RE: Future of AS/400 ??????????????:(:

> >--snip--
> >
> >> RPG is not
> >> the language of choice for creating web pages or generating 
> >> HTML - CGI,
> >> Perl, and Java are much more common.
> >
> >Says you.
> 
> I've never ever seen a help wanted ad "Wanted: Web Developer.  Must be
> fluent in RPG."  That is sad reality.

Look closer.  When an add says "CGI programmer" it doesn't matter.  The
language can be almost anything, and if their platform is AS/400, it
wouldn't (or should I say shouldn't) take much to convince them RPG is the
way to go.  It seems when folks "open their minds" to new technologies, the
close their minds to others.  Sad.
> 
> Brad, it has nothing to do (sadly) with ability - look at 
> Beta vs. VHS etc.

If I hear the Beta vs. VHS example again I'm gonna puke.  :)  Next it will
be DAT vs. CD, etc. etc.  Next will be CD vs. DVD.  It's all opinion.  Fact
has little or nothing to do with it (otherwise RPG would be used by everyone
for CGI programming.)  <bg>

> It has to do with what the market desires.  RPG can't do one 
> huge thing that
> Perl and Java can both do: run on cheap PC hardware.  It's 
> that simple.

That's because RPG is a proprietary language on a machine sold by a company
who is sells hardware, not software.  If IBM was in the market to sell
software, RPG would be ported to a PC.  

Two things.. ASNA's visual RPG runs on a PC and does CGI.  So there is RPG
on a PC.  SEcond, it's a sad day when a PC is the desired hardware platform
to run a bussiness.

> Until you and I and the rest of the folks on the list CREATE 
> a market for
> Web-RPG programmers, there will simply be no market for e-RPG.  But
> eventually, when the slow adopters we (the midrange market) 
> work for decide
> to webify their business if we have Web skills, we'll 
> probably put the 400
> on the Web.  If we don't then a consultant will put in an 
> Apache server and
> that will be that.

Agreed.  So why not try harder to squash the hype.  The IT world is not
boy-bands.  It's your Van Halens, Rolling Stones, Rushs, etc.. that end up
the real winners instead of one-hit wonders.  Out of every batch of fad
bands, one or two do make it.

Too many non-tech managers are being heard and not enough folks who end up
doing the work.  They're too busy trying to please their boss by learning
every new technique that comes along to even think about speaking their
opinions.

Brad
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