Re: 20 years ago

On Wed, Aug 17, 2022 at 4:46 PM Jon Paris <jon.paris@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

Your system came complete with Apache and full browser support too. IBM
made a number of attempts over the years to produce tooling that would
facilitate the development of web and/or network based solutions (VARPG,
etc.) but the IBM corporate types were so firmly stuck on the notion of
Java/Websphere as the salvation of the world that everything had to be
slanted that way in order to get funding. And that broke the simplicity
mold at the heart of conventional 5250 apps.

This is true... I remember about 20 years ago my first eRPG book had come
out and it was selling like HOTCAKES. I think it's still the best selling
RPG/IBMi/AS400 book (Ted Holt's CL book was the previous best seller, and
may have overtaken eRPG again... but we'll never know since the publishers
are long gone). This was before Apache... it was the CERN HTTP server.

I was working for a large company at the time. IBM was pushing
Websphere/Java. Remember the "flipping burgers" ads they did? Well, three
IBM reps were visiting our IT group and as I was introduced one of them
said "Are you Bradley V. Stone... the 'eRPG' guy"? I said "yes sir!" The
looks I got from them... apparently IBM didn't like those books as they
were direct competition. (And I still have customers and clients using it
today).

I guess I'll never be an IBM i Champion in IBM's eyes. ;) But I for sure
am not flipping burgers unless I'm grilling for friends and family. :)