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From: shebs@utah-cs.UUCP (Stanley Shebs)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: "Hack" is a sacred word?
Message-ID: <2041@utah-cs.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 22-Oct-83 18:48:32 EDT
Article-I.D.: utah-cs.2041
Posted: Sat Oct 22 18:48:32 1983
Date-Received: Tue, 25-Oct-83 00:54:41 EDT
References: <114@ccieng6.UUCP> rlgvax.1313
Lines: 20

There are at least two reasons for using words other than "programmer"
or "engineer" etc.  The first is that there are many flavors of programming
and programmers.  The Un*x wizard who fixes obscure uucp bugs with
three carefully chosen commands is different from the grad student that
works all night to produce something that barely works is different
from the software engineer that writes more incorrect documentation than
code is different from the RPG programmer that still has trouble with
the basic concepts. (whew!)  Having worked in several different kinds of
programming situations, I can say that referring to all of the different
flavors as "programmers" is a gross overgeneralization.  I don't have
any real problems with "craftsman", except that many research scientists
do a lot of theory testing by constructing programs.  And as for
"engineering", well, I once worked in a software development environment
that the DoD considered one of the best in aerospace, and it was a far
cry from real engineering, and a long ways down from typical Un*x hacking,
maligned as that hacking may be.  I won't go into details, but just
let me say that I'm glad the cruise missiles won't be carrying people...

							stan the l.h.
							utah-cs!shebs