Re: What should I say to a *nix community?

maybe this is answered, but

> I'd agree that the ROI of re-writing software that never needs to be > modified is non-existant. > > But most software is continually modified, thus there is indeed an ROI > for rewriting to make use of more modern and easier to maintain > techniques. > > Imagine the ugliest piece of code you have to work with on a periodic basis....

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Just looking at "ROI" does NOT tell the full story. Accountants have words for some of the things you cannot quantify that are ex/treme/ly important to a company's ongoing bottom line. "Goodwill", for example. "Retention" is another. There's a "semi-retired" programmer where I work, she works three days a week, but they prefer her over even an experienced newcomer for her in-depth knowledge of the business. Replacing a go-getter problem-solver with somebody for cheaper might give you an "ROI" but it will cost profit in the long run.

Also, when they were new, I taught the AS400 to one shop that had just acquired theirs to replace the S/36. The timing was /forced/ because they were losing their best programmers to AS400 shops.

Good programmers that relish new methods and technologies as tools to make their jobs easier are also the best problem-solvers for any kind of situation.

For example:

Yes, one should learn and > use new techniques and technologies. The investment in technology on the i is > protected - allowing us to focus on applying the new stuff when we can.

So far so good... But then...

There is > NO benefit just from right-clicking RPGLE source in WDSC/RDi and converting to > free-form. Almost no measurable benefit, anyhow - how does that help the end > user? Not hardly at all.

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Right-clicking to convert to free-form costs almost /*nothing at all*/, and you get the whole thing in free-form then and there! That's an "investment" of almost /*zero!*/
In your return on that cheap investment, your code is ready and set for the easier maintenance that comes with free-form coding. Presto changeo! The MOVE's are a ridiculously cheap price to pay for the benefit...

--Alan