Re: Modernizing applications

Fair enough, I think there is possibly more mileage in converting him than
killing though. :)) You have to admit he has managed to provoke a lot of
healthy debate though. This is all good stuff. I feel that here hasn't been
enough real dialogue about the subject. The outcome can only be better
resolve and ideas for sustaining the IBM i, or making better plans for a
dignified exit. I say let Mr Cancilla rant until he calms down and remembers
how he has spent the last 20 years with some fondness. He might be useful
yet!



Cheers



Stuart





Trevor Perry wrote:



Ouch!



Stuart,



Nothing personal, I do not like his behaviour.



I do not like the push ~against~ the i. This applies to vendors who use fear

to scare customers into converting away from the platform. Many a customer

has run away because of this FUD. Bob is a new vendor in the same arena, and

is spreading fear.



Trevor





On 8/20/09 11:55 AM, "Stuart Milligan" <stuartm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

It's difficult to imagine anything more nauseatingly self promoting or

camp

and melodramatic than Mr Perry's contribution to this thread. I get the

distinct impression that Trevor doesn't like Bob.

Trevor Perry wrote:

Hans,

Thanks for your intelligent response. It certainly is difficult to reply

without passion and emotion, and you have succeeded in cutting through the

crap.

From my perspective, I know Bob is right on a few fronts and wrong on

many.

The market for our

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> platform has

certainly shrunk over the last decade, and

it is still shrinking. However, it is not going away in some time. For Bob

to be preaching that it will die ~tomorrow~ is essentially spreading fear.

And, my concern is that was on a forum that is pro-i.

I do think Bob is wrong on many fronts, including claiming to be an

i-nsider. To me, claiming you are an insider and yet preaching demise does

not seem to fit properly. His view of the world is flavored by his

approach

to the customers. I have been at many

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> conferences

when people rushed out of

his sessions asking why Bob said "RPG is dead", followed by a strong

denial

from Bob. I have personally seen both. He sold EGL to the world and

managed

a very small following, yet is no longer at

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> IBM - which

seems to mean (just

reading between the lines) that EGL has not been successful in finding its

feet in the iWorld. When you have an approach that is ~telling~ people to

get out of something, it seems to me that few people are going to be

telling

you about their plans and futures. Yet, he continues this rhetoric and

claims he understands the

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> customer

base.

The iPlatform is not dead yet. Some pundits have been preaching this for

years, yet we still have a strong

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> community.

Bob

claims that I work for a

small software company, and he got that wrong, too. I am also an

independent

consultant who works around the globe on advising and strategizing about

modernization approaches, primarily to iCustomers. In recent months in my

sphere, there has been NOT one single migration away from the i. And, in

fact, there are many more stories where the 'planned' migration from the i

has been reversed, primarily due to spreading education about how strong

the

platform is, how IBM is investing in the future of the platform, and the

directions of RPG. Yesterday, I received several

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> emails about

modernizing

the i and leveraging their investments. One of the emails discussed how

they

were migrating from another platform to at least 12 550s. If I am, and

others are seeing all this activity, then the doom and gloom from Bob's

fingers is simply not correct. His "facts" are definitely in question.

As to your point about understanding what is happening, that can not be

gained from one apparently disgruntled ex-IBMer who looks like he is now

selling modernization and appears to have an agenda. There are more facts

available than his.

As to your point about planning for the future, that is key. I speak

around

the world on many modernization subjects, and while i is strong in many

shops, there are more and more platforms being added to the company

portfolio. That does not mean i goes away, but it does become part of a

bigger world - and that is key to planning for the future. And for several

years now, I have been presenting a session about being an IT survivor.

This

is personal and encourages iDevelopers to expand their world. What is

wonderful about our platform is that you CAN expand in many ways right on

the i. And beyond that, having skills that leverage your i experience

while

becoming a well rounded IT

<http://archive.midrange.com/midrange-l/200908/msg00803.html> developer is

also key.

Your points are extremely valid. We just don't need the constant screaming

about platform demise, and not on public iForums. It is just not happening

to the agenda set by the naysayers.

Trevor

Stuart Milligan

Tel: 917 267 7523

Toll Free: 800 605 5023 ext 81

Fax: 866 266 3165

web: www.databorough.com

Stuart Milligan

Tel: 917 267 7523

Toll Free: 800 605 5023 ext 81

Fax: 866 266 3165

web: www.databorough.com