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Keeping the Lights On

An anonymous reader wrote to mention an IBM article examining the role that older workers, experienced with legacy systems, should play in system maintenance. From the article: "Many enterprises still execute critical business operations ... via older software systems that run on large, mainframe computers rather than individual PCs. To meet changing business needs, these companies continually update, extend, and integrate their systems. Paradoxically, many of these companies also have policies that threaten the single greatest source of knowledge about their older systems: their most senior personnel. Although the aging workforce represents a vast pool of talent and experience, these businesses neither actively recruit senior workers nor provide incentives to retain those on staff.1 Instead, they mistakenly assume that they can hire younger, lower-paid people to perform the same tasks."

3 of 251 comments (clear)

  1. Re:duh by tomhudson · · Score: 4, Funny
    Old people = dumb p<b>oe</b>ple
    Well, we sure won't have to worry about your code crashing ...

    ... because it will never compile with your typo rate ...

    ... and nobody's going to hire a kid whose english makes perl look good.

  2. Re:Anyone can do this job by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    I have been asked for years, "What if you get hit by a Mack truck?"

    Try this reply for the hell of it: "I won't give a sh8t if your customers can't reach you, I'll be playing harps in paradise."

  3. Lathe? Welding? by sczimme · · Score: 4, Funny


    An engineer who jumps on the lathe and starts welding

    Welding... on a lathe? Such an engineer is either very, very talented or someone to avoid at all costs - quite possibly both.

    :-)

    --
    I want to drag this out as long as possible. Bring me my protractor.