This article was originally published on CoderLegion: https://coderlegion.com/9473/i-no-longer-see-software-as-just-software
How research and green software engineering changed the way I see code
For a long time, I thought software engineering was only about features, performance, and shipping products.
Today, I realize it’s much deeper than that.
A small shift in perspective
I used to measure good software by how fast it runs, how clean the UI looks, and how many users it serves.
But after working on topics like GNSS-based traffic modeling and green software engineering, something changed.
I started asking different questions:
• How much energy does this system consume?
• What invisible resources are being wasted?
• Who is affected by the decisions we make in code?
That’s when software stopped being “just software” to me.
Software writes real-world consequences
When you model traffic data, you’re not just optimizing routes — you’re influencing pollution, time, safety, and city behavior.
When you analyze software energy consumption, you’re not just profiling code — you’re touching sustainability, infrastructure load, and environmental impact.
Code doesn’t stay on the screen.
It moves into streets, servers, electricity grids, and human lives.
⚙️ Engineering is no longer neutral
Every design choice has a cost.
• One inefficient loop multiplied by millions of users
• One always-on service running 24/7
• One poorly planned system scaled too fast
Software engineers are now part of global systems, not isolated applications.
And whether we notice it or not, we are shaping:
• energy consumption
• digital behavior
• economic decisions
• and even environmental outcomes
What this changed for me
Today, when I write or analyze software, I don’t only think about:
✔️ “Does it work?”
✔️ “Is it fast?”
I also think about:
✔️ “Is it responsible?”
✔️ “Is it efficient beyond performance?”
✔️ “Is it solving the right problem?”
Final thought
Software engineering is no longer just about building products.
It’s about designing systems that live inside the real world.
And once you truly see that —you can’t unsee it.
What questions do you have about responsible software? Drop a thought below — I’d love to hear your take.
You can find me on GitHub: https://github.com/fadydesoky
Top comments (2)
This is a really thoughtful perspective, and I like how you connect everyday coding decisions to real-world impact so clearly. The shift from “does it work” to “is it responsible” feels especially important as systems scale and touch more parts of society. I agree that sustainability and energy awareness will become a core engineering skill, not a niche topic. I’m genuinely interested to see how these ideas can be turned into practical guidelines teams can actually apply in daily development.
Thank you, I really appreciate this, Art light — means a lot coming from you.
I’m glad the shift from “does it work” to “is it responsible” resonated, because that question has genuinely started to guide how I think about systems lately.
And I completely agree with you — the real challenge now is translating these ideas into practical, day-to-day engineering habits, not just theory.
I’m actually planning to explore this direction more through concrete examples and applied guidelines.
Would love to hear your thoughts too: what’s one small engineering practice you think could realistically make software more “responsible” today?