Earlier quoted context omitted.
> A 50 year old should be architect/manager or not switch jobs. Why? What's wrong with coding when you're 50 if you like doing it? That sounds like completely prejudiced and baseless claim.
Well I don't create the rules. Think of someone who does Judo for 20 years and still only wears a yellow belt. It seems like this person has no skill. The first impression is already negative, if one has a 20 something and a 50 something competing(!) for the same position. Also the lowest level of each money-making hierarchy is usually where the unacceptable stuff happens. In IT it's this huge amount of new languages…
This assumes developing software is somehow an inferior practice to management. Nothing could be further from the truth.
> if one has a 20 something and a 50 something competing(!) for the same position.
If a person with nearly no experience and a person with 30 years of practical experience compete for a position, you'd choose one with no experience? Odd decision.
> Why didn't you spend the last 25 years of your career building a network and now simply do consulting work for $300+/h instead of working as employee for less than half
Again, you are assuming than developing software is somehow inferior practice to management. Again, this is baloney. And why one would want to trade doing what one loves (development) to messing with contracts, bills, accounting, CRM, etc.? Of course, some people might, but presenting it as the only way to go is nonsense.
> And "I do the same thing for 30 years" is neither a plan nor a smart thing to do in IT.
Coding is not "the same thing". Developing software is an amazingly diverse profession. Of course, you don't have to stay with a profession if you don't like it anymore, but presenting it as if somebody who does is stupid and has no plan is a complete nonsense.