Re: Leaving MidRange Equipment rambling.....

>... I hope I didn't imply anything negative

Not at all!

> My fear is that they're not teaching programming in college anymore.  If
> CS101 starts off with Visual Basic and .NET, then you're missing a whole
> bunch of stuff you need, like basic math, basic logic, basic algorithms
> and basic DB design.


I  agree whole heartily...  as I stated before some of the classes I found
at the local colleges under the title computer science was amazing....
Heck, even in the high schools, Jr high and elementary classes.   My eldest
son, an eight grade student, has a "computer class".   It has nothing to do
with logic, operation or the like.   It is "keyboarding"...  In my days it
was called "typing class" and we did not take it until my Junior year.   But
it is still called a "COMPUTER" class.

I have many issues about PCs in schools replacing teachers "real live
teachers" actually teaching.   My small rural country school has more
audio-visual equipment than the local TV station, yet we have some of the
lowest test score in the state.   I have a PC at home and a whole library of
"Jump Start" and other educational games/programs...   What are my taxes
paying for?  but that is another issue......

I should retitle the subject line, because I wish to carry the topic of
programming/coding onto the effect in the work place.   I have been coding
on midrange for over 20 years mainly as a contractor.  I have enjoyed it,
kept busy, and made descent money at it, until recently.   I was contacted
about a contract in Detroit.  They wanted a college degree,10 years of
experience, RPG II, RPGIII, RPGIV(ILE), blah, blah, blah...   The whole ball
of wax.....  and want to pay an hourly rate of $13.    A second contract, in
Memphis, basically the same story but offered $20 per hour.   After
traveling, camping in a motel and feeding myself, what is left to send home
to feed my family, let alone the time I am missing with my young children.
I would be better off, IMHO, as a Wal-Mart greeter.   I am in the middle of
Amish country and have many Amish friends who are working in wood shops, RV
factories, or manufactured  home building making over $20 per hour with a
eighth grade education.   Just doesn't not add up.

I know that there are many factors causing this.   Leaving the MidRange is
one of them.  The flood of desperate coders (local or off shore, good or
bad) and the desire to equal rates between the "local PC expert" or "MS
Office" consultant and the "Mainframe/Midrange" consultant is driving the
market into the ground.

I guess I sound like I am crying in my beer (root beer) so I will sound off.


Eurrat Saylor, Jr.
9562 East 750 North
Walkerton, IN  46574

tel. (574) 586-7970
fax (574) 586-2677
cel (574) 532-2898 (Eurrat)   Nextel 2-way 111*42*729



----- Original Message -----
From: "Joe Pluta" <joepluta@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: "'Midrange Systems Technical Discussion'" <midrange-l@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Sunday, February 06, 2005 10:15 AM
Subject: RE: Also Leaving MidRange Equipment


> > From: Eurrat Saylor, Jr.
> >
> > I wanted to go on record and say that I am one of the few.  I learned
> RPG,
> > BASIC and COBOL on a S/34 while attending a little junior college in
> Miles
> > City, Montana on a rodeo scholarship.   Although, FORTRAN and PASCAL
> were
> > ran on an APPLE II+.   After landing my first IT job, I had to learn
> > (basically self taught, until a seminar opened up months later) Lotus
> 123
> > and DBase III.
>
> Nothing wrong with that, Eurrat, and I hope I didn't imply anything
> negative.  It's just that a lot of great midrange code was written by
> people who didn't learn RPG in college.
>
> My fear is that they're not teaching programming in college anymore.  If
> CS101 starts off with Visual Basic and .NET, then you're missing a whole
> bunch of stuff you need, like basic math, basic logic, basic algorithms
> and basic DB design.
>
> Joe
>
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