Re: Software Vendors - A small rant

[Pete Helgren <pete@xxxxxxxxxx>]

See...IBM should have gone the route that Oracle has gone with Java.  
This just came into my inbox:

-------------------------------------------
End of Public Updates for Java SE 6

The last publicly available release of Oracle JDK 6 is to be released in 
February, 2013.  This means that after February 19, 2013, all new 
security updates, patches and fixes for Java SE 6 and Java SE 5 will 
only be available through My Oracle Support and will thus require a 
commercial license with Oracle.
--------------------------------------------

If IBM had sun-setted the AS/400, iSeries and System i in the same 
manner, offering no support whatsoever without a "commercial" support 
contract, folks might have upgraded.  Instead, boxes run forever and 
updates were easy to get without a support contract (until very recently).

Building something that lasts and supporting it while it lasts is a 
concept very few companies pursue.  Better to come up with a new 
version, force folks to upgrade or else and charge exorbitant fees for 
the privilege...that's how to make money in this business.

This spoken by a guy who has a 1993 Toyota Previa van with 270,000 miles 
on it....(and loves Toyota for just that reason)....it just runs....

Pete Helgren
www.petesworkshop.com
GIAC Secure Software Programmer-Java

On 12/11/2012 4:06 PM, Jim Oberholtzer wrote:
> Note to software vendors:  If you want me to consider your software for
> the IBM i operating environment running on Power Systems, please do not
> call it, iSeries, AS/400, System i, or my personal favorite System/38.
> Clearly if you don't know the name of the system your working on I
> cannot trust your software.  Most of the vendors monitor this list and
> don't hand me the line:  "That's what our customers call it....."  Don't
> correct the customer but always use the correct terminology when you are
> speaking and guess what, they will start using it too....
>
> What brought this rant on?  Three calls today from vendors asking if I
> would like to talk about their iSeries or AS/400 products.....  Geesh..
> Now I'm starting to sound a bit like Trevor without the accent.....
>
> I'll be quiet now.