[mywaifuismeta]

The last point is important. In my experience it's mostly about status. RSEs are always seen as inferior to researchers (research scientists) who supposedly come up with the "big ideas" while RSEs merely implement the stuff they're told to do.

In reality the line is much blurrier. There can be no innovation and iteration without implementation of ideas and the RSE work is just as important.

But unless this view changes, nobody wants to be an RSE.

[JetAlone]

According to a quick search for the case of researchers, and the stereotype of most staff in academia across the board being underpaid, this means academic researchers would have even less incentives/perks/reward, because now they have one less beneficial status differential.

Is there some way to make human respect feel like it's not a zero sum game? The world may never know.

[barry-cotter]

> Is there some way to make human respect feel like it's not a zero sum game?

Respect is non zero sum but status is definitionally a positional good. If you’re number 1 someone else isn’t. There can be uncertainty about status but ambiguity always collapses eventually. Everyone can be treated with respect but there will be a prestige or dominance hierarchy in any group of humans, subtle as it may be.

[lliamander]

I actually wouldn't mind being lower status than the scientists, so long as my particular expertise was respected and I had a reasonable degree of autonomy within my domain.

I did tech support at a university for a bit. I certainly wasn't as high status as the professors, but they mostly respected me and the value I provided (especially when you do things like help them recover that next book they were working on, or whatever).

[amelius]

Yes, I think RSE is often viewed as a laboratory assistant.

[auxym]

Not just viewed, but literally called an assistant in the official title.

I am a licensed professional engineer (mechanical) and I work in academia (though my work is varied and does involve some code), my official title (in french) is "Professionnel de recherche", which translates to Research Professional. It is my understanding that in most of the english-speaking world, this position (someone that works for a research lab, who is qualified above the technician level, but not a PI nor a postdoc or student) is called "Research Assistant".

I write "Research Engineer" on my résumé/linkedin, because TBH for most people who don't have much experience in academia, "Research Assistant" sounds like an admin assistant (secretary).

[captaincaveman]

I'd argue the position of software engineers/ programmers being those that implement the thinking of the business/science thinkers isn't unique to academia.