This thread on Hacker News terrifies me

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad]

On Saturday, 1 September 2018 at 11:32:32 UTC, Jonathan M Davis 
wrote:
> I'm not sure that I really agree that software engineering 
> isn't engineering, but the folks who argue against it do have a 
> point in that software engineering is definitely not like most 
> other engineering disciplines, and good engineering practices 
> are nowhere near as well-defined in software engineering as 
> those in other engineering fields.

Most engineering fields have a somewhat stable/slow moving 
context in which they operate.

If you have a specific context (like banking) then you can 
develop a software method that specifies how to build banking 
software, and repeat it, assuming that the banks you develop the 
method for are similar

Of course, banking has changed quite a lot over the past 15 years 
(online + mobile). Software often operates in contexts that are 
critically different and that change in somewhat unpredictable 
manners.

But road engineers have a somewhat more stable context, they can 
adapt their methodology over time. Context does change even 
there, but at a more predictable pace.

Of course, this might be primarily because computers are new. 
Businesses tend to use software/robotics in a disruptive manner 
to get a competitive edger over the competitors. So the users 
themselves creates disruptive contexts in their search for the 
"cutting edge"  or "competitive edge".

As it becomes more and more intertwined into how people do 
business it might become more stable and then you might see 
methods for specific fields that are more like engineering in 
older established fields. (like building railways).