State of New Jersey needs COBOL programmers

[Warner Losh]

On Sun, Apr 5, 2020, 10:22 AM Zane Healy via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
wrote:

>
>
> > On Apr 5, 2020, at 6:41 AM, Stefan Skoglund via cctalk <
> cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > lör 2020-04-04 klockan 21:47 -0700 skrev Fred Cisin via cctalk:
> >> On Sat, 4 Apr 2020, Jeffrey Brace via cctalk wrote:
> >>>
> >>
> https://josephsteinberg.com/covid-19-response-new-jersey-urgently-needs-cobol-programmers-yes-you-read-that-correctly/
> >>
> >> In December 1999, they were looking for COBOL programmers.
> >>
> >> They were told to update their software.
> >>
> >> Now, 20 years later, they are looking for COBOL programmers, to start
> >> the
> >> update project.
> >>
> >
> > To be fair, in this case updating your software means:
> >
> > throw out the baby with the water
> > build a completely new IT infrastructure with everything
> > and expect things to work badly the next 5-8 years....
> > long enough to hinder/(be a millstone around) the governor's re-
> > election campagin
> >
> > and then in 15 years, be prepared to redo....
> >
> > Pundits like this steinberg is right and wrong - they doesn't
> > acknowledge how expensive new fangled information technology is.
>
> What’s really funny, in a sad way, if you read the article above
> carefully, and you watch the clip.  They’re looking for *VOLUNTEERS* to do
> this work!
>
>
> https://www.latestly.com/technology/new-jersey-governor-needs-cobol-programmers-as-covid-19-response-volunteers-to-fix-unemployment-insurance-systems-gets-trolled-on-twitter-for-demanding-outdated-technology-1660018.html


Good luck with that. You could have found them easily enough in the 70s
when my folks were taking Cobol classes at the community college and
everyone was using it. Now... woof.

Warner

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