3 ms·

I agree with you 100%. We don't see many 65-year-olds around. My intuition is that software engineers are intellectual athletes. Like traditional athletes, our

I agree with you 100%. We don't see many 65-year-olds around. My intuition is that software engineers are intellectual athletes. Like traditional athletes, our abilities start to dwindle after a certain age. We can't learn new technologies overnight, simply because our brain can't process information as quickly. Our memories become faded. It's sad to think about, but definitely worth planning for. At the point in my life where I'm financially set for life and ready to move on, I plan to become a pilot in some capacity. Probably not for a traditional carrier, but maybe for sightseeing around NYC, or aerial photography. Aside from technology, flying is my other passion. I'm just not pursuing it commercially because it's a terrible career (salaries start at $20k, and you have to go through security every day. yuck!).

rossjudson 14y ago
Our field hasn't been around long enough to generate all that many 65 year old programmers. But they're out there. I'll tell you something, you young whippersnapper. There are lots of 45, 55, and yes even 65 year olds out there who can kick your youthful athletic brain's ass, any day of the week, every day of the week. People like, say, Martin Odersky (54). Simon Peyton Jones (55). Xavier Leroy (45). Don't worry. Keep learning. Stay interested. Set for life isn't necessarily permanent.
- seanmcdirmid 14y ago
  This is not uncommon at all in academia/research. Also, for the record, both Martin and SPJ are incredibly active and probably eternally young.
- mogrim 14y ago
  I'd also add that a lot (most?) of the programmers outside of academia that started 20-30-40 years ago have been promoted out of coding jobs - the culture's changing, slowly, but previously the decent salaries were reserved for management, not programmers, and assuming you want to earn more...
kayoone 14y ago
i dont agree. Most breakthroughs in Science for example are done by people with massive experience and certainly not in their twenties. There are alot of brilliant scientists older than 40. Example: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/laureates_ages/physics_ages.html http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/laureates_ages/...

rossjudson 14y ago

Our field hasn't been around long enough to generate all that many 65 year old programmers. But they're out there. I'll tell you something, you young whippersnapper. There are lots of 45, 55, and yes even 65 year olds out there who can kick your youthful athletic brain's ass, any day of the week, every day of the week. People like, say, Martin Odersky (54). Simon Peyton Jones (55). Xavier Leroy (45). Don't worry. Keep learning. Stay interested. Set for life isn't necessarily permanent.

seanmcdirmid 14y ago
This is not uncommon at all in academia/research. Also, for the record, both Martin and SPJ are incredibly active and probably eternally young.
mogrim 14y ago
I'd also add that a lot (most?) of the programmers outside of academia that started 20-30-40 years ago have been promoted out of coding jobs - the culture's changing, slowly, but previously the decent salaries were reserved for management, not programmers, and assuming you want to earn more...

kayoone 14y ago

i dont agree. Most breakthroughs in Science for example are done by people with massive experience and certainly not in their twenties. There are alot of brilliant scientists older than 40. Example: http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/laureates_ages/physics_ages.html http://www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/lists/laureates_ages/...