What has changed from “traditional” development

"Traditional" jobs in software development positions were a dime a dozen. As the technology further developed there was an increased need for people with expertise in these new, unfamiliar technologies. Many companies also looked to invest into this emerging technology as it was clearly lucrative and had much potential, which it has fulfilled in the present. This made many companies hire software programmers by the droves, offering high salaries and permanent positions, as well as the opportunity for a potentially successful career in the industry, to increase their company's foothold in this new technology.

This has all changed in the present, as software developers are now in abundance and programming has been made easier as technology advances further. Companies now seek to hire software developers on contract-based jobs, as then they have a certain time frame to develop a client-specified program, after which their contract expires and they return to being unemployed. Careers for software developers today are highly unstable and contractual, and rely greatly upon their client-base to give them opportunities to work. This renders a substantial career in the software industry almost defunct, as the only way for that to occur is to be hired permanently by a large software company as an employee.

What are the implications for “traditional” developers?

The implications of the transition from full-time programming jobs to a contract-based industry has mostly disadvantageous implications on "traditional" software developers. This causes a job seeker to have a wide range of options in the very large and ever-growing Software Industry, although most if not all of these options will be contractual and thus temporary. Upon attaining a job, it will be limited to a contract which will eventually expire after a pre-established amount of time, putting the worker out of a job.