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Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

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Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#11
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post #6

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Do you have any reputable research that shows people produce better-quality work in their 20s vs say, their 40s or 50s?

Virtually every genius is most productive before 40, usually before 30. Counterexamples exist but are rare.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#15
post #10
post #6

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Before we age, we lack experience, context, produce less useful work per hour worked, and get paid less. Legality aside, isn't it rational to discriminate against younger people?

Yes, there are valid reasons to discriminate against young people. (Being paid less isn't one of them though, that's a point in their favor).

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#16
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not any "dumber". I'm a much better dev at 50 than I was at 30.

[flagged]

IQ is a meaningless measurement. You can be way more effective regardless of how your IQ changes over time.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#17
post #10
post #6

[flagged]

Before we age, we lack experience, context, produce less useful work per hour worked, and get paid less. Legality aside, isn't it rational to discriminate against younger people?

Yes, dude, that's why it's legal. What you've done is show that despite the symmetry, one is legal and one isn't.

Re: Ageism Haunts Some Tech Workers in the Race to Get Hired

#20
post #11
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you have any reputable research that shows people produce better-quality work in their 20s vs say, their 40s or 50s?

Virtually every genius is most productive before 40, usually before 30. Counterexamples exist but are rare.

Our industry isn't powered by the rare genius, but by the magnitude of line coders that the best impact they can do is just not cause issues as they develop the next version that adds feature x and y promised by some sales engineer to a big client.

Sure, by 40 you're not likely to change the world. But in your 20's, you're not likely to change the world either. It's a long shot. Focusing on the fact that the long shot odds gets worse as a reason to not hire people just doesn't make sense.

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