

StackOverflow Data Illustrates Why I Prefer Hiring Experienced Developers - scottporad
http://www.scottporad.com/2011/06/14/stackoverflow-data-illustrates-why-i-prefer-hiring-experienced-developers/

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webwright
Interesting conclusion.

I think there's a balance. Young hackers have amazing energy and still-empty
lives (no mortgage, kids, etc). They truly enjoy coding for long stretches,
reading about coding in their off time, etc. They also tend to be fearless
learners. When was the last time you saw a 45 year old pick up a new
instrument? Younger folks are more willing to jump on new technologies. That's
powerful.

As you say, older folks are more efficient. But perhaps the wisdom they've
gained makes them more powerful in lead dev/management roles where they can
apply that wisdom to a larger group of younger rockstars.

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danking00
Does one ask more questions if and only if they know less than those who ask
more questions?

Maybe young folks are more inquisitive individuals.

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troels
Very important point. Knowing to ask is a valuable skill.

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angdis
Whatever happened to the idea of having wide range of skills and experiences
in the workforce. The best way to actually get competent workers is to
CULTIVATE them, not simply scrounge around endlessly trying to grab all the
elites in an area.

Masters teach journeymen, journeymen become masters.

r

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beaumartinez
I think you should take the statistics with a good pinch of salt―and not only
because of the issues brought up in the debate on the article about the Stack
Overflow data[1].

> _The junior developers ask more questions. This means they know less (which
> is why they ask)._

I dare say they "know less", but this doesn't necessarily mean they are less
_expert_. Junior developers might be more experimental, more curious, and more
willing to actually ask questions―and these are all very desirable traits in a
developer.

"You can't teach an old dog new tricks."

[1] [http://coding-and-more.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-official-
dev...](http://coding-and-more.blogspot.com/2011/06/its-official-developers-
get-better-with.html)

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regomodo
Maybe older developers have more time to go on SO?

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JamieEi
Better workplace alt-tab skills. They take years to develop grasshopper. :)

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sokolski
tl;dr developers with more experience are more experienced

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borism
wow, what an arrogant post! I hope young and old devels alike will think twice
before going to work for a manager who treats skilled labor as a sweatshop
commodity and totally ignores basic economics (yes, experienced devs _might_
provide more value, but they also _cost_ more - you have to treat everyone on
an individual basis - it's risk/reward what matters, not just reward!).

P.S. also, I don't think you'll be hiring your devs to answer questions all
day long on an internet message board? So Stackoverflow statistics are
useless.

