RE: Visual RPG vs. Other Visual languages was ->RE: Is RPG available on any other platform ?

Well, programmers everywhere, raise your hand (humor me), if the perfect job is 
this example:

A company just purchased the latest and greatest technology 
(hardware/software/office equipment) and has said they want to hire you to just 
"play" and come up with programs and "toys" to help the company run more 
efficient.  On top of that, we will pay you generously to do that!

Personally, I think that is a programmer's dream, at least it is mine.  The 
daily grind and, for some of us, the nightly family grind, however, severely 
limits a lot of programmers from learning all that they wished they could of a 
language or technology.  I agree with Richard.  I have dabbled in several 
languages as well, yet, have not used them enough to retain the information I 
learned.

Now if anyone knows of the following "job opening" , please give me a call!

Tracy L. Ball
Total Response, Inc.
Sr. Programmer/Analyst
(317) 781-4600 ext. 3107




-----Original Message-----
From: Richard B Baird [mailto:rbaird@esourceconsulting.com]
Sent: Thursday, January 02, 2003 3:08 PM
To: rpg400-l@midrange.com
Subject: RE: Visual RPG vs. Other Visual languages was ->RE: Is RPG
available on any other platform ?



Aaron and Booth, (and later Rob)

I'm kind of in the middle of this arguement.

I 'learned' VB a few years back (for the second time) by doing a small
project that no one else wanted to do.  I had been through the 'in 21 days
routine' a year or so before that, so I had a bit of a head start.

the project took me about 4 times as long as it should have, the code was
sloppy and not especially efficient, but the ap worked.

if i would have had the opportunity to start another VB project right away,
I feel confident that I would have improved my skills exponentially, and
with maybe 3 or 4 comparable projects under my belt, i think i would have
gotten pretty darned good at it.

But alas, I didn't get that next one, and I am now just as confident that
if I were given another to write today, i would be back at square 1 - just
good enough to write a helloworld.

And I could tell the exact same story with lotus notes/domino.

Use it or lose it.   That's why I am not especially eager to tackle a new
language at this point.  There isn't a demand for me to learn those skills,
I don't get the same satisfaction (at this point anyway) coding in those
languages as I do with RPG.

It isn't a lack of ambition.  It's a lack of ROI.  I spent a lot of time on
VB and Notes, and didn't retain enough of those skills to have made it
worth my while.  If I were being asked 'we are a little slow now, so why
don't you start learning java, so we can do this and that... ', I would
jump at the chance.

and, Rob, I do try to keep up with the new release stuff, as much as is
practical.  some of it I use right away, others I think 'that would be cool
next time i need to do something like that' and the rest, I file away in
the 'probably won't have a use for that anytime soon' category.

I'm currently working in a consultant/contractor capacity.  my day is
filled with things on my plate that I SHOULD ALREADY KNOW.  My current
client will not stand for paying my hourly rate to learn a new language.
And i won't get good enough at one by doing hello worlds on weekends.

call me lazy if you want.  i've got other stuff i'd rather do.

Rick

---original message: booth and aaron-----
>Your comment about lack of ambition is just to insulting to respond to.
That is the only reason I have seen for people not learning when they are
perfectly capable.  They get comfortable where they are at and stop there.
If somebody wants to maintain RPG programs the rest of their life, more
power to them, but when they say they would love to learn something new but
don't, then that is lack of ambition.

>It takes at least 3 years of intensive and hard work with plenty of
experience.
I don't know where you are getting your numbers, but they seem a little
extensive.  I don't want to get into an argument on this, but it should NOT
take 3 years to get a productive RPG programmer.

>... but to be a worthwhile programmer in the business environment in less
then 3 years does not happen anywhere but in the mind of the
self-important.

Well thanks for the compliment:-)

Aaron Bartell

------and rob berent added later-------
The person who complained about people not learning is probably speaking
from experience.  There are people who keep up on magazines, attend user
group meetings, study the "What's new in this release", and still meet
deadlines for objectives, and have a happy home life.  Then there are
those who generate excuses.

And both groups may be found in the same shop.

Rob Berendt

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