On Thu, 6 Nov 2008 16:00:03 -0500, Gabe Goldberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>(Sorry for cross-posting...) > >I'm writing an article for CA about baby-boom mainframers (that's me >too, my first job out of college in 1968 was with IBM in Poughkeepsie) >about what we're all doing and seeing and facing in our careers. > >Do people plan to work as long as they're able? Because of enjoyable >jobs? From necessity? For other reasons? Necessity. If I didn't need money, I would not be working. At least, not on a z. The stress, for me, of the budget reductions, disdain by management for the z, and the lack of an interesting future make the job a JOB. > >Are folks being downsized/outsourced? Probably. If not now, then in the future. "The z is too expensive" to run. > >Retiring voluntarily or otherwise? When projects finish or ... certain >ages are reached? Or companies migrate off the mainframe? Or youngsters >are available for lower salaries? Yes to most all. I would retire voluntarily if I could. The company wants to migrate off the mainframe. The plan, as of now, is to simply start using new technologies to replace the mainframe applications over time and let the mainframe die a slow death. Youngsters are also available for lower salaries. But many seem to lack some of the disciplines needed for an Enterprise Level mindset. Many are "drag'n'drop" programmers who really don't know that much about things such as algorithms or efficiency. Or multiple languages. Most are VB.NET. Few are Perl, Python, awk, etc. Almost none are COBOL, or other 3GL. > >Regarding "dump the mainframe projects" -- have you stayed with a >company after migrating to another platform? How has that worked out? >Have you seen "dump" projects fail or simply continue forever with >mainframes chugging along productively? > >Has the skill set required for mainframe work changed during your >career? How have tools evolved to support skills required? > >What are boomer mainframers doing in retirement? Are you taking new jobs >and "double dipping"? Becoming consultants? Trainers? Writers? With >former employers? In locations you've worked or moving? I don't know. I'd love to have the money to not be forced to work. If that happens (not likely), then I'd likely do something the FOSS world. Maybe some programming, but more likely writing doc. It is amazing how few FOSS systems have really nice doc. Of course, at their love is programming, not doc. > <snip> >-- >Gabriel Goldberg, Computers and Publishing, Inc. (703) 204-0433 >3401 Silver Maple Place, Falls Church, VA 22042 [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- John ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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
