" who knew what they were doing designed those! I work on both moving and non-moving parts, but consider both to be important!

I agree with you. I said about moving parts in general.Literally majority of engineers work on moving parts.

<...a real engineer is one who practices with moving parts....>

Everyone on the planet does that!

Don't even get me going on this subject!

In a nutzzzz shell, I believe that Dcad nailed it pretty much, so a GA from me!

Anyhowz, back in the day when I started my formal engineering education in the late 70's the peeps that wrote the software were basically technicians and/or programmers, not ENGINEERS as it was defined in the classical sense. I know that "times are a changing" since then and that roles are developing or even are being redefined, BUT PLEASE EXCUSE ME FOR BEING A PURIST! "Software Engineer" is like calling an EMT a medical professional akin to being a MD, or even a Registered Nurse.....the 2 (EMT vs. MD) are far far far apart in knowledge and capabilities IMO (I'm not dissssssing EMTs here, as they provide a very valuable service).

historically, most structural engineers were hired as designers. The other disciplines put their graduate hires into offices, structural were given a drawing board. It was the advent of EEO that the companies were forced to give them the in-house title of Design/Engineer when they lacked the license.

Isn't this along the lines of "which type of engineer is the best?" Or "_____ engineers aren't real engineers. They only calculate ______ and that's easy." I pick on other engineering disciplines all the time about being my subordinates. It's fun but I also realize that those other disciplines can do things that I can't too so I don't question their legitimacy.

What's the difference in designing an engine or designing software programs to make google or facebook more efficient?

Back in the 1970's, the air force employed about 20,000 engineers at Wright-Patterson AFB, Systems Command. Most did little more than monitor contractors' efforts. One engineer was a comely female with a psychology degree, promoted by affirmative action to the title of engineer. She was very effective, watching contractors, but she let her title, "engineer", go to her head, and she contrived to build an air-to-ground missile out of inexpensive (a laser guided bomb) and surplus (an old navy rocket motor) parts. Two fired, two targets destroyed. She was soundly reprimanded for thinking outside the box. Did she not realize that she had endangered the $multimillion Laser Maverick missile program?

how many 1000's of interfaces do you think Googles has running or Yahoo at any one time so their system does not crash under the load of people seeking access.

Designing those boards and being able to expand the system as demand grows takes a lot of planning and engineering.

Oh my Grandfather told me anyone can be an Engineer! Engineers are the ones who take the resouces they are given and make things work . They find a way !

Maybe

Engineers design/create/innovate

Technicians troubleshoot/fix

Software engineering begins by debugging (troubleshooting) an empty file; Software Technician?