Re: New RPG programmers

> Does the community see where the
> new crop of RPG programmers is coming from?

>From the same place as the old crop, I imagine.

That sounds flip, but it isn't intended to be.  How many 'grey' people
have gone to university and learnt RPG programming there, versus
looking at existing code and the manuals?  I'm not suggesting that
this is the very best way to learn _programming_ nor do I suggest that
it is the best way to learn RPG, but it worked in the past, and
believe me, System/3 had far fewer units in the field than iSeries
does.  Companies grew their own RPG staff without much help from the
universities.

> They are deciding whether to invest in "new"
> RPG coders as employees and instead only
> use contractors as the resource.

'Resource.'  As if programmers are casters on the bottom of chairs, to
be replaced at a whim.  Electricity, water and heat are resources.
Money is a resource.  Programmers are people.  HR-PC-gibberish-speak
demeans us all.  Sorry, this isn't aimed at any one in particular, but
the PC-speech has really got under my skin of late.  HR types repeat
this sort of stuff until they believe it and then we're hosed.
  --buck