[dudul]

That would do nothing if so called engineers are not given the "power" to refuse to implement something when they are ordered to by their PM.

[jeroenhd]

Do you think normal engineers have any more power than a programmer? In the end, they're employees for a business, with a boss breathing down their neck to just sign off already.

[abduhl]

All at will employees have the power to refuse to implement something when ordered to by their PM. Quit. “I was just following orders” doesn’t even fly for situations where refusal can get you strung up for treason.

[ryandrake]

I have in the past successfully pushed back and refused to work on projects I thought were ethically fraught. Problem is, your company will just say "Sure! No problem! We take care of our developers here at Initech! Jimmy, two desks down, would be happy to write that code!" So the problematic software always gets implemented, despite one person's objection. Because we have jerks like Jimmy.

[jeroenhd]

But in that case, if the project turns out to be illegal or harm people, Jimmy would be on the hook and not you.

Jimmy can be a jerk, but he'll be careful if he'd risk being employed in his home state if he signs off on something he should know is unacceptable.

[abduhl]

If my greatest accomplishment in life is that I wasn’t Jimmy then I guess I’d die pretty proud of that.

[tekla]

Oh yes. Software engineers are drones that are unable to refuse to do things they believe are unsafe.

[dudul]

Software engineers have kids to feed.