Comment by cameronbrown
6 years ago
> I assume no details on the error rate
A perfect example of why the title engineer needs to be earned. This is a baseless assumption given that literally anything could go wrong. Sensors could become damaged, circuits broken, etc.. It is our job to plan for edge cases.
> But also, at what distance from killing people does this license cease being relevant?
The last link in the chain: The engineers who put their stamp of approval on the system being shipped to consumers (aka Boeing employees). If you're willing to risk human life on the fact the Linux kernel is acceptable for this task, then you should damn well be able to risk your job title.
If Linux isn't up to the task then why is it being used?
> Sensors could become damaged, circuits broken, etc.. It is our job to plan for edge cases.
Not those edge cases. They have nothing to do with the core competencies of a software engineer and should be offloaded to someone who is competent. Do architects plan for edge cases where the steel beams were actually made of wood?
If the inputs to your system are wrong or nonsensical, you should fail fast.