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It seems to be the case that our biggest problem is separating CS from related disciplines to some extent. I think this can be best achieved by analogy to fields people have more intuition for.

I have attempted to create such a table:

Software        Buildings         General
programmer           construction worker     performs assigned tasks
software developer   foreman                 translates plans into work assignments
                                               and monitors workers
software engineer    architect               makes plans and develops principles
                                               than ensure some level of quality of
                                               the plans.
computer scientist   structural engineer,    develops and analyses methods/techniques
                     material scientist        for the above to use.
theoretical computer                         develops models and verifies principles
scientist            physicist                 that lead to and support new methods
                                               and techniques.
mathematician        mathematician           provides means to deal with models
                                               in a unified, abstract fashion.
                                               Develops meta models.

^{[LaTeX source]}

Of course, such a table would have to be decorated with appropriated disclaimers: "This is no attempt at defining either notion rigorously; it is only a rough analogy to relate to general knowledge. The same person can perform more than one role. Some tasks may be associated with more than one role." and so on.

What do you think, can an analogy clarify what we have trouble defining clearly?

Do you have other/better analogies?

It seems that our biggest problem is separating CS from related disciplines to some extent. I think this can be best achieved by analogy to fields people have more intuition for.

I have attempted to create such a table:

Software        Buildings         General
programmer           construction worker     performs assigned tasks
software developer   foreman                 translates plans into work assignments
                                               and monitors workers
software engineer    architect               makes plans and develops principles
                                               then ensure some level of quality of
                                               the plans.
computer scientist   structural engineer,    develops and analyses methods/techniques
                     material scientist        for the above to use.
theoretical computer                         develops models and verifies principles
scientist            physicist                 that lead to and support new methods
                                               and techniques.
mathematician        mathematician           provides means to deal with models
                                               in a unified, abstract fashion.
                                               Develops meta models.

^{[LaTeX source]}

Of course, such a table would have to be decorated with appropriated disclaimers: "This is no attempt at defining either notion rigorously; it is only a rough analogy to relate to general knowledge. The same person can perform more than one role. Some tasks may be associated with more than one role." and so on.

What do you think, can an analogy clarify what we have trouble defining clearly?

Do you have other/better analogies?

It seems to be the case that our biggest problem is separating CS from related disciplines to some extent. I think this can be best achieved by analogy to fields people have more intuition for.

I have attempted to create such a table:

^[source]

Of course, such a table would have to be decorated with appropriated disclaimers: "This is no attempt at defining either notion rigorously; it is only a rough analogy to relate to general knowledge. The same person can perform more than one role. Some tasks may be associated with more than one role." and so on.

What do you think, can an analogy clarify what we have trouble defining clearly?

Do you have other/better analogies?

It seems to be the case that our biggest problem is separating CS from related disciplines to some extent. I think this can be best achieved by analogy to fields people have more intuition for.

I have attempted to create such a table:

Software        Buildings         General
programmer           construction worker     performs assigned tasks
software developer   foreman                 translates plans into work assignments
                                               and monitors workers
software engineer    architect               makes plans and develops principles
                                               than ensure some level of quality of
                                               the plans.
computer scientist   structural engineer,    develops and analyses methods/techniques
                     material scientist        for the above to use.
theoretical computer                         develops models and verifies principles
scientist            physicist                 that lead to and support new methods
                                               and techniques.
mathematician        mathematician           provides means to deal with models
                                               in a unified, abstract fashion.
                                               Develops meta models.

^{[LaTeX source]}

Of course, such a table would have to be decorated with appropriated disclaimers: "This is no attempt at defining either notion rigorously; it is only a rough analogy to relate to general knowledge. The same person can perform more than one role. Some tasks may be associated with more than one role." and so on.

What do you think, can an analogy clarify what we have trouble defining clearly?

Do you have other/better analogies?

It seems to be the case that our biggest problem is separating CS from related disciplines to some extent. I think this can be best achieved by analogy to fields people have more intuition for.

I have attempted to create such a table:

^[source]

Of course, such a table would have to be decorated with appropriated disclaimers: "This is no attempt at defining either notion rigorously; it is only a rough analogy to relate to general knowledge. The same person can perform more than one role. Some tasks may be associated with more than one role." and so on.

What do you think, can an analogy clarify what we have trouble defining clearly?

Do you have other/better analogies?

It seems to be the case that our biggest problem is separating CS from related disciplines to some extent. I think this can be best achieved by analogy to fields people have more intuition for.

I have attempted to create such a table:

^[source]

Of course, such a table would have to be decorated with appropriated disclaimers: "This is no attempt at defining either notion rigorously; it is only a rough analogy to relate to general knowledge. The same person can perform more than one role. Some tasks may be associated with more than one role." and so on.

What do you think, can an analogy clarify what we have trouble defining clearly?

Do you have other/better analogies?