Re: unsubscribe with regret. (1980 SYS/38.........) An overseas perspective.

I agree that Y2K was a problem that should have been better addressed by IBM.  
If everyone was doing it wrong, and I mean almost every shop that I was in, 
then IBM should have come up with better solutions.  Although it was overblown, 
a ton of money was spent on it which put a bad taste in many mouths, not in 
mine because those were by far my best earning years.

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I agree 100 % ! The Date issue wasn't IBM's problem. We (developers) sucked it 
up and made the changes. Went fine. The statement "Every CFO has still has 
nightmares about it" is also inaccurate (in my opinion)....

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I am really confused my the comments you are making. It wasn't IBM that didn't 
handle the Y2K problem. It was the software developers and software giants that 
didn't plan properly. The databases and programs didn't allow for the fact that 
their programs would be in process when the century turned over. IBM systems 
would have handled it without a hitch. The blame game in action. Such a pity 
the issue was misaligned.

R C Weide 


-----Original Message-----
From: michael_lloyd_thornton@xxxxxxxxxxx
To: midrange-jobs@xxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thu, 1 Feb 2007 9:30 PM
Subject: unsubscribe with regret. (1980 SYS/38.........) An overseas 
perspective.


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Hi

Unfortunately iSeries is fast disappearing in South Africa, especially after 
2k. 
If IBM had addressed the date issue so it wasn't a problem, they would have 
gained customers, not lost them. 2k probably did more hurt to iSeries than 
anything else. Every CFO has still has nightmares about it, and people don't 
forget getting stung.

Even if you have a job, the future is uncertain. Pity they didn't license VB 10 
years ago and provide development tools for free. At least iSeries would be a 
major force in the industry in cheap solutions and skills. IBM should have 
followed the market instead of trying to steer it. If PHP had been supported 
from the beginning, it could well be a popular web platform. They don't 
understand, some people don't want to keep bending RPG to try and do 
everything, 
especially when that skill-set is fast disappearing. I am a died in the wool 
RPG 
programmer from SYS34 days, and it does some things extremely well, but mention 
it to a company looking for a platform, and you get a blank stare.

Even for customers wanting iSeries, they are put off because they are few 
skills 
available, and none coming in to the market. For years companies relied on 
poaching skills, never thinking to put something back in to the industry by 
paying for formal training. IBM of course still try to squeeze every last 
dollar 
they can, just like they did in the the SYS3-38 days. Like microsoft, they are 
learning that that attitude pisses people off and they will look elsewhere.

I wish everyone well with their careers.

MichaelSouth Africa

michael.lloyd.thornton@xxxxxxxxx



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