I'm one of the young foolish programmers mentioned in the article. While I don't think every problem can be brute forced with code, I do feel that the only problems worth working on are those solved with code.<p>Code can be a end itself, and not just the means to build some grand master plan. Nobody minds that linguists study our spoken languages (or even dead ones - Latin). But we have to act like code is something banal and shallow.<p>Then again, what do I know. I'm 24 and have just started working. Maybe I'm completely stupid. Maybe I won't be as idealist at 40. Maybe the majority of people in my class were right to tell recruiters "I'm not really interested in technical jobs, I'm more into management"? Maybe I should follow the money and apply to these consulting firms that are happy to hire engineers from prestigious schools?
<i>Younger programmers will latch on to the newest trends and make you obsolete... Your best bet is to get out of coding and into management or into entrepreneurship as soon as possible.</i><p>I'm starting to bristle at this attitude because I'm encountering it more and more often. The implication that others (the young) "make you" obsolete is just BS. Most professions require one to keep up with new trends, and programming is no exception.<p>The other implication is that management is some sort of Golden Acres for people to end up in when they can't keep up with their younger and sharper coworker, ostensibly because it is easier, slower, or doesn't have new trends? This should be similarly annoying to managers.
A software engineer that moves into management / entrepreneurship because he feels that youngsters make him obsolete, was probably not a very good engineer, and will probably not be a very good manager or entrepeneur.<p>But good luck.
Damn i was hoping it would be an Android version of [SoundTracker](<a href="http://www.soundtracker.org/" rel="nofollow">http://www.soundtracker.org/</a>) :)