Is ASP.NET a Sustainable Career Choice in the Next Decade?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the sustainability of a career in ASP.NET over the next decade, exploring the implications of specializing in a single technology versus having a broader skill set in programming. Participants consider the evolving nature of the tech industry and the necessity of adapting to new languages and frameworks.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern about relying solely on ASP.NET, questioning whether it is wise to base a career on one technology.
  • Others argue that mastering a single technology can lead to higher salaries and proficiency, suggesting that depth in one area can be beneficial.
  • A viewpoint is presented that while specialization can be advantageous, it is also crucial to learn multiple languages and frameworks to remain employable as the industry evolves.
  • Some participants highlight the importance of adaptability, using historical examples of programming languages and their relevance over time to illustrate the risks of narrow specialization.
  • There is a discussion about the balance between being a "master of one" versus a "jack of all trades," with differing opinions on which approach is more sustainable in the long term.
  • One participant notes that while mastering one language can facilitate learning others, each language has unique syntax optimized for specific problems.
  • Concerns are raised about the definition of "long term" in the context of a programming career, with varying interpretations of how long a skill set remains relevant.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether specializing in ASP.NET is a sustainable career choice. Multiple competing views exist regarding the benefits of specialization versus the necessity of a diverse skill set.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include varying definitions of what constitutes a sustainable career in programming, assumptions about industry trends, and the impact of technological advancements on employability.

SlurrerOfSpeech
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It is what I've been developing on in my professional career. Should I be running away from it?
 
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Do you think it is wise to have a career based on knowing how to do just one thing?
 
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Vanadium 50 said:
Do you think it is wise to have a career based on knowing how to do just one thing?

That's absolutely correct in my opinion. Additionally as a software developer, I have to say that it was a necessity for Microsoft to make all platform open - not only ASP.NET, to survive the competition. This is not a bad thing, but you definitely have to know how to work with other platforms too (PHP, Java, Python etc. for the Web) and with a multitude of frameworks and tools, in order for you to survive the competition.
 
Vanadium 50 said:
Do you think it is wise to have a career based on knowing how to do just one thing?

Given the choice between learning how to be a master of a singe trade, or being a jack of all trades and master of none, I'd rather be a master of 1 trade, in part because you can command a higher salary if you are proficient in a technological area.
 
SlurrerOfSpeech said:
Given the choice between learning how to be a master of a singe trade, or being a jack of all trades and master of none, I'd rather be a master of 1 trade, in part because you can command a higher salary if you are proficient in a technological area.
With programming, if you master one, you can quickly learn another. They all accomplish the same thing, just in different ways.
 
SlurrerOfSpeech said:
I'd rather be a master of 1 trade, in part because you can command a higher salary if you are proficient in a technological area.

Then you have your answer. Just keep in mind that every buggy whip maker, lamplighter and cigar factory lector (one of my personal favorites) felt the same way.
 
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SlurrerOfSpeech said:
Given the choice between learning how to be a master of a singe trade, or being a jack of all trades and master of none, I'd rather be a master of 1 trade, in part because you can command a higher salary if you are proficient in a technological area.

Okay let me put it this way. If you were a master of programming in assembly you could have found plentiful employment back in say 1990 or so. Remember those NES games that were so popular? They were programmed in assembly. Now, let's assume a hypothetical situation where you only practiced assembly and in say 2010 you get laid off from the manufacturer that was making a piece of hardware that still required that language. Without learning any other languages your employability will be quite narrow and low until you learn new languages. So, that's why a true master programmer is one that can use multiple languages. It doesn't mean they have to be proficient with a 2GL like assembly when Python, RoR, and other 4GL are so frequently used. It does mean, in my opinion, that as the industry changes and progresses they have to keep up.

I am not a computer programmer in that I do not program in 1GL - 4GL, but I am a computer programmer in that I program PLCs which are by definition industrial grade computers. I can tell you, though, that my 4GL programming skills are embarrassing at best.
 
Greg Bernhardt said:
With programming, if you master one, you can quickly learn another. They all accomplish the same thing, just in different ways.

I agree that in the long term a developer is best off if he has experience in a variety of languages and frameworks. My question was supposed to pertain more to a developer early in his career trying to get hired at big-name tech companies.
 
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Greg Bernhardt said:
With programming, if you master one, you can quickly learn another. They all accomplish the same thing, just in different ways.

Actually, although many programming languages claim to be the "one and only general-purpose language", the syntax of each one is optimized for solving a specific set of problems.
 
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SlurrerOfSpeech said:
in the long term

In the programming world, "long term" is what, about ten years? A typical working career after finishing a bachelor's or master's degree might be 40 years.
 

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