Software Engineering Vs Engineering and what it means for HCI.

Just Say No | profserious the blog of software Engineer  Anthony Finkelstein has just been musing on the differances between software engineering and engineering.



I do like the the elements "First, complexity and scale are different in the case of software systems: relatively functionally simple software systems comprise more independent parts, placed in relation to each other, than do physical systems of equivalent functional value. " 

I guess my big problem has always been what is the difference between human computer interaction ( or design ) and the design of interaction with  of other everyday items. Please where are large overlaps but what are the differences? There was one book on human computer interaction I remember reading which failed to use the word computer for the first hundred pages.

"Third, software systems operate in a domain determined principally by arbitrary rules about information and symbolic communication whilst the operation of physical systems is governed by the laws of physics."



Again this is interesting in that form the design notion we can't have form follows function. Anthony also ignores the fact we have electronic and electrical engineering with not problem.





"Finally, software is readily changeable and thus is changed, it is used in settings where our uncertainty leads us to anticipate the need to change."

This is one of the elements which I found the most intreasting. Yes we do use software when we expect change and want to easily accommodated it. So I guess user interfaces are something we build when we expect what is to be controlled will change frequently. stimulating and stuff