[ClearCase_guy]

At the time of Mr. Coupland’s breakthrough, they were in their early 20’s, fresh out of college, hanging onto the bottom rung of the company ladder.

And this was perceived as grossly unfair and unprecendented.

[BeHoldAPaleHorse]

And this was perceived as grossly unfair and unprecendented.

There was a perception that it would remain that way ad nauseum thanks to boomer slackers clogging up the promotion paths with sheer numbers and seniority. Not saying it was an accurate perception--just saying that it was there.

Nowadays, the best and brightest GenX folks--and a lot of the not-so-best-and-brightest--have leapfrogged their way past their former bosses. Why do you think that "age discrimination" has become the new buzzword over the last decade?