I think there is some cyclic property here, but I like to think of it as a sort of meta-refactoring. As we go back to SOAP-like APIs, as we return to mainframe

I think there is some cyclic property here, but I like to think of it as a sort of meta-refactoring. As we go back to SOAP-like APIs, as we return to mainframe computing, as we rediscover peer-to-peer networks, we take all the knowledge and improvements from exploring an alternate area with us. The advancement is in the nuance. And, of course, there's also just the Eternal September effect with the vast majority of developers needing to learn things that the grey beards have already learned but have no succinct way to communicate (or just aren't heard over the roar of constantly greater numbers of developers with each passing year)