I guess what I didn't mention (my forgetful self), is that the "MVS core" knowledge that us more experienced and older types have, (I hate that term: "old farts".....let's just say "seasoned MVS veterans"), has a lot to do with our training and how we acquired that knowledge of MVS. Most of ya’ll probably attended IBM and/or AMDAHL advanced classes that explained in detail ALL the control blocks and their function, and how it fits together. Basically, WHERE within the OS all the different information is, and how we could RTFM to figure out the BIG PICTURE and what the PUZZLE is supposed to look like. That sort of training HELPED us develop & hone our analytical skills, so that troubleshooting problems became second nature. We learned the lost art of problem solving, and how to approach and tackle difficult and complex situations, learning in the process of how NOT to fear them. We gained more and more confidence in our abilities with each passing crisis or predicament, AND learned more about the intricacies of the internals of the "MVS core" along the way.
Back in the day, MVS internals knowledge were valuable and necessary assets due to the needs that software vendors, including IBM, were not supplying. Many shops REQUIRED them to get the job done and exploit their investments. Some of those Assembler coders and MVS internals gurus moved on to work for said vendors, or branched out on their own like; Eberhard Klemens, Gerhard Postpischil, and Dave Cole etal., just to name a few. As Sam pointed out, that knowledge is not lost on newer technology, be it software or hardware. It is still very much pertinent today. "Field developed" code isn’t really in today’s vernacular, but 'utilities' do help us all. YES, back in the day, SHARE stirred IBM into improvements and enhancements, and what fueled SHARE were not JUST users but the MVS internals folks, coders if you will. Those with the “MVS core” skills. Many of us “MVS veterans” became systems programmers because we yearned to find out how things worked…..down at the bit and byte level. I imagine when we were younger, we all worked on our cars or took apart radios, etc. to see how they worked. Yeah, probably had some parts left over...but hey, we learned. A favorite saying of mine goes like this (and I’m borrowing from someone else), “Just because you write assembler, don't make you no systems programmer!” In summary, the upshot of what I am saying is that our thought processes are highly developed and refined, and we possess the internal discipline and logical approach from garnering the "MVS core" knowledge. It can ONLY be a "zero-sum gain" advantage for employers and their bean counters, and the bottom line CEOs/CFOs/CIOs and the shareholders, no? THANX, Mark H. Young ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the message: GET IBM-MAIN INFO Search the archives at http://bama.ua.edu/archives/ibm-main.html
