System i Addict

I just received my weekly AngusBlogZine for this week and an tickled pink to be mentioned. I got a chance to meet “Angus” at COMMON this year and have asked to be his scribe but to no avail he has not taken me in. That has never stopped me from asking over and over again until they finally give in to shut me up.

I am pushing the “System i” now anyone want any. If your smart you take a full glass.

Since I can’t find a link to the AngusBlogZine I am just going to post it. He make some great points in true Angus fasion. I can’t wait until next year at COMMON when I get to bath in the light of Angus again. Maybe this time we can work together on some things for the good of the System i?

Read the Post from ANGUS on the next page . . .

Angus’iBlog

How low can I go?

Oh no! I have been banned from a website!! How nasty, condescending and snide did I have to get?

In my self-appointed campaign to promote the use of our (new?) brand name, I recently found more websites that continue to use the old server names for System i. If I make a comment about their lack of use of the correct brand vernacular, I will often get a response, or occasionally be ignored outright. This week, my comments were banned, and then I was banned for commenting.

Take David Vasta’s blog, for example. David continues to use the word iSeries all over his blog, even to the point of naming his website ìiSeries Addictî. While this is certainly behind the times, he is constantly fighting the name battle at his company, and finds it hard enough to push against the use of the word AS/400. However, David has a huge amount of passion for his platform, and a few digs from some of us - including me, of course, he has begun to use the brand name of ìSystem iî more often. Check out his new banner and if you need a System i Administrator, he is a guy who knows how to use a brand name properly!

I found another blog website devoted to iSeries and AS/400. The author has decided to remain anonymous - their reasons stated were in regard to speaking their mind without having regard to their employer getting pissed. Suspicious, sure, but the internet is full of people who are not willing to own up to their opinion, and will hide behind the web. One of the blog entries, from March 2007, was all about the difference between AS/400 and iSeries programmers.

For your benefit, I will show you the entire blog entry and my response - this will let you judge the conversation on your own terms.

Their entry…
Whatís in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet. (Shakespeareís Romeo and Juliet)

Are you an AS/400 programmer or an iSeries programmer? Does it really matter? Does anyone really care?

In my opinion, the answer is ìyesî. Yes, it does matter what we call ourselves. Itís a matter of marketing. As programmers, we are always trying to sell ourselves. Therefore, it is important to understand how we are perceived. Over the past year, I have done numerous interviews for contractors. During this process, I noticed the different uses of iSeries programmer or AS/400 programmer. Almost always, the old-time programmers, those who started on the iSeries in the late 80ís or early 90ís, like to call themselves AS/400 programmers. Many of the new programmers are iSeries programmers.

I would categorize these AS/400 programmers as OPM (Old Programming Method) programmers; basically ìold schoolî. Usually, an AS/400 programmerís resume does not contain the three evil letters ëR-P-Gí. These programmers do not fully understand ILE (Integrated Language Environment). They would rather use the native COBOL I/O methodology, than use SQL. They do not use or fully understand Intrinsic Functions. Also, they have not kept up with the major changes in the OS, especially beginning with V5R2.

The iSeries programmer is just the opposite. He probably has been programming for only a few years; a relative newbie. He knows SQL better than native COBOL I/Oís. He is familiar with ILE, at least the textbook answers. He is also familiar with the Intrinsic Functions.

I know that these are some gross generalizations that are very subjective. Others may not see any difference between an AS/400 programmer and an iSeries programmer, or they may categorize the two differently. However, as we market ourselves, it is important to know that people may see a difference. If you are applying for a job that requires SQL or ILE experience, you definitely want to market yourself as an iSeries programmer.

So, do I ever want to market myself as an ìold fashionî AS/400 programmer? Yes! When I want a strong, ìheads-downî programmer, I look for an AS/400 programmer. Many do not know SQL, but I do not care. I can teach an AS/400 programmer everything he needs to know about SQL in 10 minutes (I plan to write an article about this soon). I can teach him ILE in about 30 minutes. A true AS/400 programmer is usually a ìcoding machine.î This is an extremely marketable trait, especially if you are a contractor.

The bottom line is that we understand that we can market ourselves differently. It is important to know your audience as you sell yourself and your services. Use your audiencesí perception to your advantage.

My comment.
Wow! I cannot believe, that in the year 2007, we are comparing AS/400 and iSeries programmers. That is a lot like comparing Windows 3.1 and Windows 98 programmers. Donít you know that Windows XP is no longer 3.1 or 98? Donít you know that the System i is no longer just AS/400 and iSeries?

The System i brand has been out for over a year - there are no longer AS/400s or iSeries servers for sale.

What is in a name? Call a System i (a rose) by one of its old names, and you take us back into the past. Using the OLD names for the platform means we can forget about a future for our chosen platform. Names have power. Use that power for good. Call it a System i.

No matter how many times I read this, I find it to be pushy, but I am not sure what prompted the following. This blogger rejected my comment, and posted their own in its place. They followed this up with a new blog entry to their site, parroting the words in the previous comment.

Their next entry…
My goal is to have a positive blog. There are many new programmers on the iSeries, and I wanted to share my knowledge to help the new generation of developers. I want people to post comments, even if they disagree with me. There are numerous ways to accomplish any task on the iSeries. I write about my opinion of best practices. However, I realize that others will disagree. I encourage this disagreement. We all grow as programmers as we encounter new ways to code.

However, there is always that one person that thinks he is the ultimate authority on any subject. They are snide and condescending with their comments. These people are not isolated to the iSeries; every language and machine has these people. I recently had one such person post a comment about my article on the AS400 vs. iSeries. I did not approve his comments because of the condescending attitude of his remarks.

This is a civil blog. I want civil discourse, even if it disagrees with me. I appreciate all of my readers, especially the regulars. So, post a comment, disagree with me, or just say ìhi.î

Good luck coding.

I laughed and got angry all at the same time. How is that comment ìsnideî? I do not understand how people read into this without having some of their own insecurities. I guess the 22 years of COBOL programming have taken their toll. When you have done the same thing for so long, it is difficult to change, and if you are facing change, your fears kick in! I guess with that much experience, people are allowed to disagree with you, but only when it suits them. And it is ok to be positive about the past, but the future must be hidden so as not to scare the comfortable.

I guess my anger got the best of me - as you will see. These are the next four comments I left on their blog.

My response #1:
I do not apologize for my comment. My remarks were not in ANY way snide. I am an advocate for the CORRECT name for our platform - if you do NOT call it by the right name, people will continue to call it ìOLDî”, and the platform will die - period.

I say this on EVERY forum. I say this LOUD. I won an IBM award for my community efforts to make a change in this platform. And you can make a change too. My comment was to encourage you - with a PUSH, not a snide remark - to START a new generation of System i proponents.

You respond with this? Now, I should be snide about this. You do not identify who you are, and hide behind this blog throwing your own snide remarks? Stand up, be counted, debate like a gentleman, and call the platform System i.

Get A Life!

My response #2:
P.S. The System i is the brand. iSeries is one of the servers - which not everyone owns. Some people code on AS/400s, some people code on iSeries, and some people code on i5. When you say iSeries, you exclude a LOT of people.

Please please please call it System i. Or, call it i5/OS - but please please please stop calling it by one of the hardware server names.

P.P.S. This is not snide.
P.P.P.S. If you are pissed at me, identify yourself and email me at (email withheld because this is my site and I can!)
P.P.P.P.S. Stand up and be counted. Stop hiding behind an anonymous blog.

My response #3:
I do not consider myself the ìultimate authorityî. Damn! You really took this personally. And, think about it - it is not personal - we donít know who you are.

If you are going to be a smart-arse about me, then you should post my comment, and not hide behind your ability to censor. I stand up for my opinion and my attitude - why are you hiding? How can your comments be considered real if you donít show us who you are, yet you are willing to hide someone elseís comments.

That is a joke!

My response #4:
I do have another question. How can people judge for themselves about my comment being condescending, if you do not post it?

Why is your opinion not condescending when you talk about AS/400 vs. iSeries like you are THE authority, when there has not been an AS/400 sold since 2000 and no iSeries sold since Jan 2006. You writing a comment about condescending and snide when you are being narrow in your view is just ridiculous.

Come out come out whoever you are. Stand up like a System i programmer, or go hide in the past with your COBOL and your AS/400.

And yes, I am goading you. Show us who you are and post all the comments… Come now! I show who I am. You show who you are…

So, I put down my mac, and went to bed. By noon today, I was interested in their response, and was greeted by this..

You are banned from the (name) site. Civilized people respect other people and other people’s possessions. When you are a guest in someone’s house, you act respectfully. As a guest, you do not force youself and your opinions on people. You do not criticize the owner of that house. Since you have proven yourself incapable of respecting my house, you are no longer welcome.

When you ban someone from your house, make sure you spell the terms of the ban correctly (youself), otherwise you may just cause laughter. In which case, you will feel more bullied than ever.

What a major crock. I have been more vocal on public bulletin boards, and not pissed anyone off. I get more vocal in my session, and piss people off, but only a few ban me from anything. What does this person have to hide? Or are they just scared?

How about you? What are you hiding? Does your 20-something years of programming have you scared? Can you change the name you are speaking and the tools you are using?

Or will you, too, ban me from your ëhouseí and avoid your future.

You know who you are….