Re: OT - Shutting down an RS/6000 ? -- MIDRANGE-L

Joe Pluta wrote:

From: Hans Boldt

And you're saying that OS/400 commands are easier for OS/400 users.
No argument there, either.


I have to correct your quote.  I am saying OS/400 commands are easier than
Unix for people who know neither.  On a neutral playuing field, OS/400
commands are far more consistent and easy to use.  My opinion, but hard to
dispute.

You may be right on that, but I'm not really sure if it can be
definitively proven. Since the "vocabulary" of OS/400 commands is
strangely similar to English, experimental results may very well
differ in different language cultures.

My main point all along is that these things are simply different,
and personally I rather dislike criticism of something simply
because it's different.

Joe: With all due respect, you, sir, are jumping to conclusions. I
have never ever said that RPG is an inferior language. And I have
never ever said that OS/400 is an inferior operating system. Nor
would I want to imply that either were inferior, since clearly they
are not. (I'd like to think that I would have the integrity to look
for a new job if I ever felt otherwise about OS/400 and RPG.)

Joe, just because I say I like to use Perl and Python for hobby
programming does not mean I don't like RPG. Just because I say that
Python is a good language doesn't mean I think others are not. And
just because I prefer Linux for my own personal use does not mean I
think the iSeries is not an appropriate machine for others.


Well, Hans, perhaps I'm wrong in assessing your position.  I'll happily
acknowledge the error if that's the case, maybe it's just an issue of
perception.  However, you've never before used the words "hobby" or
"personal use" during your consistent praise of Linux and Python, and since
this list is about real business programming, I assumed your comments were
relevant to the subject.

If not, I apologize for my erroneous assumptions.

Apology accepted. I have a strong suspicion that you and I agree on
much more than is readily apparent. But clearly, we both enjoy a
good argument! (No you don't! Yes I do!)

I'm not quite sure how Python popped into the discussion. Yes, I
think it is a damn fine language, and yes, I'd jump at any
opportunity to get paid working with it. But I'll also be the first
to say that it isn't quite ready for the business application arena,
if only because decimal values aren't handled especially well.

Regarding Linux, yes, I use it (and enjoy it) at home. But as I
pointed out, it *is* also extremely important to IBM's overall
business. (This is fact, not personal opinion.)

As someone else pointed out, the Software Group (to which my area
belongs) does tend to be platform agnostic, which lines up nicely
with overall corporate strategy. No, we don't push any particular
platforms. But we try to offer our current and potential customers
the correct solution to meet their particular needs. That may mean
an iSeries box, or a p-, z-, or xSeries box. I certainly understand
why most people here on this mailing list would want us to push
iSeries more, but that doesn't really help our customers whose needs
are better served by a different hardware solution. (Yes, such
customer *do* exist!)

Clearly, Linux is important because apps developed on Linux can
easily be ported across the entire range of IBM hardware. And since
we dealing with open source GPL'ed software, it is something that is
changing the whole competitive climate. I never would have expected
this four years ago, but the IBM corporation really seems to
understand how to leverage the current situation, while at the same
time MS and Sun are still thrashing about. It's fascinating to watch!

Cheers!  Hans