[yummypaint]

Part of the problem is that software engineers aren't real engineers. Engineering disciplines formally recognize their responsibilities to the public, and are expected to refuse to build dangerous or harmful systems.

The mechanical engineers who design cars and the civil engineers who design the roads and bridges they traverse are held to these standards, and hold themselves to these standards. The software engineers who write code that actually controls vehicles in practice have no such culture. Relevant professional organizations like the ACM should be leading the charge, but they aren't because their membership doesn't care.

One solution is to license software engineers. What do people working in the industry think about that?

[robocat]

False comparison... There are also mechanical engineers that design trashy gewgaws. And electronic engineers designing giftcard chips.

And creating regulations for the word "engineer" is just a bad idea. Instead the common solution is independent certification bodies (perhaps with some government clout for practices that endanger people).

And regardless, you can only regulate individuals within your jurisdiction. Global commerce and services makes the idea of controlling the word engineer fruitless.

[djohnston]

Wat? Who is building cruise missiles? Who is building bombs? Not engineers?

[stackghost]

Within the aerospace engineering profession those jobs are highly controversial and the subject of perennial debate.