Alex Hung asks Do we want scientists or engineers? for developers. If you’re talking about the current output of computer science vs. software engineering curriculums, I don’t think it matters much. Neither has the skill set straight out of college to be effective, and if the person has the potential, both are equally as likely to grow into good developers.
The activity of software development (in a business context that I’m used to dealing with) is not computer science or software engineering although it contains shades of both. It also contains a lot of written and oral communication, a little bit of aesthetics, some history, and a lot of information about whatever domain the software lives in. The most valuable people in a business software development environment consistently seem to be those that bring those extra skills to the table.
I rarely find it to be the case that the smartest developer, or the best coder, or the most educated is looked upon as the best
developer on the team. How to identify and teach the extra skills that make up the discipline is still I think and open question.
