I am not sure older dev need a specific type of resource to learn new language or skills...
Yeah - not thinking tech skills. More along the lines of sometimes it's nice to hash things out with people who are approximately same age/experience level. I love working with younger devs and manage/mentor and appreciate the energy and perspective. But at the same time it's fun to shoot the breeze with someone who lived through the EJB hype in Java land to give a specific example.
I know exactly what you mean. Younger people almost all actually believe the hype of each fad and don’t realize when they’re reinventing the wheel. If you’re surrounded exclusively with people like this, you’ll go insane. I have no solution, just empathy.
In my 20s I worried about losing my intellectual abilities in my 40s and 50s What you really just lose is patience for BS :) Sure, yeah, you lose 10% of your raw intellect if you stay healthy[1]. You probably more than make up for it in experience and wisdom. But hell the thing that demotivates me is the recycled insanity of large organizations, egotistical tech executives, hype cycles, and all the other BS. Eventual…
In my 20s I worried about losing my intellectual abilities in my 40s and 50s What you really just lose is patience for BS :) Sure, yeah, you lose 10% of your raw intellect if you stay healthy[1]. You probably more than make up for it in experience and wisdom. But hell the thing that demotivates me is the recycled insanity of large organizations, egotistical tech executives, hype cycles, and all the other BS. Eventual…
[flagged]
lol indeed, i can't even tell which position you're arguing for or against.
In my 20s I worried about losing my intellectual abilities in my 40s and 50s What you really just lose is patience for BS :) Sure, yeah, you lose 10% of your raw intellect if you stay healthy[1]. You probably more than make up for it in experience and wisdom. But hell the thing that demotivates me is the recycled insanity of large organizations, egotistical tech executives, hype cycles, and all the other BS. Eventual…
I'm 42 and so much better than I was at 22, but nowhere near where I was as an individual at 33. I blame the latter on having three small children. It has taken me a long time to deal with being only above average instead of someone people viewed as a genius. Not sure if I agree with the intellect loss - I've not lost anything, I'm just much better at juggling multiple things and less good at the math-heavy detail wo…
I think I've held on to my intellect (mid-40s), just have gotten wiser. And my tolerance for the inane, useless, and just plain stupid has dropped dramatically. I blame/credit that on having small kids too.
I just turned 50 in October, and have been coding my entire career plus. I still love and enjoy coding, and feel like I have more to contribute by far than I did early in my career. I have founded a smallish dev studio in Cincinnati (Launch Scout) that I started with a few other developers in 2009. I've tried a few different roles as the company has evolved, but eventually realized that I love coding and helping other people get better at coding. Management, organization leadership, etc, are all important but I've had to (with some misgivings at times) allow other people to fill those roles so I can do what I'm really best at. It can be very frustrating to see our industry fail to learn sometimes. I think the lack of TDD being as widely adopted, and the wide embrace of technologies like React that make development incredibly more complex than is necessary are my two big sources of frustration right now. But I still love learning, and love seeing new ways to make things much better. I still love building things. I'm inspired when I remember how my good friend Jim Weirich was actively coding and teaching right up until he passed away. Right now, my hope is to follow in his footsteps. I think there are a few of us who are like minded. A few years back I tried to organize a group I called Geek Geezer Guild. It might be time to resurrect that.
I am not sure older dev need a specific type of resource to learn new language or skills...
Yeah - not thinking tech skills. More along the lines of sometimes it's nice to hash things out with people who are approximately same age/experience level. I love working with younger devs and manage/mentor and appreciate the energy and perspective. But at the same time it's fun to shoot the breeze with someone who lived through the EJB hype in Java land to give a specific example.
Most of my closest friends are also older developers, and we talk shop a lot.
Have you accumulated a professional network of colleagues? If so, you might consider adopting a habit of inviting them out to lunch or something every so often, just to shoot the breeze. They may be feeling the same need for casual connection just as you are, and it comes with the benefit of keeping your professional network fresh.
I'm in my 50s. I can't think of any category or dimension of tech resources that would more or less valuable for me in my 50s than they would be if I were in my 30s.
Advice on exercise and eating responsibly might be the category (that you probably didn't have in mind) that would be different. Twenty years ago, I could play a softball doubleheader and hit the pub for a dinner of wings and several beers and be fine the next day. Now, a single game and a single beer is enough to have me a few steps slower the next day. Take care of your health (probably in your 30s as well, but especially as you get older).
Yeah - not thinking tech skills. More along the lines of sometimes it's nice to hash things out with people who are approximately same age/experience level. I love working with younger devs and manage/mentor and appreciate the energy and perspective. But at the same time it's fun to shoot the breeze with someone who lived through the EJB hype in Java land to give a specific example.
I know exactly what you mean. Younger people almost all actually believe the hype of each fad and don’t realize when they’re reinventing the wheel. If you’re surrounded exclusively with people like this, you’ll go insane. I have no solution, just empathy.
> Younger people almost all actually believe the hype of each fad and don’t realize when they’re reinventing the wheel.
I find this an almost endless source of amusement.
The tech landscape is infinitely wide at this point. Are you looking to up-skill in your current area or a new area? For me, I always look to younger people. They are always the future for a fast moving industry. In particular, I grew up in the era when you bought huge 500 page books to learn about new technology. In large part, that is dead. You can learn most things online, but not as deep. Is it possible to mentor…
I'm not sure I agree with learning from books being dead. Stuff online is extremely shallow and paid courses generally make me slower than a book.
I agree. Books are still where its at. Online resources tend to be better for reference than for learning.
In my 20s I worried about losing my intellectual abilities in my 40s and 50s What you really just lose is patience for BS :) Sure, yeah, you lose 10% of your raw intellect if you stay healthy[1]. You probably more than make up for it in experience and wisdom. But hell the thing that demotivates me is the recycled insanity of large organizations, egotistical tech executives, hype cycles, and all the other BS. Eventual…
I'm 42 and so much better than I was at 22, but nowhere near where I was as an individual at 33. I blame the latter on having three small children. It has taken me a long time to deal with being only above average instead of someone people viewed as a genius. Not sure if I agree with the intellect loss - I've not lost anything, I'm just much better at juggling multiple things and less good at the math-heavy detail wo…
I suspect catching on some sleep, having free time to let your mind relax, and also time to sharpen your skills will bring you up pretty quickly. Improved self awareness may not bring you the confidence you had when you were 33, and improved humility may also prevent the 'genius' perception, but you're probably already more effective an engineer now than 9 years ago. And even more so after you GET SOME SLEEP :-)