I'm not sure that this ever amounted to more than a urban legend.

Urban legend? Entire books were written on the subject, by respected authors, too:

https://www.amazon.com/Decline-American-Programmer-Edward-Yo...

The book is not only pushing 30 years old, it was crap when I bought it in hardcover in '93, and whoo boy, did that one not age well.

The mouse wheel comes in very handy. I made it to the dumb question at the end. We've heard about the "Decline and Fall of the American Programmer" before? Oh wait, he wrote a followup.

http://www.amazon.com/Decline-American-Programmer-Edward-You...

http://www.amazon.com/Resurrection-American-Programmer-Yourd...