[Nottingham] OT - developing skills on the mainframe

[Lee]

So why the question?

1. Hmm, IBM could give me a mainframe, then I'd learn it...
2. Open Source some components?
3. Ptovide online training resources
4. Make it cool.
5. Make it cool.

I think running many virtual linux machines on a single Mainframe is a
great Idea, maybe not super performance, but with all this activity in
creating clustered linux enviroments , with standard clusering api's,
should make mainframes a thing of the past.... (perhaps not today!)

as400 are also great little beasties, but it's not like I can download a
copy the source code, crack open the kernel, and start having serious
fun with it.

I'm not saying I don't like IBM kit, nobody ever got fired for buying
ibm stuff, as they say..and it's probably still true today.=20

It's serious stuff, and cost serious money, and those that are serious
about it will train there own programmers, probably with more serious
money. Experian springs to mind.

How hard is it to learn ibm mainframe system programming, they say unix
is hard, I don't think it is, but then I've been doing it quite a while.

okay, I say make it cool twice, that's the trouble, apart from the
massive resources and resource sharing capablities of mainframes, that's
about all that interests me, things I like with linux is it's constantly
evolving, reinventing itself, new api's, new kernels, it's in a state of
constant refinement...which has got a be good thing, keeps me interested
in linux, I feel like I'm part of something, rather than a cog in a
giant money making corporate wheel, that I have little or no say in.
:-)))  OUCH!


Laters,
Lee

On Mon, 2003-03-03 at 11:19, BUNTER MATTHEW wrote:
> --- Re=E7u de       VITEUR.BUNTERMA 04 72 96 57 77             03/03/03 1=
2.19
>=20
> All,
>=20
> Apologies for asking this here but your interest in Linux and other thing=
s
> technical is valid for this question.
>=20
> A bit of background. Contrary to what many people say the mainframe is
> still alive and running as *THE* central server in 90% of the Fortune 100=
0
> companies. Manufacturing, banking, finance, insurance companies and other=
s
> are still reliant on it for doing business.
>=20
> The pool of systems programmers is declining. The majority who have the
> competence have had over 20 years experience. The number of people learni=
ng
> the mainframe (OS390 and or z/OS) is declining. IBM and others are trying
> various methods to get people interested.
>=20
> So my question is this :
>=20
> What are the top five things that IBM, companies using the mainframe and
> educational establishments could do to entice people (such as yourselves)
> into learning the mainframe?
>=20
> Regards,
>=20
> Matt
>=20
> ---- 03/03/03 12.19 ---- Envoy=E9 =E0      ------------------------------=
------
>   -> NOTTINGHAM(a)MAILMAN.LUG.ORG.UK
>=20
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