[SkyPuncher]

> Automotive mechanics is a learning process, fixing cars is a side effect.

Well, no. but replace automotive engineering - a more direct analogy to software developer - and yes.

> Practicing medicine is a learning process, healing people is a side effect.

As someone married to a physician, you'd actually be surprised how accurate that statement is. There are many thinks we have medical confidence, but there are also many things that we have limited knowledge about - especially new areas of medicine.

----

I don't think your argument sounds that ridiculous. We know a lot about computers. What we often don't know a lot about is the business requirements - which are fundamentally human driven. In my experience, technical knowledge is rarely the limitation for good software. It's an inability to discover the human needs of someone else.