Absolutely; the programmer's wages even today are lower than the were in 2000. Of course 2000 was a peak. Rather than just looking at general price inflation,

Absolutely; the programmer's wages even today are lower than the were in 2000. Of course 2000 was a peak. Rather than just looking at general price inflation, you should look at cost-of-living at the tech hotspots (the big cities, silicon valley). That of course makes things even more dire. Luckily you too can make the next big thing, sell your startup and then live happily as a venture capitalist / philanthropist.