alt Hacker NewsI wonder if it was (ironically) coined by nonengineers who don't understand how engineers (or other high-stakes professionals at Pareto boundaries) solve problems: by decomposing problems and identifying optional solutions and weighing the solutions based on various risks, trade-offs and tolerances.
I have seen this personally, where merely identifying a possible solution (harmless, reversible) is misinterpreted as selecting and implementing that solution (may be irreversible).
Replies
I believe it was coined by non-engineers to describe the obnoxious behavior of engineers who arrogantly disrespect other's expertise and assume they're better than non-engineers (when the reality is the engineer doesn't know what he's talking about). Often that involves stupid analogies to things like computer systems.
> by decomposing problems and identifying optional solutions and weighing the solutions based on various risks, trade-offs and tolerances.
This is how all people solve problems. Now everyone are not great at all parts, but this really is what anyone does.
Surely the title ”engineer” means something else?