The Angry Mainframer Blog

COMPLEXITY
What do we mean when we talk about complexity in IT? On the one hand, we are told that things are more complex, with SOA, cloud, EE and more, but on the other hand, we are told that things are simpler now. (And that they might not need as many of us to manage the environment). So that started me thinking – what is the truth here? To enable all the new cool things we enjoy does require a fair amount of complexity, but should it be that much harder to manage? I believe that the complexity of new tech is of interest and makes the job fun. The complexity of boring things, like installing software, not so much. Why are so many things still so hard to do in the mainframe world? I like what I see with CA – making mainframe software installs more like PC installs. I have never had to install anything using SMP/E, just because of the kinds of jobs I have had, but it always looked way too complicated and prone to error. And not fun. So I’m looking for simplicity in the not-fun parts of the job and complexity in the rest. And because that is pretty much what appears to be happening, they will still need all of us expert war-horses. And we can waste less time.




MORE WITH LESS
We've all heard this and often, managed systems resources efficiently this way. But now, this means us - more work, fewer people. Like some demented game of musical chairs, we are expected to be delighted to have retained a "chair", but the work just increases. Can you spell overload? At some point, the challenge stops being a challenge and starts seeming Sisyphean. Or as Monty Python would say, "Cut down this forest with a tuna." Who has time to keep up? Who finds time/money/resources/stamina for training? And yet, change keeps coming down faster and faster. It may keep our minds nimble, while robbing us of the joy we once had in our jobs. So what to do? For me, balance is everything. Friends, family, pets. Creative work as well as technical. What do you find works for you?


THE PHOENIX RISES
Trexxers.com is back! After multiple issues with the site and other problems, we are back and we're happy. Just like the mainframe itself, you cannot keep a great site down. Now, Trexxers has a talented board of directors drawn from across the industry to help make this site your must-see place to go. So why I am still angry? Well, it took some time to get people excited about this - now how do I get you back on board? Please come back and start engaging with us again. We can make this site great...together.


A New Year is Dawning
What will 2009 bring? Recession, retrenchment, many attempts to fix all problems with a government solution (as likely to work as fixing your PC with a hammer). Lots of depressing news, but in the midst of it all, the mainframe is going to stand us in good stead, as it has for our entire careers. People are getting it - you can run anything you need to on a mainframe, it is green and IBM has made little, cheap ones, so everyone can play. But what is going to stop us? Well, our foolish reliance on guarding our skills and knowledge to protect our jobs. But if they can't hire new people to do this work, they will get off the mainframe. Now, we have to play it smarter - and start training everyone we can find. If there is a good labor pool, the mainframe will not scare people anymore. But right now, with most of the expertise maintained by the AARP crowd, management isn't buying the mainframe as a long-term recipe for success. It is on us. What are you going to do this year to make a difference?

Don't Give Up Hope
I was prepared to be mad as hell - I'm at CMG 2008 and so often, our UNIX and Wintel colleagues are here pretending they invented hipervisors and virtualization. Instead, there are people proudly sporting mainframe shirts, extolling the virtues of our platform and otherwise hailing the rise of what I call the Velociraptor era of mainframes. No longer the slow-moving, angry T-rex of the past - now, our platform is agile, responsive and 3x as deadly. You want Veloci on your side. People are jumping on the T-rexxers bandwagon and joining up in cyberspace - why haven't you joined yet? So what is your excuse - tell me in this space. Why aren't you with us?

I see job postings for mainframers - most of them are looking for us. There are benefits to being considered to be an "endangered" species. Maybe we can request government protection (we'll have to get in line - everyone else will be lining up for "protection" some time near the end of January). But do we need it?

If you haven't been to a conference offering mainframe content in a while, get there. Write a paper, lie, whatever you have to do. This is a great time to hook up with your mainframe family - it is always like coming home for me to go to CMG and SHARE. If you have another conference you like, post it here. We need more family reunions and time to plot out our takeover of the IT world.

Atlas is About to Shrug

Just read a piece on how many mainframers are at or close to retirement age and it made me wonder - are our companies ready for this? Even with a bad economy, many of us were prudent in our investments, may have our house paid off and our kids thru college. At my company, younger people are beginning to do great work on mainframes, but I'm not seeing that at many shops. And to make matters worse, just the other day, two friends were laid off from their respective companies. And when you talk to people in this situation, many are looking at new careers, volunteer work...anything but IT. Even those who haven't been laid off are looking at what they want to do next... and it isn't IT. This despite the attempt of AARP to recruit a pool of mainframe (and other tech) talent for contracts and jobs.

So what are they losing? Obviously, the 30+ years of expertise and hard-won experience we all have. But it is more than that. This Baby Boomer generation, long criticized for excessive consumerism and "me-first" focus is also very well grounded in a solid work ethic. We also are experienced at the basics of business: clear writing and speaking, diplomacy and managing up and down, teamwork, etc. We have vast institutional knowledge which takes time to acquire. And we have spent most of our careers moving from goat to guru and back again, as mainframes fell into and out of favor.

For my part, though I like my job, when it is time to retire, I won't look back. I have the rest of my life to enjoy.