tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post114149325524436108..comments2023-10-29T09:34:54.428-04:00Comments on Code, Code World: While we’re talking about people. . . .Billhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07338910000372628114noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141814688416923032006-03-08T05:44:00.000-05:002006-03-08T05:44:00.000-05:00CA - I've had to dive into a couple of COBOL routi...<B>CA</B> - I've had to dive into a couple of COBOL routines lately myself. Back to the future indeed... I can remember all of the PC zealots in the 80's claiming COBOL would be a historical item in 10 years... didn't quite happen.<BR/><BR/>The old 'hard copy' reports are fading though and being replaced by PDF versions... and I worked with an insurance company a couple of years ago that had a system where all of those reports were passed 'into' it, and rendered as PDF style documents, but, the data could be sorted, subtotaled etc.. as though it was a spreadsheet... wild stuff!<BR/><BR/>I'd postulate that all of us 'programmer' types are a bit wacky... that's why the rest of the world doesn't do, what we do!!<BR/><BR/>Sort of how I view the "high steel" workers... just a bit wacky :)Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07338910000372628114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141790104218673322006-03-07T22:55:00.000-05:002006-03-07T22:55:00.000-05:00Bill,Jeez, I love those old COBOL stories. The st...Bill,<BR/><BR/>Jeez, I love those old COBOL stories. The strange thing is that I had to dive into a COBOL program just this past week and practically rewrite it. Talk about back to the future!<BR/><BR/>I'll have to write about my start sometime on my blog. I went to Control Data Institute. A lot of people made fun of CDI back then but I found that most people who had graduated from there became successful programmers; you had to be very independent and self-disciplined to succeed.<BR/><BR/>Speaking of COBOL Performs and structured programming, I had an instructor at CDI who was so gung-ho for it that he wouldn't let us use IF statements because he said they were unstructured. We had to use PERFORM UNTIL instead. This same guy said that 133-column reports were going the way of the Dodo bird. Years later, I still see them. The guy was more than a bit wacky.<BR/><BR/>Oh well.<BR/><BR/>IF I-DONT-GO-TO-BED<BR/> SET I-WILL-BE-TIRED TO TRUE<BR/>END-IFComfort Addicthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06748708787226855876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141578023110770352006-03-05T12:00:00.000-05:002006-03-05T12:00:00.000-05:00Flash - I was probably something like that, only b...<B>Flash</B> - I was probably something like that, only bigger!! See todays post for more!<BR/><BR/><B>Greg</B> - You've posed a couple of interesting questions, as always. See todays post for my thoughts on this.Billhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07338910000372628114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141543347103523052006-03-05T02:22:00.000-05:002006-03-05T02:22:00.000-05:00It's cool to have those people who "started you do...It's cool to have those people who "started you down the right track". I always hoped some kid would say that about me.<BR/><BR/>As I read your post, I just pictured you slaving away at a computer that would equal the size of a modern pick-up truck, ribbons and spools of magnetic tape whirring endlessly...I know it wasn't that long ago, but the way you described it, I couldn't help it.Flashhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11112499664205207551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141537918831431732006-03-05T00:51:00.000-05:002006-03-05T00:51:00.000-05:00Hmmmm....as you know I cut my teeth on one of the ...Hmmmm....as you know I cut my teeth on one of the first 360/40's in '67 and certainly it could do stuff a bit faster but here's my question:<BR/>Is the quality of the answer as great as the 40 hour one you refer to? In human terms of poetry, satisfaction and accomplishment? <BR/>I think not....in fact I tend to think technology has not increased the true spiritual quality of life...sometimes I think Ted Kasinsky was right in everything but method....sometimes<BR/>Now as you think back on this post, it is the people that mattered afterall<BR/>Where is Doctor Dave???!!!!!Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14978887834486612024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141537709015571982006-03-05T00:48:00.000-05:002006-03-05T00:48:00.000-05:00Liz - It's nice to know I wasn't the only one with...<B>Liz</B> - It's nice to know I wasn't the only one with that 'revelation'!!<BR/><BR/>You might like tomorrows post on how I actually broke into the biz... and a little on my teaching career.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the feedbackBillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07338910000372628114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9922132.post-1141499425428769282006-03-04T14:10:00.000-05:002006-03-04T14:10:00.000-05:00Bill,Wonderful post!I know that feeling regarding ...Bill,<BR/><BR/>Wonderful post!<BR/><BR/>I know that feeling regarding computers very well. I worked on my first one in 1977 - - a big IBM mainframe with floppy disks that had to be switched out during the run of the program. But I was hooked. <BR/><BR/>I have not followed the "programming" side of it, but more towards the applications/software side, including web design. I love it! And this has led me to some part-time teaching in Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.), as well as Intro to Computers classes, and it is a very good feeling being able to help other people learn how to us, and stop being so scared of, computers.<BR/><BR/>And sometimes, I can't believe I get paid to do that . . . :-)<BR/><BR/>Enjoyed reading your "recollections" - - keep 'em coming! <BR/><BR/>LizDizzy Ms. Lizzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06089738977432199662noreply@blogger.com