The software problem

The profession of a software engineer is plagued by an inherent problem, that is of the intangibility of the work-piece. Ofcourse when the code doesn't work and strange messages are thrown out at the screen, the software engineer suffers, not able to find a physical object to cause grievous bodily harm to. But the problem doesn't end there.

It is very easy to undermine the complexity of the software engineer's work. One might click a button on the GUI waiting impatiently for an output, but rarely does one wonder about the algorithms, the synchronisation of resources, the arrangements to respect a gazillions standards that are hidden behind that button. The admiration that a machine with cranking levers or humming motors receives is much greater.

The intangibility problem is even more evident in the world of embedded solutions, where it is harder to perceive the software at work. When the customer comes grinning and clapping, "it works", waving the tangible microchip, the popular perception is that the microchip works, the toil of the software engineer is instantly vapored.

The software community is painfully aware of this problem. Just like Lord Farquaad's compensated his problem of (ahhem) stature by building a massive castle, software publishers seem to deal with the intangibility problem by releasing software in boxes more suitable for a month's supply of detergent or corn-flakes.