RE: how we will program in the future

>Rob:
>However the original discussion went on about how
>often Windows emits service packs to fix various 
>leaks and whether or not that was a bad 
>thing.  And I was just pointing out that OS/400 does too.


I think that I lit the match for this little firestorm.


>Jim Franz:
>just a note that MS has just announced it's 1st major 
>patch needed for Office 2003
>(corruption/lost data). I wonder if they did it with 
>their "new programmingtechniques"?


But this is where you spilled the gasoline:

>Rob Berendt:
>And how many ptf's did IBM announce for the iSeries today?

>Me:
>And how many iSeries customers will run 
>safely and happily without ever loading them?


...and off it went.

Many of us still feel that there's a big difference between these major
patches for Windows servers and the incremental ptf process for the iSeries.
I work in an environment where we drop everything and load MS critical
patches so that we won't lose yet another server.  I also work in an
environment where we casually monitor HIPER's for the iSeries because we've
never been burned by staying behind.

You may feel that MS patches for critical exposures can be equated to the
number of ptf's IBM announces for the iSeries in a day.  I believe that
they're similar in concept vastly different in scope -- like comparing a
factory recall to an oil change.

-Jim

James P. Damato
Manager - Technical Administration
Dollar General Corporation
<mailto:jdamato@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>