Jump to content
Displaced Texan

NJ needs COBOL programmers

Recommended Posts

Hey there, all you COBOL programmers!! Phil Murphy wants YOU to volunteer to help fix NJ’s unemployment insurance system!

https://josephsteinberg.com/covid-19-response-new-jersey-urgently-needs-cobol-programmers-yes-you-read-that-correctly/

That language was outdated when I took it in college in 1985!! 

  • Crazy 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

Hey there, all you COBOL programmers!! Phil Murphy wants YOU to volunteer to help fix NJ’s unemployment insurance system!

https://josephsteinberg.com/covid-19-response-new-jersey-urgently-needs-cobol-programmers-yes-you-read-that-correctly/

That language was outdated when I took it in college in 1985!! 

Basic cobol pascal...1983/84 high school...anyone recall the game  b1 bomber on tape?

 

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Y2K was a great time to be a COBOL programmer.  There's still a SHITTON of legacy systems out there that Just Fucking Work that run on it, and won't be replaced any time soon.  I should have deep dived into it when I had the chance as a young man.

As for bucktoothed beaver face wanting people to "volunteer" to fix their broke ass shit... how about a 55gallon drum full of No Fuck You.

  • Agree 1
  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
1 hour ago, Sota said:

Y2K was a great time to be a COBOL programmer. 

My company also had a lot of trouble finding COBOL programmers in 1999, to comb through tons of legacy code in advance of Y2K.  Pulled a lot out of retirement even then.  I think some of the code was so old that dates were stored as Roman numerals using the Julian calendar...

Of course, we paid our programmers.  I doubt NJ will have a lot of luck getting volunteers--that's a bizarre approach to even suggest.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I believe the core of our air traffic control system is still running on 1960's IBM mainframes. There was a project in place to rewrite and replace it, but they couldn't get it to work as well as the old one.

Looked around a bit, but couldn't find current information.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

F-Murphy, I want $300 an hour, I aint volunteering. And yes I am/was a cobol programmer,  but I am managing now. But I can still code with the best of them.

Oh, and for those who think cobol is dead, it's more persistent then RBG.

  • Like 1
  • Agree 1
  • Haha 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
31 minutes ago, MartyZ said:

F-Murphy, I want $300 an hour, I aint volunteering. And yes I am/was a cobol programmer,  but I am managing now. But I can still code with the best of them.

Oh, and for those who think cobol is dead, it's more persistent then RBG.

What, are we getting into a bidding war?! $500/hour....hold fast and steady! SOLIDARITY!!! 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
31 minutes ago, MartyZ said:

F-Murphy, I want $300 an hour, I aint volunteering. And yes I am/was a cobol programmer,  but I am managing now. But I can still code with the best of them.

Oh, and for those who think cobol is dead, it's more persistent then RBG.

What, are we getting into a bidding war?! $500/hour....hold fast and steady! SOLIDARITY!!! 

Those liberal bastards like unions...let’s give em a Union. 
 

International brotherhood of COBOL programmers union!! 
 

Solidarity, brothers!! 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
6 minutes ago, Displaced Texan said:

What, are we getting into a bidding war?! $500/hour....hold fast and steady! SOLIDARITY!!! 

Those liberal bastards like unions...let’s give em a Union. 
 

International brotherhood of COBOL programmers union!! 
 

Solidarity, brothers!! 

i'm in

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
11 minutes ago, Displaced Texan said:

What, are we getting into a bidding war?! $500/hour....hold fast and steady! SOLIDARITY!!! 

Those liberal bastards like unions...let’s give em a Union. 
 

International brotherhood of COBOL programmers union!! 
 

Solidarity, brothers!! 

I can't write a line of code, but I helped manage Y2K remediation efforts the last time we had to drag COBOL programmers out of retirement.  So put me down for one of those no-show NJ Government management jobs.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I've joked with the kid I've forgotten more "languages" than he'll learn in his lifetime.  In reality, it isn't a joke.  Funny part is, I have an aptitude with languages, and if I deep dived into COBOL for a bit I could probably come out competent enough to be a junior programmer, and graduate to senior or head in short order.  I mean shit... I was a master ADA programmer for a short time! :D

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 minutes ago, Sota said:

I've joked with the kid I've forgotten more "languages" than he'll learn in his lifetime.  In reality, it isn't a joke.  Funny part is, I have an aptitude with languages, and if I deep dived into COBOL for a bit I could probably come out competent enough to be a junior programmer, and graduate to senior or head in short order.  I mean shit... I was a master ADA programmer for a short time! :D

Make sure you where a cobal t shirt 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
13 minutes ago, Handyman said:

After the COBOL stations are all manned, they will be calling up the fax machine operators. 

And then the teletype and keypunch operators.

Does anyone here remember how to send a TWX? (and we're not talking about UPS'ing those chocolate candies!)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Does anyone else see the irony in asking for "volunteers" to help with the unemployment system?

As an ex-programmer who learned COBOL using punch cards, just what does Murphy think can be accomplished  by people unfamiliar with the system in a short enough time frame to help the current situation?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
12 hours ago, 45Doll said:

Probably running on an IBM mainframe or AS400.

System 34 maybe.   They were old when the place I worked in the late 80’s used one for accounting functions.  We may have used COBOL but I thought it ran some other arcane language.

Also...there must be a Battlestar Galactica joke in here somewhere...

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
16 hours ago, Displaced Texan said:

My Morse code is rusty...but I can polish that up if there’s good $$ in it!! :D

....   ..   ....   ..   ....   ..   ....   ..

-..   .

.- -   ..- - -   - -   -.-.

 

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.



×
×
  • Create New...