It's only after these works that I've found "engineering" is worth a little gatekeeping:

  * The New Plague
  * Have Fun at Work
  * Friends in High Places
  * Design for Prevention

In short, some cynicism is warranted, but not complete and utter disillusionment.

I call myself a programmer. Nothing more, nothing less. While I don't necessarily go out of my way to gatekeep, I find 'engineer' pretty cringy, and 'architect' makes my eyes roll out of my head.

What's next, Software Physician?

They do give PhDs in Computers Science. And they require a similar amount of time (10-years-ish) to get as an MD, plus the salaries are similarly generous.

I disagree, maybe if the software industry self regulated like more traditional forms of engineering such as mechanical and electrical, we could guarantee some minimal level of competency in the field and wouldn't have to resort to weeklong interview processes and hours and hours of leetcode and whiteboarding.

With all due respect, if your "engineering title" is preceded by the word salesforce or prompt, you're not an engineer.