All, My history with z/OS is more about performance and tuning, rather than hardcore sysprogging.
Tuning is almost always about doing it a new way, and I only wish there were more newbies in this field with no preconceived ideas about how it has always worked. Back when I was not Mr Congeniality a stand up argument with a Sysprog about how to resolve a performance problem was almost a monthly occasion at any site. The only thing I wish we would teach newbies in any field of mainframe is "Do Nothing" should always be in the list of options. Ron > -----Original Message----- > From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List [mailto:IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU] > On Behalf Of Miklos Szigetvari > Sent: Tuesday, January 07, 2014 1:32 AM > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > Subject: Re: [IBM-MAIN] Scary Sysprogs > > Nathan (and maybe any other youngster) > > I think if you have some problem, you will get every support from this > newsgroup list , and if you need, personally from me also. > Glad to see young people here. > > On 06.01.2014 19:44, Nathan J Pfister wrote: > > Harry has a good point. I am a 26 year old in the mainframe world, > > and came into an internship with the US DoD while in my Junior Year of > > college. I have seen, from the younger generation view that he > > pointed out, a fair amount of the dismissive and condescending > > attitudes in some of the seniors that I have worked with. That being > > said, there are also quite a few seniors that I have had the fortune > > of working with that have had quite the opposite affect on me > > personally, and they are the reason that I have, for a bit more than 5 > > years now stuck with a career working with z/OS. Maybe I am among the > > outliers in the research study alluded to, but I feel that all fields > > have a fair amount of people in both > > positions: those willing to share and listen, and those that are still > > trying to live the glory days of old being very quick to dismiss any > > new ideas...so I'm not sure that that is unique to the demographics of > > the z/OS Systems Programmer groups. > > > > That said, maybe I was just fortunate that I found my internship and > > first post-college job within the Federal Government in which it is > > nearly impossible to get fired, thus making change and new > > ideas/people not as much of a threat as in private industry. > > > > > > Thanks; > > > > Nathan Pfister > > zOS Systems Programmer > > AES\PHEAA - Tech Services > > > > > > > > > > From: "Harry Wahl" <harry_w...@hotmail.com> > > To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > > Date: 01/06/2014 01:34 PM > > Subject: Scary Sysprogs; was: Is the oner of IBM-Main still with > > us? > > Sent by: "IBM Mainframe Discussion List" <IBM- > m...@listserv.ua.edu> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Interesting segue this thread has taken... > > I recently attended an IBM meeting which addressed why young people > > are eschewing an IBM z/OS mainframe career in favor of other > > platforms, including other IBM platforms. This seems to be a very > > serious concern at IBM and possibly the greatest threat to the future of > z/OS. > > The speaker was a woman from IBM who had been tasked by IBM > management > > to study this. She presented selected conclusions from her assignment. > > Some results were what one would expect, many results were unexpected > > or at least not typically considered in the context of z/OS's > > continued viability. > > One of the top reasons graduating students from the best universities > > will not accept a position working on z/OS is how they feel they are > > (or will > > be) treated by z/OS "old-timers," particularly systems programmers. > > This conclusion is supported by other data indicating that students > > who co-op'ed or interned in z/OS positions are far more likely to > > reject z/OS as a career as opposed to those graduates who have no > > experience with the z/OS environment (technically and socially). > > The prevailing conjecture for this phenomena is the relatively > > advanced age of z/OS people. There seems to be a phase in one's life > > and career where there is a natural desire to mentor young people. It > > is a time when young people are not your competition (you have > > accepted that you are no longer one of them) and you are aware of the > > knowledge and insights your work experiences have imbued you with and > > wish to express and share them with someone who can both appreciate > > and benefit from them. This phase eventually passes...obviously. > > The average age of z/OS people is far beyond the average age of other > > platforms' people. It is understandable that a bright graduating > > student, bursting with ideas and proud of his education, would do > > anything to avoid working with a group they perceive as dismissive, > > condescending and disrespectful curmudgeons. Memories of being chased > > off lawns by grumpy old men are still fresh in their minds. > > On occasion, I lecture at top universities and my small experience > > interacting with students bears this out. Students are in awe of IBM's > > technology (and they should be), but they don't want to work at any > > job where regaling tales of "glory days" of the past eclipses > > discussing bright new ideas from fresh minds. > > Students graduating now don't consider IBM mainframe technology as old > > and dying. They're too young to even remember the prognostications of > > the mainframe's demise. > > They fear the ancient guardians of the technology will simply stifle > > what they could do with it. > > Harry > > > > > > > > > >> Date: Mon, 6 Jan 2014 10:39:20 -0600 > >> From: john.archie.mck...@gmail.com > >> Subject: Re: Is the oner of IBM-Main still with us? > >> To: IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU > >> > >> On Mon, Jan 6, 2014 at 10:29 AM, Aled Hughes <aledlhug...@aol.com> > > wrote: > >> > >>> Sorry Ed, but you need to lighten up or think about what/how you > > write. > >>> The SysProgs of yore have long dropped their 'angry young men' stance. > >>> This Forum is thankfully a witness to that. > >>> > >> The "Angry young men" have been replaced by the "PIssed off old farts" > >> <grin/>. Jeff Dunham's "Walter" character is our leader. <GRIN> > >> > >> > >>> ALH > >>> > >>> > >>> > >> > >> -- > >> This is clearly another case of too many mad scientists, and not > >> enough hunchbacks. > >> > >> Maranatha! <>< > >> John McKown > >> > >> --------------------------------------------------------------------- > >> - For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > >> send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO > >> IBM-MAIN > > > > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send > > email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > > > > > > > This message contains privileged and confidential information intended > > for the above addressees only. If you receive this message in error please > delete or destroy this message and/or attachments. > > > > The sender of this message will fully cooperate in the civil and > > criminal prosecution of any individual engaging in the unauthorized use of > this message. > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send > > email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > > > > > > -- > Kind regards, / Mit freundlichen Grüßen > Miklos Szigetvari > > Research& Development > ISIS Papyrus Europe AG > Alter Wienerweg 12, A-2344 Maria Enzersdorf, Austria > T: +43(2236) 27551 333, F: +43(2236)21081 > E-mail: miklos.szigetv...@isis-papyrus.com > Info: i...@isis-papyrus.com Hotline: +43-2236-27551-111 Visit our brand new > extended Website at www.isis-papyrus.com > --------------------------------------------------------------- > This e-mail is only intended for the recipient and not legally binding. > Unauthorised use, publication, reproduction or disclosure of the content of > this e-mail is not permitted. > This email has been checked for known viruses, but ISIS Papyrus accepts no > responsibility for malicious or inappropriate content. > --------------------------------------------------------------- > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to > lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
