Sometimes I feel like software engineers are a bit culty and puritanical. So many times I go to stackoverflow and someone has asked "how do I do X with Y" and the replies are standard dictums like "you should never (in bold!) do X with Y" or "why are you doing X yourself? use this or that library". In the workplace it's often a good idea not to keep reinventing the wheel, but outside of that learning by experimentation shouldn't be discouraged.
@dpiponi Another difference I noticed while working at Microsoft: For scientinsts, "This is an interesting problem" is a challenge. For engineers, it's a curse.
@BartoszMilewski @dpiponi since when this division between scientists and engineers? 😂 Maybe that is coz I come from the EU where engineers are considered something important. I noticed that in the UK they are in fact regarded just slightly above the guys who come to fix your antenna. BTW my job as an engineer is full of challenges. But our aim is mainly to optimise resource and stick to standards, it shapes quite a kind of forma mentis if you like. I am sure those who work at university have much vaster spacetime to use for experimentation. Anyway, if you are going to need help from the engineers to animate your favourite Star Wars characters in your watch, you will also have to bear their attitude 😆
@KodeGhinn @dpiponi What I like about enginnering is that it gives you more immediate gratification. And you get satisfaction from making something that can be used by many people.