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My wife has been retired for 8 years, and still gets job offers, but during her working years she was CEO of three different corporations, including a very successful start-up. She also just retired from the board of two nonprofits, because she is having hip replacement surgery next month and would not be able to make it to board meetings. She was the board chair of one of them. The local Chamber of Commerce named her Woman of the Year in 2009, so I suppose that was sexist of them.
Her most recent CEO offer was for a medical lab and imaging center merger. The boards of both organizations have penciled it out and have given their approval, they just need somebody to tie the laces. She turned them down, gracefully, while suggesting alternates that she had mentored.
She certainly seems to get plenty of respect. I know I respect her. I have been married to her for 33 years and think she is a marvel. Everywhere she goes, she leaves a better world behind her.
Yes, we all know that because a minority of the minority did well that there is no issue. Silly - if even ONE person succeeds doesn't that negate any problem? You can be proud of your wife AND acknowledge that there are issues in how some are treated.
Most of the items listed don't have much to do with ageism. As for those few that do, not worth more than attitude of "so what" (and forget about it) or more direct expletive, and then forget about it. If forgetting about it can't be done, talking about it in person with someone might help.
IMO, the technology inept thing is more for Silents and some of the oldest Boomers. Current retirees in office settings have likely worked with computers and such.
The members of the Greatest Generation and the Boomers, are the ones who pioneered and developed that technology. The vast majority of those who are of retirement age, are very familiar with computers, digital cameras and other advanced equipment.
The members of the Greatest Generation and the Boomers, are the ones who pioneered and developed that technology. The vast majority of those who are of retirement age, are very familiar with computers, digital cameras and other advanced equipment.
The whole business of "familiarity with technology" needs elaboration. In any generation, only a vanishingly small proportion actually develops technology. Even the majority of engineers or computer programmers just do research, or project management. They're not really the tech-developers. Today's older-people, and those who have already passed on in recent decades, indeed share the generational cohort of the original developers of most "modern" tech. Lasers are >50 years old. So is a recognizably modern digital computer. So are the rudiments of the compact disk and the charge-coupled device (the core of a digital camera). The cool gadgets of today were in rudiment tried out in the lab in the 1960s.
But there's vast distinction between being a tech-developer and a tech-user. Today's smart-phone-jockeys have almost zero inkling of what's inside their slim little hand-held supercomputer. But they know how to download apps, how to "tweet", how to order an amateur taxi (uber) or to check their bank-balance online. It's in these questions of usage that the young have definite advantage over the old. They're "familiar with technology" as mere operators. The older people tend to be less familiar.
As an engineer, I'm ceaselessly haunted by comparison with my forebears... the fellows who invented jet engines and put a man on the moon. My guess is that they were better engineers. They knew more math, and could make accurate estimates in their head faster. They had sharper intuition. In some ways they were better educated. But their generation used rudimentary gadgets. Our generation has much cooler gadgets. But are we better engineers?
So... today's average 20-year-old is more adept at computers, than is today's average 70-year-old. He's more familiar. But of the, say, 0.1% of the public that actually develops technology, well, how do we compare today, to our counterparts of 50+ years ago? By my reckoning - not well.
The whole business of "familiarity with technology" needs elaboration. In any generation, only a vanishingly small proportion actually develops technology. Even the majority of engineers or computer programmers just do research, or project management. They're not really the tech-developers. Today's older-people, and those who have already passed on in recent decades, indeed share the generational cohort of the original developers of most "modern" tech. Lasers are >50 years old. So is a recognizably modern digital computer. So are the rudiments of the compact disk and the charge-coupled device (the core of a digital camera). The cool gadgets of today were in rudiment tried out in the lab in the 1960s.
But there's vast distinction between being a tech-developer and a tech-user. Today's smart-phone-jockeys have almost zero inkling of what's inside their slim little hand-held supercomputer. But they know how to download apps, how to "tweet", how to order an amateur taxi (uber) or to check their bank-balance online. It's in these questions of usage that the young have definite advantage over the old. They're "familiar with technology" as mere operators. The older people tend to be less familiar.
As an engineer, I'm ceaselessly haunted by comparison with my forebears... the fellows who invented jet engines and put a man on the moon. My guess is that they were better engineers. They knew more math, and could make accurate estimates in their head faster. They had sharper intuition. In some ways they were better educated. But their generation used rudimentary gadgets. Our generation has much cooler gadgets. But are we better engineers?
So... today's average 20-year-old is more adept at computers, than is today's average 70-year-old. He's more familiar. But of the, say, 0.1% of the public that actually develops technology, well, how do we compare today, to our counterparts of 50+ years ago? By my reckoning - not well.
Interesting post. There was a young lady who worked for me once who got angry and defensive when I pointed out that using programs like word processing or spreadsheets was not programming! In her mind she had not grasped that distinction.
[ But then she went shopping and to the bank for me, wearing house shoes and old clothes. I didn't want someone representing my company dressed like that. ]
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They're "familiar with technology" as mere operators. The older people tend to be less familiar.
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So... today's average 20-year-old is more adept at computers, than is today's average 70-year-old. He's more familiar. But of the, say, 0.1% of the public that actually develops technology, well, how do we compare today, to our counterparts of 50+ years ago? By my reckoning - not well.
I fail to see how you arrive at these conclusions. It is a myth that young people are somehow better at computers and technology than older people. It is a cute story that grandma needs to call on a young grandkid to fix a computer issue. Of course, it depends on the individual. There are people of all ages who don't have much of a clue about anything. When it comes to computers and technology, most of us spent 30 or more years of our careers working with technology. My grandkids are great at playing video games, using Alexa, and finding information on Google. They don't have a clue about using a spreadsheet to analyze data.
I do get your distinction between developers of technology and users. If anything the older techies are more skilled in developing than the newer tech users. Last night I went to dinner with 3 old friends and their spouses. All are over 60. One recently retired from banking IT where he specialized in computer security issues. Another is working in sports TV programming and does all that fancy computer stuff you see on TV. The third friend consults for Dell and I do not know enough about software to follow what he is working on. He does help teach those 20 something IT graduates that you believe to be so adept.
I fail to see how you arrive at these conclusions. It is a myth that young people are somehow better at computers and technology than older people. It is a cute story that grandma needs to call on a young grandkid to fix a computer issue. Of course, it depends on the individual. There are people of all ages who don't have much of a clue about anything. When it comes to computers and technology, most of us spent 30 or more years of our careers working with technology. My grandkids are great at playing video games, using Alexa, and finding information on Google. They don't have a clue about using a spreadsheet to analyze data.
I do get your distinction between developers of technology and users. If anything the older techies are more skilled in developing than the newer tech users. Last night I went to dinner with 3 old friends and their spouses. All are over 60. One recently retired from banking IT where he specialized in computer security issues. Another is working in sports TV programming and does all that fancy computer stuff you see on TV. The third friend consults for Dell and I do not know enough about software to follow what he is working on. He does help teach those 20 something IT graduates that you believe to be so adept.
Yep a perfect example of ageism claiming younger people are better at computers
We got our first computer from TI in 1984 or 85 . It was on this I learned how to build websites and how to design leaflets/brochures, newsletters for various organizations.
A huge number of older people, now in their early 70's, used computers extensively on their jobs beginning in 1989 (and at home) and are definitely tech savvy through the past 30 years and today, at their jobs and at home.
You guys are missing my point. Dennis Ritchie, Ken Thompson and Brian Kernighan would probably take longer to order an uber ride on a smart-phones, than would the typical 12-year old. That's the difference between having an understanding of how technology is built, and using the latest app.
To give a personal example, this past semester I taught an engineering class at the local university. My laptop is of the new generation, with USB-C ports, but no VGA or HDMI ports. I started using computers for engineering-purposes before my students were even born. But they could figure out how to connect the laptop to the classroom overhead projector, faster than I could.
Sort of along those lines I dislike to hear age mentioned when talking about accomplishments in situations in which are would not be mentioned it the person were young.
Also things like, "Grandmother pulls neighbor's child from burning house."
Would she not have saved the child if she weren't a grandma? Why Would it even be relevant? I remember seeing a story on the news a while back where such an incident was reported. The reporter tried to emphasize "grandma." The trouble was, she wasn't, she never had kids. She finally told him so.
I suppose that's instead of saying, "Old lady saves kid from burning house," but why bring age into it at all?
Female neighbor pulls kid from burning house?
I think using grandma tells the reader who this person is in a succinct way. It is debatable whether this knowledge is germane to the story or not, however.
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Yep a perfect example of ageism claiming younger people are better at computers 
