See “No True Scotsman”....

What next they aren’t a “true engineer” unless they can reverse a b-tree on the whiteboard?

For sure they aren't one if they don't have the degree from an university acknowledged by the Engineers Order.

Which most likely will have a good class in algorithms and data structures.

So while I don't expect every engineer to actually be able to do it, I expect him/her to be able to explain how to attack the problem.

And you personally have studied the curriculum of every single computer science/computer engineering degree and can say that every single one required writing a compiler or interpreter and that no person who hasn’t written one can call themselves an engineer?

The engineering Order has taken that job twice.

When they certify the university and then when they issue the professional titles exam.

So they “certify universities” worldwide?

Each one certifies the universities of the respective country, naturally.

I am well aware that US doesn't seem to value proper engineering education, and everyone is allowed to call themselves engineers.

Thankfully not every country sees it that way.

Yes I guess that’s why the US is such a backwater when it comes to innovation and why we have so few successful technology startups....

Should we do an exercise of which US tech was actually researched by immigrants with a proper engineering degree, and how much of that tech is actually built on US?

Should we do an exercise in how much knowing how to write compilers helps in the day to day life of your average SAAS CRUD developer or bespoke app developer - my original statement?

It depends if the bespoke develop ever needs to parse some kind of data file to import into their CRUD application, provide customization points to their customers or configuration file parser.

Then there is the whole point if HR is hiring actual engineers.