Re: Why is the iSeries so slow-New generation in IT -- MIDRANGE-L

From: "Jim Franz" <franz400@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
> Don - I would respectfully disagree with your assertion. As a 20 yr
> consultant
> I have worked in many shops, and I see a different picture.
> Management more often refuses to invest in tools or training for iSeries
> staff.
> Keep the iSeries staff dealing with current projects, while bringing in
> pc oriented staff (often no development background). Over & over I
> have seen this. RPG programmers told "no ILE, no CGI, no ODBC,
> no Java, no tools". Just support the existing apps. In 1999 we did demos
> of rpg/cgi (easy400 a free tool!) to many dp managers at customers. Like
> deer in
> headlights. The people who cannot think outside the box are not on the
> technical side - it's the other side of the table.

I meant to say  > The iSeries developer, with all of
> the development and applications experience, does not have the skills to
> respond to the <new technology> needs of the user.

I sympathize with the iSeries developers that are stuck in these dead-in
environments.   Your statements do re-emphasize my assertion that management
is going to PC Oriented Staff for the reason I stated.  You just pointed out
that the reason they may lack technical skills may have been coerced by
management.

There are some things that a shackled iSeries developer can do on his own.
They can take evening classes perhaps to learn a new language.  I recommend
Java or even OOA&D classes.  There are books available on the Internet now
that are free.  IBM's redbooks are all available free in PDF format.  There
are tons of internet tutorials.  Virtual400 and other web sites offer leased
access to their iSeries'.  They can lease an account for about $30 or so per
month at some of these sites that offers Apache, Tomcat, Websphere, WDSc,
Java, ILE RPG, and more.

Even if they don't want to learn Java, there are plenty of other ways to
access the Internet from the iSeries such as CGI, Webfacing,  and other
vendor products designed to take legacy or new apps to the web....  You can
call java from RPG & RPG from Java.

These are the technologies that I am referring to.  If the average iSeries
developer could take the time to learn some of this, even the non-Java
technologies such as CGI, Web-facing (I know that this is Java, but the
developer can use it without knowing Java), and others, then they could
possibly have some input in shaping the direction of their shop.  As you
said, management is a big part of the problem, we need for them to be able
to come to the iSeries developer for solutions to their needs.

>btw-I'm still laughing at the web developer who wanted to email his
database
> updates to our iSeries, 1 email for every order, to support an e-commerce
> site.

This is great and is also similar to what I have seen from some of the new
inexperienced developers.  We had a PC developer in an iSeries shop that was
assigned to write part of an A/P applicaion to enter & pay Invoices.  When
he demoed his finished application, the first thing that happened was a
progress bar appeared at the bottom of the screen and a message
said.....please wait while loading.    None of us could figure out what it
was loading.  That was the best part of the demo, it got sad from there.  I
like the 1 email per order though, that's a classic.

Don