A very interesting article just came out in the Communications of the ACM, and last night my students in CS 4540/5540 had a great discussion considering the age old question, ‘Is Software Engineering really engineering?’. My favorite portion of the article juxtaposes the concepts of a Craft with Engineering. Really beautiful work.

Yet, while this argument has been going on for ages, I’d also argue that there’s is currently a split going on in the discipline of Software Engineering (SE) - I can see it and a I can feel it. I was speaking with multiple students after class, and I likened it to the choice between Electrician and Electrical Engineer - One is a trade and the other is an engineering discipline. I like how this post at [Our Everyday Life][http://oureverydaylife.com/difference-between-electrician-electrical-engineer-12215.html] puts it:

Electrical engineers design the power systems and the equipment that distribute energy. Electricians install wiring and make electrical repairs. They each have differing responsibilities, qualifications and job opportunities.

I can see this in a few years in SE:

Software engineers design the software architecture and systems. Developers write program code, perform bug fixes, and do testing. They each have differing responsibilities, qualifications and job opportunities.

And the comparisons can go on, whether in type of education/training, etc. It feels like like SE is growing up.