Re: When an AS/400 is called an iSeries

Trevor,

I hope I did this right. My email signature used to say "IBM System i5 / iSeries". I changed it to what you see below because I agree that "perception is reality."

A couple of things happened yesterday relevant to this discussion. First, chronologically, I received a questionnaire for a new printer system. One section wanted to know which server the system would be connected to: Windows 2003, etc. There was a line that said: "AS/400, S/390, AIX." (I think S/390 has been deprecated, too, but I don't care about that.) Since it was a changeable form, I changed "AS/400" to "System i5". We'll see how much that confuses the sales rep.


Late each day I have to page everyone to finish up so they we can close the books and backup the data libraries. Until yesterday I always made the same announcement: Would everyone please log off of the AS/400 for end-of-day." Yesterday it was: Would everyone please log off of the i5 for end-of-day. Didn't get a single call asking, "What the h**l is an i5?" Within the normal delay time everyone was logged off.

Old habits die hard. Occasionally of late I have caught myself saying "AS/400." When I do notice, I immediately correct myself, "I mean System i5." Last week the president/owner was conducting a tour for some luminaries. He was bragging (reasonably) to them about our AS/400. I interrupted to say, "Phil, we trashed the AS/400 years ago. We're on an i5 now." (My days here are numbered, of course.)


* Jerry C. Adams
*IBM System i Programmer/Analyst
B&W Wholesale Distributors, Inc.* *
voice
615.995.7024
fax
615.995.1201
email
jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:jerry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>



Trevor Perry wrote:

Doug,

If you add to the email thread, you add to the "name exhaustion". You
complain, but you are happy to contribute to the cause?

And, your attitude of "I ain't changing, you can't make me" is the reason
why the AS/400 developer will fade into the sunset. This is sad, but true.
The System i is moving on without that programmer.

In the meantime, you will be considered an old programmer on an old
technology. That is not a ~bad~ thing, but you should be aware of it. For
most people, that is the easy way out, but it is the choice they make.

For people who are willing to invest in their future, they will call it a
System i.

Trevor
P.S. Thanks for your contribution. All this noise is good noise...


On 6/11/07 3:03 PM, "Doug Palme" <dpalme@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I really hate to make any comment on this subject but I will at least
express my own viewpoint. This is not directed at any particular
individual, just my own two cents worth.

I am a huge proponent of the i5, have been for a lot of years and express it
every opportunity I have; however the name issue is one that many here have
lost me on.
I will politely disagree with many who keep talking about how we are going
to lose the platform if we do not change. I do not see this platform going
anywhere during my lifetime and what happens after I am gone is not
something I am going to be overly worried about.

I will also say that this endless debate over the "proper" usage of the name
has reached a point of "Name Exhaustion" with me. I am absolutely sick to
death of listening to people constantly harp about the name, to the point
that I now completely ignore them.

I frankly do not care what the platform is called, all I care about at this
point in time is what can it do for me, and how it makes my life easier.
That may be a very callous attitude, and if so, I apologize if you take it
that way; certainly not meant to offend anyone - I am just tired of the same
old argument over what the proper name is or should be. You will always
have a select group of people that will call it a 400, others will obviously
want to call it by whatever name IBM suggests and others still that will
propose new names. For me, it is all the same.

Now, without getting a flame war started, I have spoken for the last time on
this particular subject; if anyone wants to comment, fine I will probably
read them, but will not respond - I am just too tired of the debate and
consider most of it a huge waste of time. (Then again, writing this post
would be considered by many to be a waste of time :) )

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Douglas