Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding

Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by lutusp on Monday April 24, 2017 @04:41PM (#14188106)

I'm 71, I wrote a best-seller in the early 1980s (Apple Writer for the Apple ][), I still code regularly but not for income, so my circumstances might not be what the article focuses on. I write a lot of Python, JavaScript, some Java, I have a number of Android apps listed at the Google Play store -- all of them free, no ads (https://play.google.com/store/apps/developer?id=Paul+Lutus&h...).

Why do I still program? Because I like programming. I never experienced serious burnout, probably because I didn't have to program for anyone else -- I was always my own boss.

Apropos the article's topic, I often visit StackOverflow but I never post anything there, I only read the inquiries of others, which invariably provide the information I need. This practice might make people like me essentially invisible.

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by aventuri on Monday April 24, 2017 @06:11PM (#14188859)

Paul Lutus, you a mith of my Apple ][ times. cant believe (and SO happy..) you online!! IIRC you were programming in a bungalow out of nowhere at that time.. right?

me, 50 yo, still coding embedded sw..

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by lutusp on Monday April 24, 2017 @08:04PM (#14189631)

> IIRC you were programming in a bungalow out of nowhere at that time.. right?

Yep, that be me:

http://www.atariarchives.org/deli/cottage_computer_programmi...

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by aventuri on Tuesday April 25, 2017 @03:12PM (#14197020)

really, you made my day^W week!! honored to be chatting with you, really.

BTW it's amazing this "virtual gathering" happening online in 2017. who could have been thinking, 30 years ago, this to be possible this way, so smoothly.. can't imagine where we are headed in the next 30..

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by mythrwy on Monday April 24, 2017 @11:44PM (#14190593)

That's the best thing I've read all week!

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by pdxpatzer on Monday April 24, 2017 @08:19PM (#14189710)

Ditto! Could not have said it better.

me, 51yo, system administrator.

Grew up marvelling at Apple Writer knowing that a guy wrote it in a cabin in the woods.

Sir, you were (and still are) a great inspiration !

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by phodo on Monday April 24, 2017 @09:50PM (#14190131)

Wow how cool. I used your software on my Apple //c and pretty much wrote my entire middle school and most high school reports on it. In fact, when I switched to word perfect I longed for apple writer. Thanks for making it.

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by eej71 on Monday April 24, 2017 @04:48PM (#14188161)

Apple Writer was the best! Fond memories of it.

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Re:Software Developers after 40, 50 and 60 Who're Still Coding by hubbins on Monday April 24, 2017 @10:16PM (#14190235)

I used Apple World for doing some graphics work in around 1982? Great stuff. 1MHz number crunching FTW.

Age 50 and writing C# .NET Core web services.

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