Do engineers get the recognition and fame they deserve?

When we conceptualized the idea of 'Small Talk' on CE, we wanted to interview engineers who've been doing amazing work from behind the scenes. These magicians would work at the back-stage and make the show run on the stage. We found that these engineers were shielded by the corporate walls and were never exposed to the real world.

Engineers work for corporations and it's often the company / management that gets the credit for advancing the technology and engineering. For example, I sometimes feel sad that people don't know Steve Wozniak just as much they know Steve Jobs. While Steve Jobs was the face of the company, it was Steve Wozniak who designed the hardware, circuits and software for the first Apple machines that lead to revolution in the PC industry. [Read our exclusive Small Talk with Steve Wozniak: #-Link-Snipped-# ]

I believe engineers do not get the recognition, fame and credit they deserve for their work. Do you agree?

Replies

  • pratap singh, upendra
    pratap singh, upendra
    I am just quoting what The_Big_k mentioned in his post..

    We found that these engineers were shielded by the corporate walls and were never exposed to the real world.

    In my view the fact whether the engineers are being shielded or not is none of the concern for the end-user.

    The end user sitting on the farthest corner of technology does not care about the technology that has provided him with an invention. They are just concerned with the face value of the invention, whether it is viable, productive and efficient or not. Most of the time they prefer to remain aloof from the technical details of the gadget they are using. This state of ignorance actually shields the engineers. It's not that the corporation for which they contributing does not recognize their effort but the fact remains that it is not possible for the corporation to actually advertise their efforts owing to technical evils like competition from other firms, loss of patent etc.

    But still I believe that unless and until the users come up and appreciate the efforts of the engineers, they is no other way that these technical heroes could get proper recognition and respect from the society.

    will appreciate any comments the other way out.....

    regards,
    proffy
  • Kaustubh Katdare
    Kaustubh Katdare
    It's a fact that most of the end users don't care what the technology is and what engineering marvel has gone into the products/services they're using. I'm only concern about the right people getting the credit. For example, people praise Steve Jobs, when the real 'creator' was Steve Wozniak. People praise 'Google' and its founders for creating Gmail, but the real creator of Gmail is Mr. Paul Buchheit.

    Of course, the end users don't understand or are concerned about whether Gmail runs on php or Java or Ruby. I'm only saying that the engineers who created the stuff in first place should get the real credit.
  • Ramani Aswath
    Ramani Aswath
    The_Big_K
    Of course, the end users don't understand or are concerned about whether Gmail runs on php or Java or Ruby. I'm only saying that the engineers who created the stuff in first place should get the real credit.
    Unfortunately that is too true.

    Dr.M.S.Valiathan, the founder director of Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology Trivandrum, a great man who was my chief and I decided otherwise. Many private and public institutes in India and some abroad helped in the development of the artificial heart valve.
    Each contributor was given the complete freedom to use his/her part of the work in any manner they pleased. As happens often a lot of the work was not fruitful. Still they were published, formed part of annual reports and went into resumes.

    Engineers backstage are more used to be at the receiving end of brick bats rather than bouquets - Google Search.

    Unsung heroes, may their tribe increase!
  • solar morpher
    solar morpher
    How on earth is it possible Only the people who are well known for Managing skills get depicted to the public as greatest heroes.

    To me this is a most modernised form of plagiarism here only the fame and credit due to the engineer is robbed by higher officials
  • Ankita Katdare
    Ankita Katdare
    We at CE, seem to be, together for the cause that - Engineers should get the recognition they so rightfully deserve. Engineers should be discussed as role-models and celebrated similar to the super-heroes. After-all it is only engineers who have been able to breath life into comic-book superheroes for the multiplex screens.

    I think as a community, we should do something about this. Dig and dig and bring the current engineers to life at Small Talk. Ask them questions through interviews and spread the word about them virally.
    The more these engineers get known globally, the more inspired people will be towards technological innovation.
  • Jeffrey Arulraj
    Jeffrey Arulraj
    AKD nice idea and hope a team implements it in the year 2K13
  • Abhishek Rawal
    Abhishek Rawal
    There was always a problem for farmers that, while ploughing the field using tractor they tend to look backwards which is painful & not comfy even after spending good amount to company.So, a famous company (maybe mahindra... I am not sure though) decided to give project to an Engineering college of Pune.
    A mechanical student there gave extremely simple solution of using 6 mirrors with 30degree slant to each & the company was impressed & hired him.
    Now that student will ofcourse be happy but sadly because his lack of smartness he will not get any recognizition & the company has already patented this design of tractor & has started production.

    The company not only hired that student but with that they bought an idea for free by which they will earn millions. It's same like Mark stole idea from Winklevoss twins. "Same shit, different toilet".

    So,Business-men are smart & they have to be. But with lil bit of smartness in Engineers can save him from being underground engineer.
  • Mayur Pathak
    Mayur Pathak
    What is visible, sells. Engineers have always been behind the scenes. The creator is never a marketeer. It is a known fact that Steve Jobs didn't create the products. But he created Apple, the brand. And I guess people don't know him as a creator of products anyway.

    I think you guys are mixing the brand with the function. User always like the product, the way it behaves and the way it is put to use. They have no reason to like the man/woman who created it. So even if you tell people that Paul and not Larry who created Gmail. People will say, wow... Paul is good. But I love Google.

    Another fundamental question. How do you plan to give recognition? How will it help?
  • durga ch
    durga ch
    ...hmm. do engineers 'want' to be recognised?If an engineer 'wants' to be recognised then they may well develop product as independet engineeers thus gain recognisation. I think when someone applies for a company and gets recrutied they are well aware that their ideas will be company's ideas.
    I persaonlly dont think engineers as people who want recognisation,
    since Steve Jobs is not an engineer , I would rather not think what he said applies here - " people dont know what they want, you should tell them what they want!" (or somthing on similar lines)
    I think tEngineers would rather be happy answering and thinking solutions than hoggin the limelight.
  • Ramani Aswath
    Ramani Aswath
    durga
    ...hmm. do engineers 'want' to be recognised?
    I think tEngineers would rather be happy answering and thinking solutions than hoggin the limelight.
    That is why they are called back room boys. Girls as well I must say.

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