Software Engineering

[Dan]

This is based soly on my obvseratiosn, but all the software engeiners i know tend to have less traning in the aucatal programing side of things then computer sci grads. I know computer sci is not just about programing but about algortim delvopment too, howver it seems along the way computer sci grads get the knowalge to make software just fine.

I have take serveral software engering corces and know many software engering magors and i have to say that most of them do not know that much about aucatal programing. They thend to study more the planing and devlopment theroy and energering.

Honstly i whould not trust them to do much coding, never mind coding cirtical software. They just don't have to take the corces they need to be able to aucataly code such a system safely or know the theroy behind it.

It whould probly be a good idea to get a bunch of them in at first to help find the requerments and do some of the planing, but do the aucatal coding? I whould be worried about ever having to use that software.

Now obvesly i am extreamly basied being on the CS side, and i am shure there are software engeriners that can code and make algorithms just as good as your avearage CS gard but from what i have seen of the corces they are more of a planing/eraly delvopment program then coding at all.

Also there is some debate in my mind of thess eraly plans are even worth it by the end of the project since requerments and desing can change so much in real life devlopment.

[rizzix]

Andy: If Google provides safe secure software good for them. I'm sure their technical support is fantastic as well. But google does not provide critical software as you mentioned. And that's the difference.

Its just that software engineers work differently. Effectively both provided the same thing. The difference is that the software engineering firm would guarantee it.

Dan: Software engineers are trained to do the higher level job of designing such systems, not necessarily programming it. Yet they do need to know fundamentals of programming since that is essential in designing such systems. They need to know where things can go wrong. Either way the software engineers I know are pretty good programmers, unlike the way you describe them. They are trained to be very acute in their observation. They quickly notice the tiniest of details in the source code (stuff that I overlooked). Which amazed me.

[md]

Software engineer or computer science grad it doesn't matter; neither degree is (apparently) proof that your not an idiot.

I know of graduates in CS who could not tell you the difference between a template and a class; and I've known engineers who could not tell you how a pointer works. There are always idiots, and unfortunately they out number the rest of us. The trick is to look at the brightest people not the basest.

And google most assuredly does not write critical software, nor do they write their own in-house accounting packages.

[Andy]

HAHAHAHHAA, and you'd know because? I"m working on the moneta team at the moment, and we do write most of our own accounting packages. Some tax info and actualy transactions are done through BFS, but we have a mirror of everything in their db.

why the heck are people telling me what i'm working on and what i'm not???

[gbert90]

Hey guyz!

I was wondering if entering the field of software engineering is really worth it? I am in grade 12, and am thinking of taking SE in waterloo next year. Someone please explain..as I am a newb

[Euphoracle]

I was originally looking at SE, but after reading a few of the threads on this board, and a brilliant blog entry on Tony's blog, I think what I'm looking for is CS, rather than SE. I prefer to be the 'code monkey'. I enjoy programming, as weird as it may be for some people, I like the challenge.

Very interesting thread and discussion you have going here. As for Google, I wouldn't necessarily consider them as makers of Critical software.

[Naveg]

actually, i think the google algorithm is one of the most critical pieces of software in the history of computing

[Skynet]

In the context we're talking about, critical software = someone can get physically injured/killed if the code's wrong. I posted a few links higher in this thread as examples.

@gbert90 Regarding if it's worth it...in what way. You'll certainly get a job, if that's what you're worried about. If you're talking about making the 'wrong' program choice, Tony's blog has an excellent entry which describes the differences between some related programs.

[Euphoracle]

Naveg @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:45 pm wrote:

actually, i think the google algorithm is one of the most critical pieces of software in the history of computing

I don't understand how a search algorithm is a life-or-death piece of code. I'm pretty sure people's lives aren't depending on whether or not they get the most accurate results to their web search >_>

[gbert90]

thanks guyz.. i was wondering about how it is to be a software eng. like, What is an ideal day in a software eng's life...sounds like a blunt question..lols..but plz tellme if anyone knows...

[TheFerret]

Euphoracle @ Tue Sep 18, 2007 2:44 pm wrote:

Naveg @ Mon Sep 17, 2007 10:45 pm wrote:

actually, i think the google algorithm is one of the most critical pieces of software in the history of computing

I don't understand how a search algorithm is a life-or-death piece of code. I'm pretty sure people's lives aren't depending on whether or not they get the most accurate results to their web search >_>

It's not the fact that it's life or death but the fact tha without this piece of code, where would the Internet be without it, I would say it's pretty critical since without the Internet and computing would be far different than it is now...

[Dan]

TheFerret @ 21st September 2007, 11:36 pm wrote:

It's not the fact that it's life or death but the fact tha without this piece of code, where would the Internet be without it, I would say it's pretty critical since without the Internet and computing would be far different than it is now...

Yahoo?


Google is an admazing search engeion but i am not shure if the hole internet whould be that diffrent with out them, there are other search engions.

However you could say that there software is cirtical in that if it goses down, they stop makiing money from ads. It could probly add up to a tone of moeny per time invernal there search is down. Google deftaly treates there search engion as critical software.