This is one of my pet issues. I'm absolutely of the opinion that you need to at least be familiar and understand what has come before in a technical field in order to have real mastery in the same field today.
Practically speaking, knowing the hows and whys of obsolete technologies makes it much easier to learn new the new stuff that is coming tomorrow as well. Everything is built on what has come before.
I see many "kids these days" who not only don't know the history, but actively think that knowing it is a waste of their time. It's a shame, because that attitude is a handicap. I also take it as an indication that the person doesn't have an interest in the field for its own sake.
Practically speaking, knowing the hows and whys of obsolete technologies makes it much easier to learn new the new stuff that is coming tomorrow as well. Everything is built on what has come before.
I see many "kids these days" who not only don't know the history, but actively think that knowing it is a waste of their time. It's a shame, because that attitude is a handicap. I also take it as an indication that the person doesn't have an interest in the field for its own sake.