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Ask HN: As a programmer/developer/engineer, what title do you prefer?

7 points by aforty ↗ HN
What title do you prefer to have due to personal bias or perceived prestige? I know most developers have opinions on this but I've never seen it gauged community wide. I really would like to know: what do hackers prefer to be called in the real world in the form of a title?

- Do you prefer something with the word "engineer" in it, such as Software Engineer? - Do you prefer something with the word "programmer" in it, such as Solutions Programmer? - Do you prefer something with the word "developer" in it, such as Web Developer?

Do you think all these words pretty much mean the same thing or are they very different to you? I feel like a "Developer" is not very prestigious and the way I've heard it being used in the real world makes me feel as though it undermines and undervalues what I do day in and day out. So I have always preferred "Engineer" over "Programmer" over "Developer" because I feel as though they are all essentially they same thing but I rank them on how good they sound.

I don't know, am I vain? What are your thoughts, I really want to know.

17 comments

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twildeman
At the company where I work http://www.mediamonks.com, everybody is a monk. Therefore I am a Dev Monk, and actually prefer that way more than any 'official' title.
stdclass
I prefer "Software Engineer"
laveur
I also prefer "Software Engineer"
Akram
I pretty much think the same way. Having funky title like Jedi or Ninja may sound cool but it is not digestible for the outside world.

I being a Web developer / software engineer prefer being called a Software Engineer cause it is all about software engineering that I deal with and it doesn't always have to do with the web. Being called a programmer narrows my skill set, Cause it is more about finding solution, designing, managing projects and a lot more then just coding/programing.

So I love being called a Software Engineer :)

aforty
"Being called a programmer narrows my skill set"

This. Also feel the same way about "developer" especially when I see people who only do HTML mockup being called "web developers."

dagw
Maybe I'm far too old school, but I want my engineers to have engineering degrees. I don't have a degree in engineering (software of otherwise) so I call myself a programmer.
kmlymi
Yeah, my title at my previous job once changed to Software Engineer, and I asked immediately "Is it legal to call myself an Engineer without an Engineering degree?"

It felt really wrong.

antidoh
I prefer "Software Developer" as a title. I tell people I'm a programmer.
debacle
Anything but developer. I don't build houses.
tallpapab
I think of myself as a computer programmer. I try to be a software writer. I market myself as a Consulting Software Engineer.
factorialboy
Well, I'm of course a programming 'Ninja', 'Rocktsa' and 'Gangsta' .. ;-)
elviejo
I like developer. I think the term developer entails someone capable of working on the full lifecycle..analysis, design, code or maintenance.

Sw developer is good.

elviejo
I hate all the ninja, rockstar and other terms. A company that uses those terms seems pretty juvenile to me. The kind of place full if nerf guns that dont take the joh serously enough.
rajdesai225
A real hacker would not really care about title. I have never looked at the title when accepting a job. I much rather look at job description and see if it's something cool, refreshing, novel and challenging. Otherwise, I simply say no - thanks.
brewerhimself
As far as anyone who isn't technically literate is concerned, I'm a programmer. In my domain (the software realm), I prefer to be called referred to as a Software Engineer. dagw pointed out that engineers should have an Engineering degree, but I don't really agree.

As far as I'm concerned, anyone who meets the requirements of the definition of 'Engineer' ('A person who designs, builds, or maintains engines, machines, or public works.', according to Google) is qualified to be called an Engineer. Having an engineering degree doesn't make you a good engineer anymore than not having an engineering degree makes you a bad engineer.