[zokier]

I think the problem is not that software somehow would become worse as it ages. But that tons of software is and has been pretty crappy to start with, and to lesser degree has been worsened over time by modifications. At the same time our quality expectations for software have been dramatically increased over time, making the original poor quality even more apparent.

That viewpoint also partially explains Djikstras opinion; the software he made can be presumed to have been above average in quality so therefore it probably also aged better than most.