A business development manager posted the questionProgrammer, Developer, Engineer --Responders expounded on the minutiae of perceived distinctions.
What is the difference between them?
One person, likely an Engineer, portrayed a Programmer as some kind of Pavlovian dog that, given the right stimulus (e.g., excruciatingly detailed requirements), was capable of producing the desired result (e.g., a minimally functional application).
These titles are interchangeable. And, more importantly, they’re increasingly irrelevant.
Glib Response
- A humble person says he's a Programmer or a Developer.
- An insecure person says he's an Engineer or an Architect.
Salient Point
Successful software teams are self-organizing and behave like start-ups. Enlightened teams eschew titles; recognizing that teams are more productive, and more agile, when members wear multiple hats.
For those more secure with a highfalutin title, I urge you to accept that as software professionals in 2009, we are
The ditch diggers of the new millenniumYou may quote me on that.
" * A humble person says he's a Programmer or a Developer.
ReplyDelete* An insecure person says he's an Engineer or an Architect."
This from a person who thinks Agile is something more than micromanaging for software projects.
@ Annonymous
ReplyDeleteSo, agile for you is cloaked micro-management?
For me, agile is the bain of micromanagers because it is seeded upon and thrives in the fertile ground of self-organization.
From Fowler and Highsmith (August 2001):
"The best architectures, requirements and designs emerge from self-organizing teams.