Maybe in the job you're performing. I've been a production SQL DBA for the last couple of years, and I definitely see mostly custom written apps for getting data in and out of a system (feeds and reporting). To be honest, I wouldn't have seen the systems had there not already been a need for custom software, though. ;-)
Jim > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Doug Riddle > Sent: Wednesday, July 09, 2003 10:17 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: RE: [brlug-general] free, closed and practical software. > > > I argee, except for SAP, and Fortran, and Unix... > > Wait a minute. I don't agree. There is a lot of > "in-house" software that has no application outside of > a single business, but 99% I don't see it. > > You seem to be suggesting that 99 times out of a 100 > that a business would prefer to write their own > software at their expense, or that given a piece of > off-the-shelf software a company would choose to alter it 99 > times out of a 100. > > I agree that industry invests a lot of cash in > tweaking software for their own needs, but I have been > in projects in large corporations that built entire > manufacturing units with off-the-shelf software. > > I think a more realisic value for "in-house" developed > software is down to 40 or 50 percent these days. Even > then you would have to qualify what is modified and > what is developed. > > I spent six years at Exxon-Mobile and left in 2001. > During that time we went from about 80% "in-house" > software to about 8% "in house" software. That 8% was > in the labs. > > DSM, same story. I would love to think that the major > corporations are still hiring and paying programmers, but my > experience has not borne that out. > > I am not trying to rile you, I am just offering a > different view. It has been close to ten years since > I had to trouble-shoot code for "in-house" software. > > If you can offer hope to budding programmers, please > do. I would love to hear they can get a job doing > something besides making X-Box trash. > > Doug
