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Science Fiction authors have spent years and volumes teasing us about a world where our creations are smarter, faster and stronger than us. In some cases, they are benign, working secretly to preserve us from ourselves. In others, they are vengeful and seek to enslave or destroy humanity.

Short of us reaching that milestone and discovering if digital life is friendly or not, there will be a need for software programmers.

A time proceeds, we are building a society and world that is more and more dependent upon technology and programming - not one that is less dependent. Phones, appliances, vehicles, even buildings and roads are getting to be smarter and more computationally linked. Programmers are needed for the code that powers each and every one of them. As we add computing capability to everything, we are approaching the ubiquitous computing revolution.

This revolution will not be marked with a single event. Instead, our technology will continue to increase what our items can do for us and eventually more and more items we own will begin working together to change our lives. The changes will be subtle and profound - from making it easier to find forgotten items to cars that take themselves to be serviced as needed.

These changes will significantly impact what a software programmer does. What will not change is the need for skilled people working in that role. The languages and tools that are in use today will still exist, but their use will diminish as newer and better tools are developed to meet the challenges of tomorrow.

The transition will be slow. Just as programs and tools written 30 years ago are still in use today, systems being designed and built by software programmers will still be in use 30 years from today and probably longer. Like COBOL programmers today, there will be a need for Java and Perl developers long into the future.

Even in today's consumer society, we do not junk everything. Old cars get resold, old building supplies get reused. In technology, the same is true. A system that is still useful seldom gets replaced. There are higher priorities in keeping up with the pace of change. As long as something meets the need, it will be maintained and used.

This wide variety of technological need - from maintenance to building the systems of tomorrow - will continue to keep programmers gainfully employed for as far as one can look to the future. It will just take adjustment and changes to the workforce to keep up with the new needs and wants of the future. In this, programmers are no different than any other profession on the planet.

Learn more about this author, Jack Thornton.
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