How has system programming changed over the mainframe's life? Over your career? What did you do in the early days, what do you do now? Is it still "system programming" or ... what?
Has traditional system programming become some/mostly/all system administration? Has how you divide time between tasks changed (administering systems, developing system software and tools, coding applications, solving problems in IBM/ISV/local code, evaluating/installing hardware/software products, writing documentation, teaching, etc.)? How have programming languages you use changed (from assembler, FORTRAN, PL/I to today's moving-target language assortment)? Do you keep up with languages or stick to the tried-and-true? If the latter, which languages? Don't be too backward focused; look forward: has it changed, does it change, will it change because of technology evolution or individuals' age/perspective/knowledge? Is there a chicken/egg process: IBM detects a skill shortage so it attempts to reduces skills required. Which, of course, reduces skills available, which worsens the skills shortage. Have automation and new/improved utilities reduced/changed your work? Deskilled it? Have changes increased/decreased how interesting work is -- letting you focus on challenging aspects, or made it more routine? What's next; where will our profession be in five/ten years? --- Please copy replies to me so they're not buried in list digest. This is for publication -- with attribution/affiliation if possible. If your affiliation isn't obvious from email address or sig, please supply it. If you'd rather not be attributed/affiliated, that's OK -- just tell me that in reply. -- Gabriel Goldberg, Computers and Publishing, Inc. [email protected] 3401 Silver Maple Place, Falls Church, VA 22042 (703) 204-0433 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/gabegold Twitter: GabeG0 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to [email protected] with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
