[Shacs] COBOL on a reputable, "modern" journal

[Sean Duckett]

:)

All joking aside, the uptime that the megafauna upon which the COBOL is
a parasite have some *serious* uptime capabilities...to be able to
power-down sections of a system and upgrade while the rest of the system
is still churning along is awesome, if you consider rebooting to be
analagous to death.

See: <http://steve-yegge.blogspot.com/2007/01/pinocchio-problem.html>.

* Bronius Motekaitis <bronius.motekaitis at gmail.com> [2008-09-16 20:29:28 -0500]:

> Haw!
> Pulling the analogy back to CS.. If one were ever stranded on an island with
> a puny PC, he'll be up and running faster with a USB-contained environment
> than the mammoths that COBOL once required.  .. that is, if the ancient PC
> on-hand has USB support.
> 
> hmm.. by "usb" I mean "usb pen drive" of course.  Funny how the interface
> has become the medium..
> 
> 
> On Tue, Sep 16, 2008 at 7:53 PM, Sean Duckett <sduckett at shsu.edu> wrote:
> 
> > For Homo sapiens, it's been hard for neolithic toolsmiths.
> > Flintknapping has slipped from 83% of all tools crafted worldwide to a
> > miniscule 0.04%, with the tradition maintained by eye surgeons (obsidian
> > blades damage the retina far less than the finest steel),
> > anthropologists, and the keepers of tribal history.  I have yet to
> > require flintknapping, though should I ever be stranded for more than a
> > week in a remote, flintknapping would definately be on my to-do list.
> >
> > --smd.
> >
> >
> > * Burris, David <CSC_DSB at shsu.edu> [2008-09-16 18:47:53 -0500]:
> >
> > > The last few years have been hard for COBOL.  It has slipped from 78% of
> > all program written world wide in all languages to a paltry 70%.  Bronis has
> > not yet required COBOL so you may not need it either.  On campus, student
> > programming jobs generally require COBOL or that you be on drugs (PHP).
> > >
> > > Dr. B
> > >
> > > From: shacs-bounces at shsu.edu [mailto:shacs-bounces at shsu.edu] On Behalf
> > Of Bronius Motekaitis
> > > Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 10:52 PM
> > > To: SHACS
> > > Subject: [Shacs] COBOL on a reputable, modern journal
> > >
> > > Dr Burris-
> > >
> > > [cid:image001.jpg at 01C9182C.B6D9E250]<
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/foryou/2861741130/>
> > >
> > > Did you sneak into the press room for a little prank here?
> > >
> > > (I haven't yet read the article, but thought you'd appreciate the cover
> > caption: "Is your next language COBOL?")
> > >
> > > -bronius
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Shacs mailing list
> > > Shacs at shsu.edu
> > > http://lists.shsu.edu/mailman/listinfo/shacs
> >
> >
> > --smd.
> >
> > "It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three
> >  benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never
> >  to use either."
> >                 -- Mark Twain
> >
> >

--smd.

"It is by the fortune of God that, in this country, we have three
 benefits: freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and the wisdom never
 to use either." 
                 -- Mark Twain