I heard it too: there will be a segment about it on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) Radio One on Wednesday at 11:30am, on a program called "Spark". So I contacted the show's producer (Elizabeth Bowie - contact information below) to express my concern that this might misrepresent the mainframe and its critical importance to the business world. She was very good about replying right away, but insisted that my concerns were misplaced.
If, after reviewing the 4+ minute MP3 at the below URL that Mike Baldwin sent (or listening to the program on Wednesday, which should be available on-line at cbc.ca if you don't receive that broadcast where you live), you feel Elizabeth would benefit from any thoughts you can offer her, here's her contact information: Elizabeth Bowie Producer, Spark Canadian Broadcasting Corporation Toronto, Ontario 416-205-8974 [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.cbc.ca/spark Reg Harbeck ca Product Management Director for Mainframe Strategy tel: +1-403-605-7986 -----Original Message----- From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Baldwin Sent: Monday, December 10, 2007 2:39 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Mainframe Funeral Hi listers, This morning on the way to work, to my surprise I heard something on the radio about the death of "the" mainframe. No, I didn't turn around and head home! But I did find this: http://www.cbc.ca/spark/blog/2007/11/manitoba_mainframe_funeral.html Manitoba Mainframe Funeral Posted by Dan Misener on November 29 at 04:48 PM On November 21, 2007, the University of Manitoba said goodbye to its beloved mainframe by holding a New Orleans Style Jazz Funeral, complete with a piñata Spark's microphones were at the funeral, and you can hear the ceremony or download the mp3. and: http://umanitoba.ca/mainframe/ In the following video Marvin Kocay, director of Administrative Systems, proceeds over the "burial" portion of the memorial service. A transcript of the eulogy is available. On Monday, October 22, 2007 at 15:45, the mainframe (Betelgeuse) was unplugged from the internet. It is with deep sadness that the IT family announces the end of a generation of mainframe computing. The first mainframe, an IBM 650 was installed in the year 1960 and went through many upgrades and changes to the final hardware of an Amdahl Millennium 1015. In its many forms the mainframe has supported the Student Records systems, Payroll, Human Resources, Finance, Research, student labs, etc. The mainframe was predeceased by the Huron Object Star database, telephone registration, punch cards, card readers, DT80 terminals connected by the pink wire, and Mantes, the beloved file management system. It leaves behind some 25 servers that are now needed to run these systems and will be lovingly remembered by users from across campus. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Retired Programmers Association or the IST Christmas Party Foundation. -- Regards, Mike Baldwin Cartagena Software Ltd. www.cartagena.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
