I can write any language in FORTRAN

Experienced programmers, when learning a new programming language, often use the patterns and idioms of their old language in the new one. Thus, a programmer experienced in Java and learning Python will write code that, while legal Python, looks and smells like Java. The code is not "Pythonic".

I, when writing code in a new programming language, often write as if it were C. As I learn about the language, I change my pattern to match the language. The common saying is that a good programmer can write any language in FORTRAN. It's an old saying, probably from the age when most programmers learned COBOL and FORTRAN.

When the IT world shifted from structured programming languages (C, BASIC, FORTRAN) to object-oriented programming languages (C++, Java, C#) much of the code written in the new languages was in the style of the old languages. Eventually, we programmers learned to write object-oriented code.

Today, most programmers learn C# or Java as their first language.  Perhaps we should revise our pithy saying to: A good programmer can write any language in Java. (Or C#, if you prefer.)

Why is this important? Why think about the transition from structured programming ("procedural programming") to object-oriented programming?

Because we're going through another transition. Two, actually.

The first is the transition from object-oriented programming to functional programming. This is a slow change, one that will take several years and perhaps decades. Be prepared to see more about functional programming: articles, product releases, and services in programming platforms. And be prepared to see lots of functional programs written in a style that matches object-oriented code.

The second is the transition from web applications to mobile/cloud applications. This change is faster and is already well underway. Yet be prepared to see lots of mobile/cloud applications architected in the style of web applications.

Eventually, we will learn to write good functional programs. Eventually, we will learn to design good cloud systems. Some individuals (and organizations) will make the transition faster than others.

What does this mean for the average programmer? For starters, be aware of one's own skills. Second, have a plan to learn the new programming paradigms. Third, be aware of the skills of a hiring organization. When a company offers you a job, understand how that company's level matches your own.

What does this mean for companies? First, we have yet another transition in the IT world. (It may seem that the IT world has a lot of these inconvenient transitions.) Second, develop a plan to change your processes to use the new technology. (The changes are happening whether you like them or not.) Third, develop a plan to help your people learn the new technologies. Companies that value skilled employees will plan for training, pilot programs, and migration efforts. Companies that view employees as expensive resources that are little more than cost centers will choose to simply engage contractors with the skills and lay off those currently on their payrolls.

And in the short term, be prepared to see a lot of FORTRAN.