Technology (or IT) is for the young 1

[kHz]

Technology (or IT) is for the young

This is a phrase that I hear somewhat frequently, and have seen it posted on these forums a number of times. And it is intended to mean the age groups comprising the 20s and 30s.

What specifically does that mean? Does turning forty mean a loss of cognitive skills? Is someone who is 50 incapacle of now learning? Why is technology only for someone who is 25 years old?

The phrase is never used in regards to a medical doctor who has to continually keep up with the advances in medicine. Otherwise leeches would still be a primary method of medical treatment. A commander of a US Navy aircraft carrier has to keep up with new technologies and constant threats; and battle group commanders are not still wet behind their ears. Pilots are usually seasoned aviators and they have many things to keep track of while in filght with their many passengers whose lives depend on their skills and competence.

There are many jobs/careers that involve constant learning and exposure to new technology and that phrase isn't used.

So again, I ask, why is it used for IT?

 

[svanels]

This thread makes me think back when I started working, and sometimes when a younger person comes with an brilliant idea but lacks the helicopter overview that comes with experience and your answer is:
Good, but did you think of this, and how will you handle that, some off them look puzzled and think you are not willing to cooperate (you are an old goat).

It is like looking in the mirror and see yourself standing there. Then it is time to go back in time, remember yourself in a similar situation, remember the actions of your boss/mentor and in most cases you sort it out.

When you are experienced (not necessarily older, but it helps) it is easier to put yourself in the place of other persons and view the problem/issue from various angles.


Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[HarleyQuinn]

From the point of view of being a younger programmer I find it incredibly helpful to have the insight and expertise of my more experienced peers. As mentioned by svanels the more experinced developers seem to be able to produce scenarios that I wouldn't have thought of and therefore enable my programs (and programming skills) to be better developed and alot more useful.

In response to the threads title, I have been programming all of my working life from my own learning (and most of my life since I got my first Commodore64) and I wouldn't have anywhere near the knowledge base I have now had it not been for incredibly helpful and experinced (normally alot older but that's irrelevant) coders.

Harleyquinn

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[langleymass]

My best supervisors have usually been over 40. They were also both female.

 

[chiph]

Good, but did you think of this, and how will you handle that, some off them look puzzled and think you are not willing to cooperate (you are an old goat).

The key is in presenting this in a good way to the younger developer.

I remember when my first boss would do this to me, and it was all in how he said it, not what he said. You don't want to crush their young spirits, so you have to approach it as an education situation, and break it to them gently.

Chip H.


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[langleymass]

Everything is an "education situation," no matter what the age.

 

[chiph]

Everything is an "education situation," no matter what the age.

But if the boss says Chip, you moron, what were you thinking of? Didn't you know that the database is on that other machine? What were they teaching you in that school of yours?

Then that would be a bad way to educate the young programmer. ;-)

A better way would be something like Chip, what if the database server is on another machine? I think the customer is likely to do that. You might want to make that configurable.

Chip H.


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[svanels]

Steven, you moron, what were you thinking of? Didn't you know that the database is on that other machine? What were they teaching you in that school of yours?

In my younger days I would tell the boss were to stuff the database, and I call him an old goat anyway.

Now... I think that I would tell him where to make the back-up...

Steven van Els
SAvanEls@cq-link.sr

 

[SilentAiche]

In 1988, my first job out of college was as an auditor. The office's first laptop computer showed up at about the same time- a duel floppy, no hard drive. There were two distinct age groups in the office, with three of us under 28 and about five others over 50.

We young'uns took to the computer immediately. In college, every class in my major had required a project at the computer lab, so I was very comfortable with them. The older folks in the office preferred their adding machines and five-column pads, at least until they saw the young auditors turning in more accurate and professional work products. Then they complained that we were hogging the computer (yes, we had to share a couple of laptops back then). That early exposure to the computers, however, has served me well. I've been the "computer guy" in every office I've worked in, and I can't count how many manual processes I've automated.

Seventeen years ago the technology was essentially new and there certainly was not a computer on every desk. And yes, there was a great divide between talent and comfort levels among the older verses younger workers. I don't see such a generational difference these days. I'm sure there is one, but I don't think it is a large as it was years ago.

Tim (40, sigh)

 

[rn4it]

I've been working for company that does try and keep it's IT salary budgets down. This is the trend I notice, with our IT staff. Support Desk (Line 1/2) are typicall young, just out of school or a couple years experience. Sofware Dev. including BA's any where from mid 20's 40's, with 2+ years depending on wether their jr or sr levels. back end support and development staff( Network working, Servers, DBA) 30's up to late 50's with 5+ years experience.

A company as ours, which can't afford downtime in any of it's applications, would not trust it in the hands of a young person right out of school with little to no experience, just to save a few bucks. I work in networking, and I've worked with a number of co-ops that are still in college, they learn how to configure Cisco switches and routers and typically think they now networking. However, they are very quick to reboot a switch or a router, which depending on the device that's having a problem could cause a lot of issues. Imagine reobooting a core router/switch in the middle of business day, because you can't get link on 1 port. In our position mistakes can't be made.

 

[jsteph]

Maybe the thought behind that quote was that older folks' stomachs can't digest Cheez-It's at the rate necessary to keep up with todays workload.

But I disagree with the notion that IT is for the young--I got my first computer at 34 and started in the IT industry at 37. I'm 44 now and plan on staying in this business until I retire.
--Jim

 

[LNBruno]

Two bulls were standing at the top of a hill. The young one says, "Hey, look at all those heifers at the bottom of the hill. Let's run down and make love to some of them."

The old bull smiles and says, "Let's WALK down and make love to ALL of them."

Moral? It took both: the young one spotted the opportunity while the old one made the most of it!

Is it Friday yet?

< M!ke >