2014 text states: "The spell can levitate a target that weighs up to 500 pounds."

Target could refer to a creature or object.

2024 text states: "The spell can levitate an object that weighs up to 500 pounds."

The spell can still target creatures but creatures are no longer weight limited. There's no stated size limitation either. You can (theoretically) levitate a Tarrasque, granted it has a +10 bonus to CON saves, and has advantage on saves against magical effects, and has 3 legendary resistances to burn per day so you probably won't actually levitate a Tarrasque... But it can still theoretically be done!

If the mage Levitates, can its flying familiar (in my case, a hawk) pull it along?  Or is inertia still a thing with this spell (i.e. the hawk can't shift the 150lbs of floating mage, because it's still 150 lbs of "don't move")?

if you had a very very long stick with 20 feet of reach could you use it to move?

Quote from Mordaic >>

if you had a very very long stick with 20 feet of reach could you use it to move?

Sure. Carrying around a 20-foot long stick may be a bit of a challenge, though.

Quote from wagnarokkr >>

Quote from Mordaic >>

if you had a very very long stick with 20 feet of reach could you use it to move?

Sure. Carrying around a 20-foot long stick may be a bit of a challenge, though.

 Just super glue two Poles of Collapsing together.

Quote from Unclevertitle >>

2014 text states: "The spell can levitate a target that weighs up to 500 pounds."

Target could refer to a creature or object.

2024 text states: "The spell can levitate an object that weighs up to 500 pounds."

The spell can still target creatures but creatures are no longer weight limited. There's no stated size limitation either. You can (theoretically) levitate a Tarrasque, granted it has a +10 bonus to CON saves, and has advantage on saves against magical effects, and has 3 legendary resistances to burn per day so you probably won't actually levitate a Tarrasque... But it can still theoretically be done!

 sorry doesn't work like that. A creature is still considered an object as the target, so no lifting up the tarrasque because he weighs way more than 500 pounds.

Living creatures aren't objects, though. There's a very clear distinction between those things in D&D rules — "object" is explicitly defined as something nonliving.

Thinking about it,levitate could be used in construction and other branches of social life

One worker casts the spell on 500 pounds of stone which he then levitates upwards. He moves the stones up the wall(which allows the stones to "climb") and thus guards them along to their destination,since well the stones can be guided along the wall. They could also use rails or something like that to move the stones in different directions and place them on top of each other.

Goods could also be carried over huge distances via rail or something similar,since it can move "up to" 20 feet,thus heavy stones,equipment,mined ore,lots of grain or similar objects could be moved(albeit very slow) by a system of rails,water(fixed surface?) or similar,1 foot over the ground,although someone would need to control them.

A chariot or a boat would be better,but the spell could be used to load or unload ships,similar to what we have today.

A roofer could use the spell to get onto the roof more easily,as could a chimney sweep(although why not just cast fly instead?)

It could also be used in law enforcement to get to a high vantage point or to raid a house from above,or just to better scout an area from above or get a better shot

All in all,i can see this spell being used in some ways in everyday live,but mainly in construction,logistics and maybe law enforement.

I'd add for clarity: "A creature can still be moved by forced-movement effects (such as a shove or Thunderwave), but it only moves the stated distance and does not drift further, as the spell’s magic prevents drifting."