RailsConf 2011, Glenn Vanderburg, "Craft, Engineering, and the Essence of Programming"

[toddhoffious]

Another way software engineering differs from other areas of engineering is that because it doesn't use materials made of well understood bits of matter there are few simplifying models that can be used. An architect can use fine element analysis to measure the safety of a building without having to care much about the actual realization of the build at all. Since software is a product it's the realization that matters most and general models don' exist for qualities like safety.

[5mf1nc]

@toddhoffious However, you can do unit-tests, automatic-tests, ...etc to actually test your product against safety, speed, etc. You can argue about that in real usage maybe there are still problems wasn't known after testing. But in other engineering there also a chance of failing, ex: the Tacoma Narrows Bridge.... . You can expect safety by analysis, but in real life there are unexpected events, thats can prove you wrong.