Re: power line (AS/400) article in computerworld -- MIDRANGE-L

It does seem to me though that there is something more going on with these types of posts. Why are the posts even made? I sincerely believe there is no malevolence or malice intended or desired, but I do wonder why one would bother with the platform and especially this forum if it is so ill-fitted to their needs and temperament. Why? It might be a tad easier to accept the comments, and also easier to respond (or not) if we had a better idea of why the posts are being made?

Crump, Mike wrote:

Different points of view are needed. However, there is a trend that is
occurring that makes those who won't discuss alternatives look open
minded:

-Hey, did you see the V6R1 announcements?
Doesn't matter. IBM isn't investing in i5/os
-What about PowerVM/VIOS, Storage Space snapshots, ITJ improvements
Doesn't matter. V6R1 didn't bring much new stuff to the table
-Or I5/OS file level backups for Linux, DB2 enhancements including
Omnifind
Doesn't matter. DB2 for i5/OS can't do what other databases do
-Or RPG enhancements like local files in subprocedures, result DS with
EXFMT
Doesn't matter RPG sucks when compared to other languages
-Or larger fields, arrays and data structures , no imit on DIM and
OCCURS
Doesn't matter it takes longer to write an app on i5/os than windows.
-Or....
Doesn't matter, every piece of hardware has a 95% markup
-Or....
Doesn't matter. It hasn't fundemetally changed in 10 years. The only
thing that has changed is HMC V7 GUI. Probably produced by the P guys.
And the darn objects still only have 10 characters.

It's one thing to ignore opportunities of improvement but it's another
to post like a force of change when it really seems like the posts are
just simply contumacious. These posts are not one bit better than those
who refuse to look at alternatives. You might want to think so and hold
those posts as some sort of altruistic discussion but they sure don't
seem to be. And that is the effect that they have on a lot of other
posters. In any discussion you will most likely get these kinds of
diametrically opposed positions but neither is better than the other....

Michael Crump
Manager, Computing Services
Saint-Gobain Containers, Inc.
1509 S. Macedonia Ave.
Muncie, IN 47302
765.741.7696
765.741.7012 f
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Leaders
Leaders are like eagles. We don't have either of them here.
-----Original Message-----
From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Walden H. Leverich
Sent: Saturday, April 12, 2008 11:33 AM
To: Midrange Systems Technical Discussion
Subject: RE: power line (AS/400) article in computerworld

First, while I don't always agree w/what Steve has to say, I appreciate
him saying it. There are several of us (yes, I'll include myself) that
question some things on the System i, push alternatives like .Net, and
will point out that while the System i is stable, so are other
platforms. It's those that won't look at and won't discuss alternatives
that scare me. It's those with their heads in the sand that get totally
blown away when something new and better comes along.

OK, having said that..

Increasing the pointer size by a factor of 4 should be well
within the performance capabilities of modern day hardware.

You'd think. But I thought part of the performance improvement in the J9
JVM came from the fact that it was 32-bit not 64-bit based and therefore
faster. So evidence would seem to the contrary.

-Walden