How many people here are engineers, and if so what kind?

[dhbarr]

Id like to know what professional Engineers think when other non-Engineers use the title. IE...Computer, Software, etc...

Hopefully they realize HR doesn't exactly take a vote on job descriptions, titles. Besides, if you're not building siege weapons....

 

[jsdemar]

Id like to know what professional Engineers think when other non-Engineers use the title. IE...Computer, Software, etc...

If a person is actually doing engineering, regardless of his/her formal education, and have proven themselves, they should be able to use the title "engineer".

Many people who call themselves "Software Engineers" don't have a clue about engineering design processes and principles. It's drag&drop, copy&paste, iterate 100x until their manager can't tell the product is about to take a crap. I give that the same weight as janitorial engineer. ;-) There are also "Computer Scientist" who know little about computers or science, but a lot about math. But, they have a positive sum effect on society as opposed to certain software engineers.

 

[cerving]

Does it count if you dropped out of engineering school in the 70's and got a Psychology degree?

 

[Sooner Boomer]

You can't legally call yourself an engineer in Okla. unless you've passed your P.E. certification. So I'm an engineering and design consultant. I design and build components and systems for measurement and control. I have experience in Industrial Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Chemical Engineering.

My last project - research in biofuels:

 

[McKailas Dad]

The closest I've come to being an engineer is listening to a motor...


You know...with my EAR?


Thanks, I'll be here all night

 

[fyrfytr310]

Oh myyyy.... *in my best George Takei impersonation*

The closest I've come to being an engineer is listening to a motor...


You know...with my EAR?


Thanks, I'll be here all night

 

[boatgeek]

Id like to know what professional Engineers think when other non-Engineers use the title. IE...Computer, Software, etc...

I'm not bothered by it even though I have my PE license. Jobs like service engineers (train engineers, etc.) get a free pass. It's clear that they aren't providing design services, they're making things work (often after the design engineers @#$%ed it up ). The state licensing boards get real excited about design engineers calling themselves engineers if they sell engineering services to the general public. So mechanical engineers working for Ford or software engineers working for Amazon don't have to get PE licenses because they don't sell mechanical design or software code. But try selling structural engineering work if you don't have a PE? Expect a visit from an investigator followed by a court order and a fine.

 

[EXPjawa]

I'm an ME that has training & works in the automotive field, so I've often used the term "automotive engineer". Specifically, with drivetrain systems. The company I work for produces AWD systems and limited slip differentials. My role is a combination of design, test & sales engineer, with a minor in vehicle dynamics.

 

[ksaves2]

I'm an ME that has training & works in the automotive field, so I've often used the term "automotive engineer". Specifically, with drivetrain systems. The company I work for produces AWD systems and limited slip differentials. My role is a combination of design, test & sales engineer, with a minor in vehicle dynamics.

Aw man, I miss the early 80's Audi all-wheel drive train with the manual 5 speed tranny and two lockable diffs. Admittedly only had to lock the diffs to get rolling on snow but it was fun going down a stupendously straight interstate at 70mph,
locking the center and rear diff and having the car track perfectly straight. My dumbass fellow Americans screwed themselves up too many times so they had to dumb the system down.
I enjoyed my 4000CS quattro, 90 quattro and 100 quattros. The A6 was dumbed down but it was getting too far to drive for service so I just got an AWD '12 Enclave I can drive down the street (and walk home if I have to) for service.
Plus the Enclave can haul all my rocket stuff around in. (Although the Audis had a fold down rear seat that turned them into a mini-station wagon) Kurt

 

[Lowpuller]

Mechanical...........but please don't tell anyone.

 

[EXPjawa]

Aw man, I miss the early 80's Audi all-wheel drive train with the manual 5 speed tranny and two lockable diffs. Admittedly only had to lock the diffs to get rolling on snow but it was fun going down a stupendously straight interstate at 70mph,
locking the center and rear diff and having the car track perfectly straight. My dumbass fellow Americans screwed themselves up too many times so they had to dumb the system down.
I enjoyed my 4000CS quattro, 90 quattro and 100 quattros. The A6 was dumbed down but it was getting too far to drive for service so I just got an AWD '12 Enclave I can drive down the street (and walk home if I have to) for service.
Plus the Enclave can haul all my rocket stuff around in. (Although the Audis had a fold down rear seat that turned them into a mini-station wagon) Kurt

FWIW, the company I work for produces the quattro system hardware for that which replaced the locking center diff, so almost everything starting with the 80/90 to present day is our product. Well, save for the Haldex hardware in the TT & A3 models. I wouldn't say that they've dumbed it down, per se, but they did become more reliant on e-systems to do part of the job. The justification is that such systems can be directly integrated with stability & traction control systems, which for most drivers is a very good thing. But the base AWD system is still mechanical. But to be fair, Audi evolved the system so that they could use new technology and not get left behind by BMW & Mercedes, not because dumb Americans couldn't use the old system. Audi has always been very tech-driven.

Also, the reason the 4000 would track dead straight with the diff's locked is that having them locked makes it very difficult to change directions when the wheels can't change speed in relation to each other. That's really tractor-technology, meant to be a get-unstuck feature and compromises the vehicle handling in a big way when driven at speed. When not locked, its just three open diffs, which is very limiting in a lot of situations. Replacing that with a system that was more useful for a lot more of the time made a lot of sense.