Re: CPYTOIMPF/CPYTOSTMF -- MIDRANGE-L

Simon,

I'm not specifically picking on you either but Glenn hit the nail on the
head. I often see a vague response to a question with a "by the way our
product can do this" or even suggestions that a product is the solution
when in my opinion the vendor has not even read the question properly.

One such unsolicited email "co-incidentally" arrived in my mail box a few
days after my CPYTOIMPF question, which as far as I could see didn't solve
my problem as it dealt with converting spool files.

No offense to you vendors out there, but often you can predict the
responses here and on the newsgroups that will appear from certain quarters
when certain questions are asked.

Secondly, the reason I am not interested in a commercial product at this
stage is because the number of files is tiny, in fact, infinitesmal. Maybe
one a day. Hardly a good reason for using a commercial product.

I accept that my email implied I had spent a couple of days working on the
problem, but I had in fact spent time here and there over a few days
working on it in between other jobs because it interested me, and then
started to bug me that I couldn't make it work the way I felt it should.
The old pride thing I suppose.

However, to set you straight on my perceived "attitude", the reason I was
willing to spend time over a couple of days *understanding* what should be
a straightforward command was because:

1.      I like to know how things work and it bugs me when something doesn't
seem to work the way I think it should.

2.)     An investment in knowledge returns itself many times over to me and
whoever I am currently working for

3.)     An understanding of this command and the other associated commands is
more likely to lead to an informed decision as how we can leverage this
capability (we have 2 AS/400's and 2 RS/6000's in the network and god knows
how many PC's) or whether we ought to look at a commercial product in the
future.

4.)     Like a lot of other people I just like to be able to make the 400 do
what I want it to do.

I presume you looked for the documentation on this command, which is
virtually non-existent as far as I can see, and which is the reason I
posted the question.

Simon, I usually find your answers illuminating and amusing. You may be a
pedant, but I think many of us IT people are because that's the nature of
the beast when you are dealing with a profession that (ought to) demand
precision.

In this case however, I feel that your reply was a little on the smug,
pompous and patronising side. Your answer essentially contained nothing
specific to the problem except to say that I was wasting time and if I
couldn't work it out to buy a commercial product. Not really constructive
in my opinion.

I guess it's for me and who I am contracted to to determine whether my time
is best spent on fooling around with potentially useful system capabilities
or "doing something productive".

I realise you weren't picking on me specifically, but I liken posting "idle
questions" on here to picking the brains of our peers, or (in your case)
soaking up the wisdom of the ancients (*grin*), so maybe I was too general
or non-specific and gave you the wrong impression.

On another note, it's always bothered me that I'm sure I've met you in OZ
or for some reason know your name, I'm from Melbourne originally, and just
can't place why your name rings a bell.

Normally I wouldn't have explained myself (I don't feel the need usually)
but that second coffee was good, and I was no hurry !

Cheers, 
Evan Harris
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