-----------------------<snip>-------------------
On the other hand, we had Program Logic Manuals and microfiche. I spent
many hours reading both so that I could understand the code that I was
trying to interface to. In the process I gained a lot of insight into
the workings of the system. I wouldn't trade that for anything.
-----------------------<unsnip>-----------------
Same here, but I had the actual source code, on tape, so I could "play"
with it.
My first boss, in college, explained that he'd set up each utility I
need, the first time. After that, I had to read the manual and do it
myself. But he'd still help out if I got in a jam, and he encouraged me
to experiment. Mistakes were made, many times, but each was a learning
experience. I could get all the machine time I wanted, between 5:00PM
Saturday and 7:00AM Monday, and from 10:00PM to the following 7:00AM
during the rest of the week. Of course, A sysgen Stage-1 took 2 hours to
assemble, and a stage-2 took all of Saturday night and most of Sunday.
(S/360 Model 44, with 256k of storage and six spindles of 2319 DASD.)
During my college time, I had the great good fortune to be sent to
OS/360 school, in San Jose. A truly unforgettable experience.
A good mentor (Thank you, Scott, Darryl, Joe, Paul, Robin, Ken, Don,
James, and all the others) is a wonderful adjunct to formal training;
neither can stand alone and neither can completely substitute for
experience. I had a RACF auditor, fresh from RACF school, who had a LOT
of mistaken ideas about what RACF could or could not do. He was in our
shop for two weeks and got a real eye-opener of an education. He kept
insisting that RACF had some magical ability and I kept betting him
steak lunches. His company bought me steak lunches every day for two
weeks, but the auditor got some serious education and experience, a lot
cheaper than the RACF class that he'd recently attended.
I maintain that a good sysprog stands on a tripod. First comes formal
training; it's not the cure-all but it gives a foundation to build upon.
Experience, including the experience of searching manuals for relevant
documentation, is the second leg. And the third leg is a willing,
patient and knowledgeable mentor. Take away any of these three "legs"
and things start to get really wobbly.
I must admit that it came as a shock to me when I went from HAVING a
mentor to BEING the mentor. Sandy and I fought almost like a married
couple at times, but I'm sure that she still remembers much that I
helped her learn. Not "taught" but "helped her learn", and I believe
that there's a huge difference between the two. Just as Bob and Rich
helped me learn so much about SMS and WLM during their "visits" to "my"
shop as consultants. WLM is still very much a "black box" to me; I
actually LIKED working with SRM, with the IPS and ICS specifications,
mainly because I understood them fairly well. But now, thanks to Rich, I
at least understand the concepts of WLM much better, even though I still
have problems with specific parameters and situations. SMS turned out to
be far easier than I originally thought, thanks to Bob's pointing me in
the right directions for reading material, and in his extended "visit"
we became great friends.
IMHO, this is how really good sysprogs are built. IBM-MAIN participants
are a wonderful adjunct to mentors; each of us has skills and knowledge
that we're willing to share, and each of us is not so overinflated of
ego that we're unwilling (or afraid) to admit that we all could use a
little help now and then.
My only problem is that some posters manage to mangle the English
language so badly that we can't understand what they're asking. :-)
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