Like a Good Scotch, Developers Get Better With Age

Older programmers are often seen as less current, but the study described here argues that age bias against them is not supported by the StackOverflow data. It says reputation scores tend to rise into the 50s, knowledge covers more subject areas with age, and older developers do well on newer mobile platforms such as iOS and Windows Phone.

Reading notes

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• The article says companies should think twice before choosing a young hacker over a seasoned developer.
• Emerson Murphy-Hill says some abilities worsen with age, such as eyesight, but social and emotional intelligence can improve.
• The researchers compare StackOverflow reputation scores with age and find that the scores tend to increase as developers move into their 50s.
• The study finds that younger developers answer in fewer subject areas, while the range broadens with age.
• The study finds older developers are more knowledgeable than younger users about newer mobile platforms such as iOS and Windows Phone.
• The researchers conclude that bias against older developers is not supported by the StackOverflow data.
• The article notes limits in the study because many StackOverflow users do not report their age and older programmers appear underrepresented on the site.
• It also says reputation scores on StackOverflow do not necessarily correlate with programming skills.
• Murphy-Hill says the team hopes to look at a wider range of programmer populations and understand why younger developers contribute more to open source.