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Comment by jmknoll | Hacker News Reader

As a developer who recently turned thirty, I think about this a lot. I like working in startups, but its not going to fly forever. I'm already the old guy in the room.

Would learning 'ancient' technology be a good career move? These systems aren't going anywhere, right? But the people who know how to maintain them are. Which means that maintaining these system, which already pays well, will pay even better in the future? Or is there something I'm missing here.

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You're missing the part where they're being aggressively replaced by Java at every turn and will eventually cease to exist and also these jobs are temporary consulting gigs more popular with retired experts going back to the same bank that fired them years previously.

If you want to be well employed, learn Java and move to the American south where a nice house with a 1/2 acre backyard sets you back less $130k - $200k and they can't find enough qualified IT people. No it isn't a startup or Google, but the pay compared to the average income of $30k lets you live far better than San Francisco as long as you don't mind less things to do in town.

Just hang around - the technologies you learnt when you were 20 will be ancient soon enough.

Yeah, but my impression is they're so ephemeral they might not have a big market share.

Wait you mean Rust and Go aren't going to be around 30 years from now?!

Go probably will be, but it's still a niche. Rust, the jury is still hearing evidence.

No, the stuff you know will be ancient soon enough. I would recommend keeping up with the new way of doing the same ole shit though.

I can't upvote this enough. Your tech stack will be obsolete even though the replacement will be mostly the same and possibly worse. Looking at it differently, imagine being a common lisp diehard starting in the 80's. Every 5 years you look around for something better and mostly anything would be a step back. Your dog died, your kid is in college, you're middle aged, Perl, VB...etc have all come and gone and you're still using lisp lol.

"LISP programmers know the value of everything and the cost of nothing."

- Alan Perlis

I don't think you need to learn an "ancient technology". There is plenty of work in traditional corporations. You just need to find one that has legs so you can ride it out for the next 30 years. A steady job, 5 weeks of vacation after 15 years, benefits. If your lucky you can become a number and slowly disappear, spending more time doing your own thing. Long lunches, nap in the car, run some errands, etc.

Eventually everyone runs out of piss and vinegar. It's not so bad.

> Long lunches, nap in the car, run some errands, etc. Eventually everyone runs out of piss and vinegar. It's not so bad.

I hate working with people like that, and would hate myself if I did that.

Life is short, how much of it are you willing to give away. That may not resonate with you now but wait until you're in your 40's or 50's and 10-20 years has passed.

I like what I do. I like going to work. I like my company. I like coming home to my baby and tickling his feet. It's life. Being a lazy bum not accomplishing what you want to do shortchanges you and your life as well as the people paying you.

My father in law has a saying: "if you don't like what you do, what are you doing?". And I agree with that.

> I like what I do

You are fortunate. But labeling everyone who "doesn't like what they do" misguided lazy bums is... a bit much.

Most people in this state are slowly recuperating from years of failure while attempting to "do what they like". Usually as a bonus they also have to dig themselves from under a crushing mountain of debt.

As you correctly pointed out - it's life. Though it's rarely as simple as you paint it.

You have a lot to learn.....You'll figure it out eventually.

You should move into management then

it the cost becomes too high or rather if there are uncertainties they will just replace them.

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