[paxys]

> To practice engineering and use the title engineer (or any variation), you must be licensed by the engineering regulator for the province/ territory where the title is being used. Regulation minimizes risks to public safety and ensures that these activities are conducted by licensed engineers who are held to high professional and ethical standards that require them to work in the public interest.

I'm sure these bodies can provide evidence that people who have paid their membership dues and been bestowed the title of "engineer" write safer and better code, right?

Here's a perfect example of such regulatory corruption – https://ij.org/press-release/oregon-engineer-wins-traffic-li.... Someone ran tests and showed that Oregon's red light cameras were flawed. The state in turn fined him for calling himself an "engineer" without a license and barred him from speaking about the problem. Thankfully the supreme court put an end to it pretty quick.

[max51]

>I'm sure these bodies can provide evidence that people who have paid their membership dues and been bestowed the title of "engineer" write safer and better code, right?

Having an engineering license means that you know the person when through a full college degree and/or could prove they have enough experience to compensate for it (not that easy btw). In Canada, it's not enough to just get a "major" in something related to engineering, they are a completely separate category of programs that have 1.5x the number of credits (>120 instead of 90) and are roughly equivalent to getting a Bachelor + master in other disciplines (it's 4 years, full-time, with full-time internships and/or classes during summers. 5 years if you want your summer off)

It also means that they can lose that title if they fuck up badly and get reported. You can't change the name of the company or create a new online account to escape that bad rep. The tone of the discussion is completely different when the person being pressured to sign something they shouldn't by a manager is risking their entire career over it.

Asking for an engineering stamp on something means that you know a specific person will be personally responsible for it. They can't get out of it with a cute letter about how they will investigate and take proper actions for the future.

[TheLoafOfBread]

Yes, accountability and responsibility for failures is what separates engineer from developer.

[DethNinja]

There is a test and experience record verification process, optionally a recorded interview.

You cannot get a P.Eng license just by paying membership fees.

There is also a discipline process for engineering misconduct.

[rubyist5eva]

It's not about quality, it's about liability.

[Gibbon1]

Licensed engineering is an anachronism for most things. Because a licensed engineer put his seal on a drawing isn't good enough.

Modern engineering is all about standards and process.

Reminds me. One of the reasons California has high building costs and lack of construction workers is they went way overboard on contractors licensing.

[minsight]

Feel free to point out the evidence of superiority provided by those who accredit medical doctors and lawyers.