Is There Geek-hood After 40?

I would like to solicit comments and/or opinions on this question: Is a geek washed-up in the IT/High Tech employment arena after passing his/her's 40th birthday? All responses will be most appreciated.

No, I don't believe so. Age is not a factor in keeping up with the IT/High Tech industry - I don't think people should really look at age unless they really want a person to stick with the company for 50+ years.

If age is important, it surely isn't as important in IT as it is in sports!! A 50 year old playing soccor for Brazil in the World Cup...hmmm...I can't see that happening. :)

Greg

IMHO, age shouldn't be looked as part of 'know-how'. We're getting into the day and age where the serious hardcore people like Evi Nemeth, Larry Wall, Dennis Ritchie, and others are being surpassed by our own generation of people that are working with the latest and greatest or extending the functionality of what's already good. I've found though, it's a lot harder being younger and knowledgeable in the IT field (I myself being one of them) in abstract fields such as unix administration, where I'm surrounded by people that're old enough to be my dad. Granted, they're smart in their field but occasionally I run into those that force me to prove myself, as if me being mid-20s is a bad thing and somewhere I took a wrong career turn. As long as you have an open mind and are willing to learn new things, age doesn't have a thing to do with it.

Hello all: Seeing how I am forty five maybe I have a differing outlook than most here on this subject. ( I know that there are a few here who are of similar age.)
Growing up and seeing a telephone come in to the home and watching b/w t.v us older guys do not have the natural reaction to new stuff that many of you younger guys seem to have. We do have abilities though, life experiences, willingness to look at differing views, ect....
I made a mistake in my younger days. I purchased a commodore 64 fiddled with it and gave up. It did not spark my intrest. Now though these new machines with their speed and programs, (I am in the words of my daughter "a geek" ROFL....). I have now worked through the setting up of a small lan, win98se with a win2000pro. I hope to soon add a notebook to the mix. Then I will tackle the problems associated with setting up a dual boot system with Red Hat 7.2.
I must say that with you younger guys help. I would have been able to do theese things just not as quickly. I must also confess that I have been going to sysop.com (as I know that some of the folks here do.)
Well enough of my ranting. Keep up the great work and posts here. Once again thanks to mall those who have helped this old guy become a "GEEK" LMAO....:D

Absolutely not. I don't think age is defining in anything other than your life insurance.

You know what I say: "Joke 'em if they can't take a fu#%!"

Being over 40 myself and being called a computer geek by my kids is a real honor. My biggest complaint is that a certain group of younger people think because we are older that we have lost the ability to learn about computers. When I was in school we had electric typewriters and had to do math on paper none of the fancy toys the kids have now to help them. By the way jiffyprogasm I do remember the good old black and white TV`s with only one channel. Things have come a long way and if the younger folks give us a chance so will we.:D

*Remembers putting the plastic overlays on the TV screen so he could play video games* :P