Re: MF having issues?

I'd like to Thank everyone who replied. From what I've seen and heard
this week it doesn't look like this 'stumble' will have that much of an
affect on MF. They are still going ahead with their Developers
Conference and I hear the registrations are where they were hoping for.

Now I have to ask, and I know this has been asked and debated about for
a number of year, but why would switch from something that works to
something else? I mean COBOL of course. Please don't give me the
rhetoric about COBOL being dead, being old, being out of touch because
I just don't buy it. I've been coding COBOL since 1984 and I plan on
coding it until I retire (if I do) which is somewhere around 2027. Why
does everyone think they have to rewrite their apps just because they
are in COBOL?

Stop and think about this logically without the rhetoric and emotions.
You have an application that is/has been working for you for quite a
while, in some cases over 30 years. You're making money, the 'system'
works. It's give you (perceived or real) an advantage over your
competitor. Now you want to come in and take out your advantage! Why?
Just because some kid in Redmond says it's old? Well money is money and
old money is still a good thing!

Can anyone tell me why? Frank, you're at FirstBank. How many COBOL apps
are in your organization? How long have they been running? Why would
you consider rewritting them or replacing them with something else? If
you use a package to replace your systems, wonderful. You're just like
the other 1,000 people now instead of having a unique environment that
provides you an advantage.AND you will probably rely upon a team of
people in India to maintain it now!!! Good choice...not.

Why? That's all I ask. Can someone tell me why?

(Thanks for letting me get this off my chest. It really bugs me. Don't
know why, guess I like fighting for the 'perceived' underdog).

cblkid

Frank Swarbrick wrote:
Jeff York<ralf4@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> 02/28/06 4:55 PM >>>
"HeyBub" <heybubNOSPAM@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:

I wish that we hadn't, I like COBOL as a language and it's the best
fit for the software that we produce, but the level of runtime fees
makes the product completely uneconomic.

What do you use, if not COBOL?

Just wondering...

Frank


---
Frank Swarbrick
Senior Developer/Analyst - Mainframe Applications
FirstBank Data Corporation - Lakewood, CO USA

.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: MF having issues?
    ... I mean COBOL of course. ... You're making money, the 'system' ... as the runtime fees are too high. ... leading the compiler writers to concentrate on ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: Believe me, you WANT to read this! (Er... perhaps not....)
    ... >> wasting tons of money on VB, Java, et al, finally realize that COBOL ... > Certainly there are companies that ARE wasting tons of money on IT. ... I have never been a language bigot. ... >> I wouldn't know how to define failure. ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: What makes a (super-)programmer?
    ... > Why is it that most of the people who flame Cobol have no idea what ... and the card reader is one of its favourite devices... ... keep track of money. ... stop thinking of mainframes as big computers. ...
    (comp.programming)
  • Re: MF having issues?
    ... I mean COBOL of course. ... does everyone think they have to rewrite their apps just because they ... You're making money, the 'system' ... How many COBOL apps ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)
  • Re: VARCHAR columns in COBOL
    ... Frank Swarbrick wrote: ... structure and COBOL indicator variables all over the place seems to me ... I have a Python program around here that generates appropriate COBOL ... Yes, it is a pain. ...
    (comp.lang.cobol)