Software companies are definitely flying too close to the sun here. I don't think this is sustainable, at all.

Pet Food Store App does not really need Real Engineering, no

Any place money is changing hands needs at least enough engineering, enough "application of scientific principles," to do it securely. Observably failing at that task means it ends up not being a pet food store. (It ceases to exist or becomes a scam instead.)

It really does. The pet food store app asks me for my cat’s allergies and medical conditions. Someone needs to be responsible if they fuck it up. Same with self driving cars - the whole idea of “engineering” is about quality and responsibility.

> the whole idea of “engineering” is about quality and responsibility

This is hilarious :-)

Making things that work has precisely zero relationship with quality or responsibilty or whatever shit you wish.

Of course you can pay me anytime for quality or responsibility or whatever :)

“Quality” is subjective, so you’re correct that it’s not about quality. A tool designed with a planned lifespan of 100 hour lifespan is just as much a product of engineering as one designed to last 10k.

Responsibility though is very much is a central component of capital E Engineering. The modern profession in many ways is a direct response to big newsworthy engineering disasters.

Responsibility does not have anything to do with engineering capital E or whatever.

If you pay me I can of course sell you some responsibility or whatever. This is called business.

When you hire a Professional Engineer there are minimum safety standards that they must meet. They can't charge you less and waive their liability. They are essentially required by law to "sell you some responsibility".