[stiff]

I think Clarke's first law applies to programmers as well:

"When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong."

When you are older you maybe really spend less time chasing dead ends, I agree with that, but to be fully sincere with oneself, some of those ends might end up not being that dead anymore 10 or 20 years after you've last bothered to visit them.

[kmavm]

That's a great point. I try to actively fight conservatism, but it's probably a neurologically losing battle; as I get more experienced, I necessarily get more scarred, and will instinctively avoid the areas that have caused me professional pain. When this helps, we call it "learning," but in the limit it tends towards rigidity.

[mironathetin]

"...and will instinctively avoid the areas that have caused me professional pain."

This is not good. You learned that your chosen solution did not work back then. This time, you know you have to try from the other side. This is learning too.

I appreciate a lot if there is a chance to try again what did not work a while ago. As long as you don't run out of new ideas. So far I don't (46).

[Vivtek]

Oh man, I agree with this. Stuff I intended to get around to someday back in the 90's is just a CPAN download away now.

[lurker17]

That quote sounds deep, but it reduces almost exactly to:

"Almost everything is possible."

More precisely: "If a distinguished but elderly scientist passes judgement on in idea, it is probably possible. Only ideas whose possibility are not judged might be impossible."

[william42]

If I recall correctly, Clarke's Law originally applied to fiction.

There it makes perfect sense.