Who is still programming past 65 yo?

Mircea Neacsu

Getting close to it. While still enjoy programming, I find it would be intellectually dishonest to do it for hire. My memory is still good enough to remember how I was doing it some years ago, but not good enough to keep in play the myriad things you need while programming. My advice would be more for those in their 20es or 30es: think of your carrier as being in professional sports. No one told me that in programming, like in sports, you peek early and there is no going back. Go for the kill (and fun) while you still can! Once you passed a certain age, the joy of being in the zone and writing code as if the program writes itself and you are a mere scribe obeying to the logical structures you have just created, all that is gone. You remain with the knowledge and the experience but not the force to do it. You can move in management or teaching but the satisfaction of being a coder or sometimes what they call a 10x coder, all that is gone. Just my 0.02$

Mircea

Lost User

Still doing it ten years later, but for my own amusement rather than money. I also do some unpaid freelancing for a couple of local charities.

Sander Rossel

I know someone who does, and my only wisdom for him is: don't :sigh: He got kind of stuck in his old Clipper days and doesn't seem to understand OOP. Like just enough OOP to make it complicated, but not nearly enough to make it work nice and easy. I'm now maintaining his code and getting paid so I guess I shouldn't complain too much :laugh: I guess the advice would be, keep learning, don't get stuck in old habits. Come to think of it, I have similar stories for 20-somethings, 30-somethings, 40-somethings and 50-somethings. I guess age isn't really an issue :D

Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly

DerekT P

That's why I don't use frameworks... (beyond JQuery). After 50yrs of programming, I've built up a library of my own tried and tested bits and bobs.

DerekT P

Nearly but not quite there yet. But I'm intrigued as to why you're asking about a specific age? Is it because you're there yourself, or because you perceive 65 to be some sort of milestone? Does your employer treat you differently after 65? Your co-workers? (Why would your co-workers even know your age anyway...?). If they ask, just write down "41". Let 'em assume decimal, if they're that narrow minded. They'll cut you some slack too; if you're 41 and look like that, you deserve it! :laugh:

Daniel Pfeffer

I adjust the base so my age is always 42. (Where does it say that the base has to be integral?)

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

Daniel Pfeffer

Sander Rossel wrote:

Come to think of it, I have similar stories for 20-somethings, 30-somethings, 40-somethings and 50-somethings. I guess age isn't really an issue

There are plenty of people out there who have 1 year's experience - 25 times over. :sigh:

Freedom is the freedom to say that two plus two make four. If that is granted, all else follows. -- 6079 Smith W.

Sander Rossel

Nicely said :laugh: :thumbsup:

Best, Sander sanderrossel.com Migrating Applications to the Cloud with Azure arrgh.js - Bringing LINQ to JavaScript Object-Oriented Programming in C# Succinctly

pkfox

67 and still enjoy it

"We can't stop here - this is bat country" - Hunter S Thompson - RIP

H Brydon

MSBassSinger wrote:

... Any bits of wisdom you want to share about being a developer over 65, or you younger folks having to work with us older developers? 🙂

Don't tell anyone you know COBOL.

I'm retired. There's a nap for that... - Harvey