I'm 50, still on HN, and still an engineer (although I do a lot more ops and analysis nowadays). As far as stacks go, I use whatever suits the application I wa

I'm 50, still on HN, and still an engineer (although I do a lot more ops and analysis nowadays). As far as stacks go, I use whatever suits the application I want to write. I use: - PL/SQL (mandated by my employer) for generating large batch files in an ETL process - Python for validating the files mentioned above - I'm evaluating the OCaml compiler set for a language I'd like to create - I'm interested in Elixir for back end processes - R for ML - Prolog for prototyping a rules engine that may become the seed for a product - I'd like to get familiar with a JS-based web framework like Angular 2 or React or one of the other ones I've been reading about - I'm looking at Flash to develop a game with my daughter, who seems interested in coding. I think it's important for older developers to assure younger ones that you remain interested in trying new tools and technologies as you get older. The curiosity and passion for creating don't abate. But, after you stay with an employer for a while and develop critical applications for it, then you get caught in maintaining it in that technology. Essentially, you get frozen in time in a technology stack due to the success of the app you wrote. You also begin spending more time on ops and support. But, you pick and choose times to introduce newer technologies, which you largely have to evaluate on your own time. You don't have to leave the field or slink into irrelevance just because you're older.