RE: RE: Opinions Wanted -- WEB400

> IBM's problem is that instead of a Palm Pilot they come out 
> with a portable recording studio that might be "smaller and 
> easier to use in the next release".
<snip>
> With Eclipse IBM combined the two style very badly. The 
> created a huge, complex monster that doesn't cost you 
> anything.

I agree with your rant.  Client Access falls in this category too.  Probably
8 or so years ago I asked Roger Pence at a seminar he was giving on PC
Support Integration with Windows what he thought the problem was with PC
Support.  His 1 word answer: "Overengineered".  That's what IBM seems to do
with everything.  Overengineer and "complexify" it to such a degree that a
beginner can't get his/her arms around it.  It's like you have to be an
expert and understand the complete product before you can even start.

> So in order to charge you for it, they had to 
> create more add-on code. But since the base was so huge and 
> complex, even IBM is having trouble integrating cool new 
> tools into it.
> It's all a big nightmare.

Yup.  By trying to make Eclipse/WDSC work for _everyone_ on _every platform_
for _every purpose_ known to man, it will never be _excellent_ for _any_ of
them.  You can't be all things to all people.  It's so complex and loaded
even now that the best minds at IBM can't get it complete or 'ready' for any
release.  There's always something really simple left out.  And to make most
simple default changes, it seems you must go 12 or more levels deep in the
preferences.  I don't have time to spend 50% or more of my time finding
little nuances and how to do them.  I have a job to do for by business.

(Off topic example:  I have 2 3581 tape drives that I want to use as MLBs
instead of simple tape devices in conjunction with BRMS.  I have so far
spent over 40 hours trying to do this.  I have talked to the BP, posted on
mailing lists, opened Supportline PMRs, found the tape drive user manual to
be incorrect when it comes to the iSeries, etc etc etc.  I am not stupid but
it is getting really frustrating.  Supportline acts like I'm a dunce and
tells me to use BRMS a different way than I want.  Baloney.  Supportline
doesn't know squat about my business.  I've been here 30 years and know what
backups I want to take and when.  It's really irritating when Supportline
point you to an APAR from V4R4 about LTO tape workarounds for the iSeries
and says "it's still that way".  By trying to make the 3581 'open' and
usable for every system, it now sucks for i5 use.  Don't get me wrong, I
like BRMS and I like the drive.  It's getting it simple for my operators
that's disgusting me.  In the meantime, I have a job to do.  If I want to
spend all my time spinning my wheels on stuff like that, I could just use
Windows.)

I feel better now.  <g>

-- 
Jeff Crosby
Dilgard Frozen Foods, Inc.
P.O. Box 13369
Ft. Wayne, IN 46868-3369
260-422-7531

The opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily the opinion of my
company.  Unless I say so.