[LINK] 10 tech laws that define our world

[Richard Chirgwin]

Ben - among engineering authorities (eg, Engineers Australia), I believe 
the status of 'software engineer' remains contentious. Someone can 
correct me if I'm wrong there...

As for project sign-off: no, people can just "finish" their software and 
say goodbye, without a sign-off from someone with engineering accreditation.

I certainly know about civil engineers and bridges. My brother's last 
sign-off before retirement was the Grand Pacific Drive.

(Aside: When I discussed the NBN with my brother last year, treating it 
as a civil engineering project, his response: "If you have the chance to 
do it sooner, do it sooner, because it will always cost more if you 
wait. And if you have the chance to build it to last longer, do it, 
because replacing it will be more expensive later."

The bridge portion of the Grand Pacific Drive is rated, with normal 
maintenance, to last for 70 years. In civil engineering assumptions, 
that means it should probably be good for about 200 years. Although the 
nominal life of the NBN fibre is 30 years, there's no physical reason 
the glass won't last somewhere between 50 and 100 years. In that 
context, I find the political excitement about the cost to be ludicrous.)

RC

On 8/03/12 8:10 PM, Ben Elliston wrote:
> Hi Richard
>
> On Thu, Mar 08, 2012 at 08:00:48PM +1100, Richard Chirgwin wrote:
>
>> The engineering discipline I grew up with, courtesy of my father and
>> brother (both civil engineers), is professionally pessimistic. My
>> father's fave example of his world view: "Pyramids were built by
>> pessimists. The Tacoma Narrows Bridge was built by an optimist."
> I recently pointed out to a friend that only civil engineers are
> allowed to sign off on bridges.  I then asked if they could name a
> single software project that required an engineering qualification and
> they couldn't.  Can you?
>
> I attribute the lower salaries enjoyed by software engineers to this
> fact, BTW. :-)
>
> Cheers, Ben
>