>This industry has had a large cadre of brilliant people working in it for a long time. Why does it seem that development is getting more complex rather than easier?

It's a given: the more flexible the "system", the more complex it becomes.

Dot NET gives us more flexibility at the price of increased complexity ... which is good for those people who can cope.

Tho there's something to be said for the feel of a good Bowie knife compared to that of a Swiss Army ... (especially when you meet a bear).