Check out the Yahoo discussion groups.
Also, importing a "one-of" from China has proven very difficult. You might be better off getting one of the zapbikes kits.
I started with mainframes some 30+ years ago - then switched to PCs just before CPM came on the scene - then switched back to zOS (mainframe) last year. Much to my chagrin, not much has changed - there's just more of it. The machines are BUSY and various user programs written in (for instance) SAS run as frequently as 10,000 times each day. Transaction based systems process millions of transactions an hour. The databases (like DB2) hold hundreds of millions of records.
What surprises me the most and what I think is the biggest issue with finding new people to support both/either the OS or the application programming is the fact that the majority of interface takes place on a 24 x 80 character green screen. How many college courses teach ISPF (the green screen interface) - probably NONE.
Besides the complexity the impact of any change, improperly made, is enormous. You screw up a line of code and a million people don't get their welfare checks on time - or worse yet they are all mailed to the wrong address.
The old timers are getting ready to retire (me included). It will be interesting to see what falls out. I imagine we will see a couple of years of disaster and then a fairly sizable increase in money for mainframe expertise.
I think one of the reasons the data seems strange is because the survey counts government workers. I work for the State government (California) and if I actually work more than about 12 hours a week it drives the people around me NUTS. The rest of the time "at work" is spent "tinkering" with things, or just researching new technologies. The 12 hours I consider "work" are spent doing the things I wouldn't do if I wasn't getting paid to do them. The time I spend "enhancing" code or rewritting the GUI are not actually required, they are just what I like doing. On the other hand, what makes me valuable to this organization is NOT the 12 hours of work I do, but the knowledge and ability to do the RIGHT 12 hours of work. Regards, Dave
For what it's worth I think the new chips for the PlayStation and Nintendo are going to have a serious impact. Couple that with the requirement for HDTV to have LOTS of fast RAM and you've got the makings of a smart, inexpensive "terminal".
Then, the next step is to simply run whatever browser technology is current at the time. That gives the end user the option of using a Citrix type of remote desktop in the browser or simply using browser based apps. Of course then there is the unlimited addition of cartridges for games or business. Imagine a cartridge with hardware encription and a specific business application.
Given the speed at which things change - whatever you code, better make it portable!
Consult with enough physists and you'll find pretty much every opinion under the sun. However, the most promising approach for a TOE (Theory of Everything) is String Theory. Quantum mechanics has to ignore gravity to work - kind of like putting one's head in the sand. For a real interesting read try: The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian R. Greene
This new popular guide to string theory is absolutely essential reading. There have been transformative theoretical discoveries made by string theorists in the last few years -- insights that have changed the way theoretical physicists think about spacetime, about strings, and the role played by black holes and other black objects. String theorist Brian Greene has both the technical expertise and the artistic flair to compose a compelling and highly readable portrait of the "cutting edge of the cutting edge" in theoretical physics.
Slashdot Mirror
Here is a "best of breed" you can dream about. http://www.tidalforce.com/
Check out the Yahoo discussion groups. Also, importing a "one-of" from China has proven very difficult. You might be better off getting one of the zapbikes kits.
I started with mainframes some 30+ years ago - then switched to PCs just before CPM came on the scene - then switched back to zOS (mainframe) last year. Much to my chagrin, not much has changed - there's just more of it. The machines are BUSY and various user programs written in (for instance) SAS run as frequently as 10,000 times each day. Transaction based systems process millions of transactions an hour. The databases (like DB2) hold hundreds of millions of records.
What surprises me the most and what I think is the biggest issue with finding new people to support both/either the OS or the application programming is the fact that the majority of interface takes place on a 24 x 80 character green screen. How many college courses teach ISPF (the green screen interface) - probably NONE.
Besides the complexity the impact of any change, improperly made, is enormous. You screw up a line of code and a million people don't get their welfare checks on time - or worse yet they are all mailed to the wrong address.
The old timers are getting ready to retire (me included). It will be interesting to see what falls out. I imagine we will see a couple of years of disaster and then a fairly sizable increase in money for mainframe expertise.
Isn't this the same nuclear lab that wouldn't let Furbies in for fear that they might "hear" a secret and repeat it later?
I think one of the reasons the data seems strange is because the survey counts government workers. I work for the State government (California) and if I actually work more than about 12 hours a week it drives the people around me NUTS. The rest of the time "at work" is spent "tinkering" with things, or just researching new technologies. The 12 hours I consider "work" are spent doing the things I wouldn't do if I wasn't getting paid to do them. The time I spend "enhancing" code or rewritting the GUI are not actually required, they are just what I like doing. On the other hand, what makes me valuable to this organization is NOT the 12 hours of work I do, but the knowledge and ability to do the RIGHT 12 hours of work. Regards, Dave
For what it's worth I think the new chips for the PlayStation and Nintendo are going to have a serious impact. Couple that with the requirement for HDTV to have LOTS of fast RAM and you've got the makings of a smart, inexpensive "terminal".
Then, the next step is to simply run whatever browser technology is current at the time. That gives the end user the option of using a Citrix type of remote desktop in the browser or simply using browser based apps. Of course then there is the unlimited addition of cartridges for games or business. Imagine a cartridge with hardware encription and a specific business application.
Given the speed at which things change - whatever you code, better make it portable!
Consult with enough physists and you'll find pretty much every opinion under the sun. However, the most promising approach for a TOE (Theory of Everything) is String Theory. Quantum mechanics has to ignore gravity to work - kind of like putting one's head in the sand. For a real interesting read try:
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory by Brian R. Greene
This new popular guide to string theory is absolutely essential reading. There have been transformative theoretical discoveries made by string theorists in the last few years -- insights that have changed the way theoretical physicists think about spacetime, about strings, and the role played by black holes and other black objects. String theorist Brian Greene has both the technical expertise and the artistic flair to compose a compelling and highly readable portrait of the "cutting edge of the cutting edge" in theoretical physics.