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In any expanding field, you will have more younger workers than older workers, because when the older workers were younger, there were fewer jobs in that field

by rsj_hn 9y ago

In any expanding field, you will have more younger workers than older workers, because when the older workers were younger, there were fewer jobs in that field and so more went into other fields. That, combined with people having biases to be around those like them is an argument for age discrimination rather than against it.

deleted 9y ago
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nomel 9y ago
I’ve always noticed a very sharp age divide in computer know-how. My age group grew up with computers. They were cheap enough they were most everybody had one, including internet access. Just 10 years before, they weren’t remotely common place, and the internet was in its infancy. The way that the two side use the computers and think about computing is hugely different. Not surprisingly, this is the age group of this lawsuit. My generation and younger was mostly or quite literally born into it. It’s a real advantage, even with equivalent qualifications.
- rsj_hn 9y ago
  Well, your age group used the internet, but people now in their 40s and 50s built the internet. I would say the difference is more in areas of expertise: I've noticed that older programmers tend to work more on system code -- operating systems, databases, routers, networking stacks, real time applications, etc. Stuff that's just a magic black box for most younger programmers, who focus on web applications and concentrate in javascript. The C/javascript divides separates older/younger programmers quite clearly, although of course many older programmers work in javascript and many younger programmers work in C. Now with WASM, things may be turning full circle, and then next generation will have grown up with Assembly! But most older programmers also had access to computers -- they just weren't on the internet, they had to type their programs in from magazines (as hobbyists) or load them from magnetic tapes shipped from Berkeley :)

by rsj_hn 9y ago

deleted 9y ago

[deleted]

nomel 9y ago

I’ve always noticed a very sharp age divide in computer know-how. My age group grew up with computers. They were cheap enough they were most everybody had one, including internet access. Just 10 years before, they weren’t remotely common place, and the internet was in its infancy. The way that the two side use the computers and think about computing is hugely different. Not surprisingly, this is the age group of this lawsuit. My generation and younger was mostly or quite literally born into it. It’s a real advantage, even with equivalent qualifications.

rsj_hn 9y ago
Well, your age group used the internet, but people now in their 40s and 50s built the internet. I would say the difference is more in areas of expertise: I've noticed that older programmers tend to work more on system code -- operating systems, databases, routers, networking stacks, real time applications, etc. Stuff that's just a magic black box for most younger programmers, who focus on web applications and concentrate in javascript. The C/javascript divides separates older/younger programmers quite clearly, although of course many older programmers work in javascript and many younger programmers work in C. Now with WASM, things may be turning full circle, and then next generation will have grown up with Assembly! But most older programmers also had access to computers -- they just weren't on the internet, they had to type their programs in from magazines (as hobbyists) or load them from magnetic tapes shipped from Berkeley :)