RE: DATE fields in RPG-IV -- MIDRANGE-L

Chris,

Interesting arguments on your part. I agree that we cannot read anyone's 
mind. Perhaps some people can, but I cannot, can you?

When the DATE developer said, and I'm quoting to the best of my memory: "It 
is done this way because that's the way we did it and it isn't going to 
change..."

Granted my memory is 1-year old, but effectively this is what was said, and 
then there was silence. Then I said, "well I guess this conversation is 
over" and the call ended. Later, other IBMers said that they didn't think 
we would let them (the "DATE" guys) get away with so much. I'm sure IBM 
taped the thing. If anyone has it, release the transcript.

That's about it. You're right I can't read their minds. But _you_ certainly 
don't know what I know. You don't know what conversations I've had, and 
with whom I've had them. I don't usually discuss such things because 
confidentiality is what keeps the lines of communication open.

Most (but not all) of the people at IBM are NOT thin-skinned anymore. They 
can take it. It's one of the reasons Rochester and Toronto are producing 
good things (for example, the new "e" series and VisualAge development 
tools).

>From time to time IBM throws a developer to the customers, at COMMON or 
elsewhere. This gives the developer exposure and often cures any 
imperialistic attitude. If the developer can't handle getting out of the 
coding dungeon, the usually don't come back, move on to another position 
within IBM, or leave IBM.

A personal attack, to me is something like "Hey Chris, does Bill Gates know 
you stole his clothes?"  or "Gosh, you know, you child can only get better 
looking with time."

Just because somebody is a programmer at IBM or Microsoft or calls 
themselves "Mr AS400" or "Mr Mainframe" does mean they know everything. It 
doesn't mean they don't make mistakes. But this is a business world we are 
in. It is not a social club. If I'm a customer and the DATE implementation 
is taking to long to allow me to do some task, then I have the right to 
complain about it. While there are several methods of complaining, such as 
reader survey cards, the Internet feedback forums and when you buy 
something for $15 and don't like something about it, you return it to the 
store. If your company pays between $25,000 and $1,500,000 for an AS/400, 
they have a right to bitch about the little things.


Customer to car service department:
"My new car rattles when I go over speed bumps"

Service dept.
"We checked with headquarters and the engineer said they never expected 
most people to drive over speed bumps. That's just the way the car 
behaves."

Customer:
"I don't care, the piece of sh.. rattles! Fix it anyway."


Is that a personal attack on the engineer?  Maybe, but who cares?

Bob Cozzi
Bob@RPGIV.COM
www.rpgiv.com
AS/400 Books:  http://www.rpgiv.com/as400Books.html


On Wednesday, September 10, 1997 9:09 AM, Chris Rehm 
[SMTP:Mr.AS400@IBM.NET] wrote:
>
> >Uh, actually Chris, I was on a conference call last year with several
> >individuals. One of whom was the developer/planner for date fields. 
Based
> >on that conversation and subsequent ones I have had, I stand by my
> >statements.  I don't usually finger point, and since I was asked not to
> >disclose the details of the conversation, I won't.  I mean Chris, what's 
> >your point? Do you think I'm making this stuff up?
>
> Sure Bob. I think that if you are deciding what someone else's motivation
> is that yes, you are making it up. I don't want to put it that way, but
> that is after all how you phrased the question.
>
> I hate it when people do that to me. I would guess the developer feels 
the
> same way.
>
> I have written some damn nice pieces of code that I had to toss because
> even though they worked great, they just didn't fit the problem being
> solved. I am sure that other developers do the same.
>
> Maybe you are right. But neither you nor I can know that is true because
> neither of use is inside the developers head.
>
> All you know for sure is that you feel it should be changed and it 
hasn't.
> The conversations you have had may lead you to believe something, but 
that
> is all.
>
> The point, Bob, is stick with facts. You don't like the timing of the 
date
> types. IBM hasn't agreed to change them. You would like to see a
> performance improvement and some functionality improvements. You would
> settle for the functionality improvement if you had to.
>
> Aren't those the relevant points in your comments re. the date types? 
Then
> what is served by a personal attack on the developer?
>
>
>
> Chris Rehm
> Mr.AS400@ibm.net
> You have to ask yourself, "How often can I afford to be unexpectedly out 
of business?"
> Get an AS/400.
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