Review of Metaphor, myth and mimicry: the bases of software engineering
In the paper "Metaphor, myth, and mimicry: the bases of software engineering", Antony Bryant analyses the problematic around the term "software engineering", exposing and discussing multiple point of views from different recognised authors over the last years concerning what brings with (as unwanted baggage) the use of the status "engineering" in software. Bryant opens his paper saying that in the 80s the term wasn't problematic at all and used to be a "good thing" but with the pass of time, the concept was transformed into more activities than just ordinary programming. The idea that software had to be "engineered" gave an image of rigour, care and assurance. However, soon began to be often misunderstood. In the late 90s, there was a consensus over the term within the academic and research community. Later discussions threads on the electronic list from the Conference of Professors and Heads of Computing produced and accepted...