I ask because English isn't my first language. Is a scientist really considered someone who studies a field? You might have a degree, but does that make you a scientist?
I always thought a scientist usually is at least at PhD level.
English isn't my first language either so I apologize if this is incorrect.
I think a scientist is somebody who applies a scientific method or, more broadly, does research in a field. Since "Computer Science" isn't really a science (it's closer to Math) it gets muddier, I'd assume a computer scientist is somebody who does research in the field of computer science. That's as "objective" as it can be in my opinion.
All in all what's important is that these fields needn't be mutually exclusive, one can be a programmer and a computer scientist. (And the original point of my comment was that applying arbitrary definitions to roles is way too simplistic, the best we can do is apply those words as literal value)
To my mind a scientist means someone who is doing research - whether that be academically or industrially - and qualifications are secondary to that. I don't really feel comfortable with "computer science", as it seems to mean different things to different people, and isn't always in line with what I think of as "science".
