The IT Hamster Wheel

Although I got a late start working in IT, I've been in the field now for about 25 years. I broke in when when personal computers were well established and client-server was King. I witnessed the rise of the internet age, cell phones and mobile apps, virtualization, cloud computing, and now the AI frenzy.

As I think back, every step of the way we looked for shortcuts and 'easy buttons'. We eagerly took on technical debt for quick fixes. We didn't follow best practices because it was too much of a hassle. And when the 'next big thing' came around, with promises to cure our sins of the past, we did it all over again.

Over the last 5 or 10 years, I've become so fatigued by this. When I was younger, I keenly remember a few 'older' folks that were nonplussed by the IT hype du jour. I get it now. I've become one of those people. But I try to keep it under wraps (in spite of this public proclamation). I would never want to discourage a younger person that was genuinely excited about whatever the current/new hotness is.

But I'm tired of the IT hamster wheel. With every 'revolution' if feels like we trade one set of problems for another. Is this just a natural progression for someone that's old enough to have been recruited by AARP for a few years?