The recent “bug” that afflicted the BATS trading system will probably be one for the ages and go along with other famous bugs like the Ariane 5 rocket and Y2K problem. Of course BATS is calling it a “freak one-time event”, but this bug caused massive losses of money. Fortunately there was no loss of life, but past bugs have caused this like the Therac-25 radiation therapy bug.
I am a huge advocate for Software Engineering and the growth of this profession. When I study the growth of similar professions, such as Civil Engineering, the government did not get involved and create certifications like the PE until there were massive loss of life due to bridges crumbling. It is unfortunate that a similar type of software bug will cause the public to take notice of the pervasive influence of software in our society and needs to be recognized as a profession in its own right. There have been close calls like the Toyota brakes problem which had a lot of software in it, but was ultimately the software was not found to be at fault. Here’s to hoping that the government and public don’t wait to recognize Software Engineering as a profession.
Woody Press 