I'm currently an undergrad studying software engineering at a Canadian university, and I'm going to go through the whole Iron Ring ceremony when I graduate. The program here does seem to focus more on ethics, albeit in a somewhat generalized 'engineering' be-careful-when-you-build-a-bridge way, but I've still had some good takeaways that apply to building software.
The Iron Ring ceremony was one I didn't realize existed until our graduating class of nuclear engineers were told "Oh, by the way, you're all going." This was in The South in the USA.
I love it. I have yet to take the ring off. It's a great way to initiate conversations about ethics and a great way to tangibly emphasize my personal pursuit in being ethical.
Where was this done? I wouldn't mind doing so in Texas as a software engineer since we don't have PE's.
Re:Code I’m Still Ashamed Of
by greenshackle2 on Wednesday November 16, 2016 @11:58AM
(#12968896)
The ceremony is symbolic, the Iron Ring committee has no real power. There are professional engineering associations with actual power, unrelated to the ring, but software engineers are not usually part of them.
I'm a software dev. with a background in a different engineering discipline and there isn't much reason for me to join an engineering professional association in Canada. Unlike, say, civil, where you have to be licensed to perform some of the duties, nothing in a software engineer position actually requires a license.
Just wanted to chime in and say that I am in a position similar to yours, and agree with everything you have said, but would add that I believe the iron ring is a very good 'nudge' towards ethical decision-making.
>I've been long-enamoured with the Canadian Engineering 'Iron Ring' ceremony.
They have it in the US too:
I've been thinking about this recently. Less on the trade union (even if that might make more sense, in the vein of actual leverage), and more on the professional association side. I've been long-enamoured with the Canadian Engineering 'Iron Ring' ceremony. I don't know how much actual leverage that bestows, but something similar in such an infrastructural discipline as software development seems appropriate.