It's not true for most engineers in industry. It isn't just software.
If a car has a poorly-engineered suspension and a wheel breaks off and someone gets killed, does the engineer at Ford who designed it get sued personally? Absolutely not. Did any engineers at Ford who designed the Pinto suffer personally for their design? Of course not.
>If a car has a poorly-engineered suspension and a wheel breaks off and someone gets killed, does the engineer at Ford who designed it get sued personally?
I believe the laws differ by country. In the above circumstance where I am based (Australia) the person who signed off (edit: certified) after reviewing the suspension design would assume the liability. And may get taken to court where you would need to demonstrate you followed best practices may be ask to supply calculations etc.
For example my company we are required legally to keep things like calculations and technical drawings on file in archives for things like above hypothetical.
But the engineer would likely be deposed and, if the case goes to trial, called as a witness. That might not translate well for his future at Ford, or at another employer.
Surprising that no one in this thread has mentioned education as an additional distinguishing chracteristic. Programmers are frequently self-taught. If PG essays and HN submissions/comments are any indication, many programmers dislike school. It is said that programming only requires very basic math skills. There are requirements on professional engineers that do not apply to programmers. Engineering, in the US at least, is generally a regulated profession. That's the point of difference, irrespective of whether programmers perform similar work.
NB. When I use the term "regulated" I mean there are licensure requirements. For example, an exam.
>Engineering, in the US at least, is a regulated profession
No, it's not. Civil engineering is; the rest of them, not so much. The vast majority of engineers in the US fall under the "industrial exemption", whether they work for Microsoft, Google, Ford, GM, Boeing, or General Dynamics, or countless other companies large and small. Almost none of them have a Professional Engineer license.
It's weird how, every time this kind of discussion comes up, civil engineers keep trying to tell all the people who design fighter jets and cars that they're not "real engineers" because they don't have a license.
It's true one may not need a professional engineering license in automotive, aerospace, and some other areas, but one still generally needs to meet certain educational requirements, e.g., an 4-year engineering degree from an ABET-accredited or otherwise reputable institution.
This is unlike programming, where "self-taught" or "dropped out of college" is sufficient.
If a car has a poorly-engineered suspension and a wheel breaks off and someone gets killed, does the engineer at Ford who designed it get sued personally? Absolutely not. Did any engineers at Ford who designed the Pinto suffer personally for their design? Of course not.