[JohnFen]

> How many laid off programmers looking for work today wish they had a broader range of skills, even if some of those skills seem old and not sexy?

Exactly so.

I've been in this business for longer than many people here have been alive (and longer than some of the parents of the people here have been alive). Since the beginning, I've considered constantly expanding and deepening my skillset to be absolutely critical.

So now, I am competent or better in more languages and platforms than most. That includes many that that the younger crowd of devs would consider obsolete or worthless. However, those obsolete and worthless skills have, on numerous occasions, been what got me high-paying and fascinating work. Also, even in jobs where I'm not directly using those skills I am still indirectly using them -- when you learn a new (to you) skill, you're also learning a different way of framing and addressing problems. That makes you a better dev regardless of the stack you're directly using.