Good idea to learn old languages ?

[oldtobor]

Would it be a good job searching strategy to learn languages which are becoming obsolete ? Three big examples are RPG, ADA and PL/1 but there are still job offerings for these languages. Since fewer and fewer programmers are available in these languages, would it be a good idea to learn one of them (RPG is the simplest) and then apply for these jobs ? Do you really need at least 2 years hands on experience to apply to these jobs or could you fake your way through by just learning the theory ? I imagine a person who already knows other languages well like PERL and VB but there are too many programmers going for those jobs compared to RPG. Any ideas ?

[insane_alien]

if they are becoming obsolete then it means that more versatile languages are replacing them and doing a better job at it. it couldn't hurt tolearn them though

[ashennell]

I think this seems like a short term strategy. Even if you get a job using RPG the chances are if it is becoming obsolete that you will be in an unstable position. Then you end up with a few years experience using RPG on your CV which, of course, isn't that useful if it is becoming obsolete. I think it wouldn't hurt to learn these skills as long as they arn't at the centre of your expertise. Just my opinion though.

[oldtobor]

In the long term, 2 problems seem to emerge:

 

1) programming is mostly for the young, so in the long term it seems that a programmer will slowly move out of programming altogether and get into management or sales.

 

2) Many programming positions require a never ending list of skills a person should have, which I believe is not at all really possible. For example they list java,c++, php etc. Now who really knows those 3 languages so well to say you have the skills ? I think that it isn't really possible. By the time you did learn them, then you have to learn C#, .NET etc. It doesn't seem reasonable.

[nameta9]

For every RPG programmer there are maybe 10 java programmers. 10 years from now it will be 1 RPG programmer to 100 java or c sharp programmers. So in the long term it is a good investment to learn RPG. If a company needs an RPG programmer they may receive only 3 resumes in contrast to hundreds for java programmers. The future for programmers is in RPG, don't follow the buzzwords.

[mezarashi]

So in the long term it is a good investment to learn RPG. If a company needs an RPG programmer they may receive only 3 resumes in contrast to hundreds for java programmers.

 

Well true, but in then again, there will be 100 job openings for java programmers for every 1 opening for RPG. Go careful over the math.

 

The future for programmers is in RPG, don't follow the buzzwords.

 

I haven't heard about this one. Most things "computery" stay alive when there is a community or group supporting it, else it goes stale. Java and MS C++ is strongly backed and periodically updated.