[bee_rider]

Engineers have a special place in society like doctors and lawyers. Working with management is part of the job, but engineers have a professional ethical obligation to say no if they are asked to something against the public good.

The split there isn’t in favor of doing stuff that’s fun and novel though; actually, the engineer should usually pick a boring proven solution if the public has a high stake in the outcome.

[Glawen]

Only valid when engineering something which can kill/hurt/pollute. These areas are regulated and can carry personal liabilities when it goes wrong.

But the vast majority of HN topics are not concerned. Additionaly, it does not pay well