How different is a MechEng writing FORTRAN for mechanical engineering from a MechEng writing RoR for trendy widget bean button SV startup?
I'd argue they're both programming, which is sufficient to reap some of the benefits of automation. Software engineering can be described as applying engineering to programming. Any company that benefits from programming would also benefit from the increases in efficiency, reliability, performance, etc. software engineering would bring to programming.
How different is a MechEng writing FORTRAN for mechanical engineering from a MechEng writing RoR for trendy widget bean button SV startup
Because in scenario A the main skill being applied is mechanical engineering and in scenario B the main skill being applied is RoR.
If everyone who ever writes a line of code is a "software developer" would you include an Excel VBA 10-liner writer? Probably not, and nor would that person include themselves, they're an accountant (or whatever).
Whereas when I say "software engineering" I am referring to formal methods, or software components of engineered systems e.g. avionics. Nevertheless - the point is that lots of professions automate themselves. Now that I think about it even a doctor who invents a more effective treatment lessening the workload of other doctors is using medicine to automate medicine.
How different is a MechEng writing FORTRAN for mechanical engineering from a MechEng writing RoR for trendy widget bean button SV startup?
I'd argue they're both programming, which is sufficient to reap some of the benefits of automation. Software engineering can be described as applying engineering to programming. Any company that benefits from programming would also benefit from the increases in efficiency, reliability, performance, etc. software engineering would bring to programming.