Xylogics seriously called you an "Applications Engineer"? I am boggled. I mean, it's fairly easy to insert a gratuitous "Engineer" into a job title without making it outright false. I know I've seen job postings for "Technical Support Engineer", which is fairly nonsensical but at least descriptive. I would expect an "Applications Engineer" to be a low-level code-monkey (or, if I was being optimistic, someone with real Systems Analysis & Development experience).

I think the Info Tech HR language has shifted away from abusing "engineer" to abusing "consultant", "analyst", and "developer". Also "experience". Tech support positions are styled "customer experience consultant". If your job is Quality Control, testing for bugs and providing feedback on the user interface, you are a "user experience analyst". And of course every code-monkey in the company is a "developer".

I look forward to hearing about the disgruntled Cablevision employee.