Developer Divide: 19 Generations Of Computer Programmers

From punch cards to JavaScript, computing history owes everything to the generations of developers and engineers who have programmed the machines. ‘Each developer generation has a distinctive flavor, often defined by a programming language or technology. They burst out with newborn fervor before settling into a comfortable middle age. They may not be on the top of the pop charts after a few years, but they’re often still kicking because software never really dies. These new technologies often group programmers by generation. When programmers enter the job market and learn a language, they often stick with the same syntax for life — or at least as long as they can before having to make a switch. It’s not that it’s hard to learn a new language; they’re all pretty similar underneath. It’s just that you can often make more money with the expertise you have, so the generations live on. Here is our guide to some of the more dominant tech generations in computer history, as embodied by the programmers who gave them life.’