>He was successful in the end

So it sounds like it was fine? Why would this prompt (haha) a change in their approach to things?

> Maybe this is what will turn software engineering into an Engineering field.

Oh man, I think you may have touched the third rail here. (as in, danger... but it powers the train)

My first job out of high school was as an AutoCAD/network admin at a large Civil & Structural firm. I later got further into tech. After my initial experience, "software engineering" always made my eyes roll.

In Civil, Structural, and many other fields, Engineers have a path to Professional Engineer. That PE stamp means that you suffer actual legal consequences if you are found guilty of gross negligence in your field. This is why Engineering firms are a collective of actual Professional Engineer partners, and not your average corporate structure.

The issue is that in software dev, we move fast, SOC2 is screenshot theater, and actual Engineering would slow things way down. But, now that coding is fast, maybe you are correct! Maybe vibe coding is the forcing function for actual Software Engineering!

edit:

I just searched to see if my comment was correct, and it turns out that Software PE was attempted! It was discontinued due to low participation.

> NCEES will discontinue the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) Software Engineering exam after the April 2019 exam administration. Since the original offering in 2013, the exam has been administered five times, with a total population of 81 candidates.

https://ncees.org/ncees-discontinuing-pe-software-engineerin...