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Comment by vinylkey | Hacker News Reader

I don't think licensure is part of the definition of "engineer"

I didn't get a chance to see the comment before he edited it out, but in some countries (Canada I think?) "engineer" is actually a protected title, requiring licensure.

I don't know what his point was, but as a "software engineer", I sometimes wonder if I should be called a "developer" and let my PE friend keep the "engineer" title, just for clarity's sake.

This, also there was that kerfuffle in Oregon about someone saying they were an engineer, but not licensed, and how that was apparently illegal.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/12/0...

That was more about the state getting the insane idea that criticizing traffic light timings was "unlicensed practice of engineering".

Canadian here - I'm pretty sure it's only the term "professional engineer" that's protected here, we definitely have tons of people being called "software engineers" who aren't licensed engineers.

In Quebec and Ontario, "engineer" is also protected. Microsoft has been fined in the past because of their usage of "Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer."

https://www.canadianconsultingengineer.com/engineering/quebe...

Oh wow, I thought it was being downvoted as an initialism for autism spectrum disorder.

Me too lol, thinking "here's another way of calling me an autistic data geek"

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