Where will you be at 55?
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
It's the mileage.
I have had some mileage, that is for sure! :) Interesting enough, I have had more "mileage" in doing things in my life after my hospitalization. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Yep. Most limitations are only in the mind!
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Paul Brower wrote:
I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management.
Amen to that!
"Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed" - 2 Timothy 2:15
"Judge not by the eye but by the heart." - Native American Proverb
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Seriously? Do you mind me asking what the condition is?
_________________________________________________________________ Hey! I don't parallel park big brown Econoline vans on the left side of the road!
I have heart failure. I was born with it. So far I've undergone the Mustard Procedure (1975) to correct a Transposition of the Great Vessels and I had Angioplasty [sp?] (1997). Since 2000 I've been on ACE Inhibitors as a precaution. Basically, the blood circulates in a figure 8 around the lungs and then around the body (with the heart at the cross over point). I was born with two figure 0s instead. So on part of my heart was pumping oxygen around the lungs getting all the oxygen, and the other part was pumping blood around my body without any oxygen. The first thing they did after I was born was to punch a hole in my heart so that the oxygenated blood could mix with the flow going around the body. Then they corrected, as much as possible, the plumbing problems. The body has essentially two circuits, a low pressure circuit that goes to and from the lungs and a high pressure circuit that goes around the body. Mine are swapped around. The Angioplasty helped by widening the pathways to reduce the pressure in certain areas. The drugs also reduce the blood pressure. Ultimately part of my heart is overworked and another part is underworked. Although from the early 80s the Mustard Procedure was superceded it is very risky to do anything more.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow Geek Dinner (5th March) * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos
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Yep. Most limitations are only in the mind!
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
Christopher Duncan wrote:
Most limitations are only in the mind!
life begins when you start living it, life ends when you stop. I have lived more these last 5 years than I did in the 36 before. :) But no one knows the future. I am happier now, and healthier (for the most part), so with a bit of luck and continued "living" the future is still unknown to all of us, including me. who knows? I might fool the doctors. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
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Christopher Duncan wrote:
Most limitations are only in the mind!
life begins when you start living it, life ends when you stop. I have lived more these last 5 years than I did in the 36 before. :) But no one knows the future. I am happier now, and healthier (for the most part), so with a bit of luck and continued "living" the future is still unknown to all of us, including me. who knows? I might fool the doctors. :)
_________________________ Asu no koto o ieba, tenjo de nezumi ga warau. Talk about things of tomorrow and the mice in the ceiling laugh. (Japanese Proverb)
Rodney Dangerfield: Doc told me I had 6 months to live. I said doc, I can't afford to pay your bill. He gave me another 6 months. :)
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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I have heart failure. I was born with it. So far I've undergone the Mustard Procedure (1975) to correct a Transposition of the Great Vessels and I had Angioplasty [sp?] (1997). Since 2000 I've been on ACE Inhibitors as a precaution. Basically, the blood circulates in a figure 8 around the lungs and then around the body (with the heart at the cross over point). I was born with two figure 0s instead. So on part of my heart was pumping oxygen around the lungs getting all the oxygen, and the other part was pumping blood around my body without any oxygen. The first thing they did after I was born was to punch a hole in my heart so that the oxygenated blood could mix with the flow going around the body. Then they corrected, as much as possible, the plumbing problems. The body has essentially two circuits, a low pressure circuit that goes to and from the lungs and a high pressure circuit that goes around the body. Mine are swapped around. The Angioplasty helped by widening the pathways to reduce the pressure in certain areas. The drugs also reduce the blood pressure. Ultimately part of my heart is overworked and another part is underworked. Although from the early 80s the Mustard Procedure was superceded it is very risky to do anything more.
Upcoming events: * Glasgow Geek Dinner (5th March) * Glasgow: Tell us what you want to see in 2007 My: Website | Blog | Photos
Wow. Well, I'm glad your doing well now!
Colin Angus Mackay wrote:
the Mustard Procedure was superceded
Was it replaced with the Ketchup Procedure? :badger:
_________________________________________________________________ Hey! I don't parallel park big brown Econoline vans on the left side of the road!
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
During my thirties I witnessed a lot of what you describe. Smart, technically savy people leaving the programming domain for better paying jobs such as project management or business analysis and the like. However my crank has always been turned by the coding apsect and I know that is where my strength lies. I'm only two years short of the fify-five you mention and I'm still very much a coder in the job that I do. I still love it and the people that I work for, need my skills desperately. To answer your question though, it is a very realistic expectation but one that you must work hard at achieving.
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] I agree with you that my argument is useless. [Red Stateler] Hey, I am part of a special bread, we are called smart people [Captain See Sharp] The zen of the soapbox is hard to attain...[Jörgen Sigvardsson] I wish I could remember what it was like to only have a short term memory.[David Kentley]
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Since the software development field really started to become mainstream around 1980 (which is only 27 years ago) and really took off around 1984 it becomes more clear why there are less developers over 45, and even fewer over 50. The people who started in the early 80s are really the first generation of mainstream programmers. And is mostly made up of people in their late 30s to early 40s. Give it another 10 years and you will see many developers over 45. Troy
Yes, Yes. This is the kind of info I was looking for. I really do think that were trendsetters, and there is hope of programming after age 50!
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Paul Brower wrote:
Where did they all go?
there probably wasn't many of them to begin with. programming as a profession isn't much more than 50 years old; and as a really popular profession, not more than 25 years. but, i've worked with guys in their 60's, who'd been programming their whole career. so at least some of them are fine with hanging in there, adapting.
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That's good to know. I feel like I could still be 'on top of things' in 20 years. Hopefully by then, there will not be an age stigma with developers.
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
I started coding as a job in 1975. Naturally, it was on a main frame, but I soon got bored there and moved on to mini's (PDP-11, HP1000, VAX, etc.) and shortly after that got into micro's and that's what I've been doing exclusively for over 25 years (CP/M, Isis, UCSD P-system, DOS and Windows). I found that most of the people I worked with in my main frame days stuck with the employers they started with, and have pretty much retired. That CAN be one of the benefits of working for the same employer for 30 years. I have worked for several start-ups and made great money on some (stock options) and broke even on others (worthless options). I am still writing code and staying away from management mainly because I love it but also because I believe in the "50/50 rule of middle management". That is: When a company is bought out or goes public and fat needs to be cut out 'if you are over 50 years old and make over $50,000, you are expendable'. Stay away from middle management and keep your skills honed.
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During my thirties I witnessed a lot of what you describe. Smart, technically savy people leaving the programming domain for better paying jobs such as project management or business analysis and the like. However my crank has always been turned by the coding apsect and I know that is where my strength lies. I'm only two years short of the fify-five you mention and I'm still very much a coder in the job that I do. I still love it and the people that I work for, need my skills desperately. To answer your question though, it is a very realistic expectation but one that you must work hard at achieving.
Chris Meech I am Canadian. [heard in a local bar] I agree with you that my argument is useless. [Red Stateler] Hey, I am part of a special bread, we are called smart people [Captain See Sharp] The zen of the soapbox is hard to attain...[Jörgen Sigvardsson] I wish I could remember what it was like to only have a short term memory.[David Kentley]
Thanks for the insight.
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
I should be an advocate by then.
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I've always figured I'll be programming forever. I believe I represent about 50% of developers in my desire to not ever get into any kind of management. My aspirations are to be more involved in software architecture, but still writing code ... That brings me to the point of this message: There really aren't a lot of developers that I've worked with over the years (16 or so) that were older than about 45 years old. Where did they all go? A portion to management for sure, but what about the rest? Is our era of developers treading territory for which no standard has been set? I'd like to think I still can be a developer in 20 years (I'm 36 now), but I wonder if that's a realistic expectation. Thoughts?
Some skills become obsolete. Over the last two years my boss and I (both early 40s) and a kid straight out of college replaced the company's Alpha 5 -based system with SQL Server and .net -based systems. The guy who wrote the earlier system is only in his 60s (or maybe not even that old), but was kinda sorta forced into "retirement".