It's a pity...
While there are certainly enough crusty older people that are jaded and don't know their left from their right mouse button, there are also plenty with a wealth of experience and that are still very sharp.
Older workers may not always think quite as quick as a 20-something, but they're also likely to stop and reconsider before making a truly bonehead mistake, and they're certainly less flaky and flighty, and overall more reliable. Older people, especially engineers, have made all their mistakes before and are less likely to repeat them.
I would pretty much pick an older worker to design a UI any day before a youngster with no experience but plenty of "innovative ideas!"
Biting the hand that feeds IT
