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Survey Results

Are you an optimist or a pessimist?   [Edit]

Survey period: 31 May 2004 to 6 Jun 2004

Most of our time as developers is spent concentrating on what can go wrong. Has this affected your world view? (Suggested by Wolf Blass Cabernet Sauvignon, '02)

OptionVotes% 
I'm an optimist (everything will work out)22814.41
I'm a realist (things break, the world turns)84653.48
I'm a pessimist (it'll never work properly)694.36
I'm a panic merchant (it'll break and catch on fire)442.78
I'm an engineer (It can only break if the design was poor)39524.97



 
GeneralRealist Pin
Mordok5-Jun-04 4:03
Mordok5-Jun-04 4:03 
GeneralRe: Realist Pin
Aaron Eldreth6-Jun-04 7:01
Aaron Eldreth6-Jun-04 7:01 
GeneralRe: Realist Pin
Paul Watson7-Jun-04 20:53
sitebuilderPaul Watson7-Jun-04 20:53 
GeneralRe: Realist Pin
Mordok8-Jun-04 2:06
Mordok8-Jun-04 2:06 
GeneralOptimist?!?!? Pin
Simone Giannecchini4-Jun-04 5:18
Simone Giannecchini4-Jun-04 5:18 
GeneralRe: Optimist?!?!? Pin
Colin Angus Mackay4-Jun-04 14:24
Colin Angus Mackay4-Jun-04 14:24 
GeneralRe: Optimist?!?!? Pin
frendeliko4-Jun-04 19:23
frendeliko4-Jun-04 19:23 
GeneralRe: Optimist?!?!? Pin
Mordok5-Jun-04 4:34
Mordok5-Jun-04 4:34 
GeneralRe: Optimist?!?!? Pin
Colin Angus Mackay6-Jun-04 6:01
Colin Angus Mackay6-Jun-04 6:01 
GeneralRe: Optimist?!?!? Pin
Aaron Eldreth6-Jun-04 6:56
Aaron Eldreth6-Jun-04 6:56 
GeneralRe: Optimist?!?!? Pin
Colin Angus Mackay6-Jun-04 8:57
Colin Angus Mackay6-Jun-04 8:57 
GeneralOptimism Pin
Mike Nordell3-Jun-04 11:27
Mike Nordell3-Jun-04 11:27 
GeneralCorrect Optimist Definition Pin
mpemberton2-Jun-04 7:27
mpemberton2-Jun-04 7:27 
GeneralRe: Correct Optimist Definition Pin
Aaron Eldreth2-Jun-04 16:25
Aaron Eldreth2-Jun-04 16:25 
GeneralRe: Correct Optimist Definition Pin
mpemberton2-Jun-04 17:42
mpemberton2-Jun-04 17:42 
GeneralRe: Correct Optimist Definition Pin
Aaron Eldreth3-Jun-04 2:36
Aaron Eldreth3-Jun-04 2:36 
GeneralRe: Correct Optimist Definition Pin
User 1942896-Jun-04 5:32
User 1942896-Jun-04 5:32 
GeneralDefinitions Pin
Paul Watson1-Jun-04 21:08
sitebuilderPaul Watson1-Jun-04 21:08 
GeneralRe: Definitions Pin
Gary Wheeler2-Jun-04 3:39
Gary Wheeler2-Jun-04 3:39 
I think it's interesting that most responders seem to agree with the following notion about engineers:

The best engineers assume that the world is not an ideal place. It has rough edges that you have to deal with. It's a matter of pride that the thing you're making, whether it's microcode in a toaster or the O/S for a nuclear power plant, behaves correctly in spite of the perversities of the real world.

Paul Watson wrote:
A person who is trained in and uses technological and scientific knowledge to solve practical problems.

This is a definition obviously written by a non-engineer. Yes, that's what we do. IMO, the only word in the definition which relates to how engineers think of themselves is practical. Engineers take basic knowledge, with all of its idealistic assumptions, and turn it into something useful in the non-linear and chaotic universe.


Software Zen: delete this;
GeneralRe: Definitions Pin
Anonymous7-Jun-04 9:11
Anonymous7-Jun-04 9:11 
GeneralRe: Definitions Pin
vanderar8-Jun-04 2:43
vanderar8-Jun-04 2:43 
GeneralEngineer Pin
Alexander M.,1-Jun-04 10:23
Alexander M.,1-Jun-04 10:23 
GeneralRe: Engineer Pin
gUrM33T2-Jun-04 1:29
gUrM33T2-Jun-04 1:29 
GeneralRe: Engineer Pin
Anonymous3-Jun-04 15:13
Anonymous3-Jun-04 15:13 
GeneralRe: Engineer Pin
Anonymous4-Jun-04 4:31
Anonymous4-Jun-04 4:31 

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