> On 14 Sep 2023, at 10:39 am, Bill Johnson > <00000047540adefe-dmarc-requ...@listserv.ua.edu> wrote: > > Ray’s words. Cut and pasted from his response to a question about the > direction of assembler programming. > > “I'll be honest - it's getting smaller and smaller. It's become a niche, > mainly for system tools ISVs. Metal C is where the invisible hand of IBM is > pushing the industry.” >
Maybe Ray chip in? I think he was referring to new applications. The fact is that a huge amount of products that run the mainframe are written in assembler. > > There is nothing to indicate assembler programming is growing and in fact it > is shrinking by approximately 5% a year. > > AI is going to grow exponentially. For decades. > > Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone > > > On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 9:59 PM, David Crayford > <dcrayf...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> On 14 Sep 2023, at 9:37 am, Bill Johnson >> <00000047540adefe-dmarc-requ...@listserv.ua.edu> wrote: >> >> Potential positions? Either you have positions or you don’t. Or, you have >> positions and no applicants. Which once again proves my point. > > Check our website which has all open positions. > >> Don’t waste your time learning a dying skill. As stated by Assembler expert >> Ray Mullins. >> > > I worked for the same company as Ray. Great guy, total respect. I’m sure if > you asked him he would acknowledge that the huge amount of assembler code in > mission critical products needs to be supported for decades. > >> >> Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone >> >> >> On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, 9:00 PM, David Crayford >> <dcrayf...@gmail.com> wrote: >> >> We’ve got loads of potential positions for good HLASM programmers. Send me >> your resume if you’re interested. >> >>> On 14 Sep 2023, at 4:23 am, Dean Kent <drke...@gmail.com> wrote: >>> >>> I didn't want to get into the firefight... however, the commentary here >>> encouraged me to do so. >>> >>> My own belief (whether founded or not) is that if you follow your passion >>> and become good at it, someone will recognize that and feel it is valuable >>> enough to pay for it. I also believe that specialists tend to demand a >>> higher rate than generalists. Assembler is a specialty, and while there may >>> not be a lot of demand, the ones who do require it will pay. >>> >>> I compare it to, for example, I have some classic vehicles with >>> carburetors. Not too many mechanics work on carburetors any more - but >>> those who do have a lot of work. Fine craftsmen may not be in huge demand >>> due to the 'production line' manufacturing of most furniture - but those >>> who do it make good money and have plenty of work. People who specialize >>> in repairing antique clocks, pottery, rugs, etc. may not be able to get a >>> job anywhere - but if they are good at it, they have plenty of business. >>> >>> As long as the mainframe runs legacy code, there will be a need for >>> assembler programmers. That's my opinion, at least. >>> >>> On 9/13/2023 8:52 AM, Bob Bridges wrote: >>>> I've long observed that no matter what your employer hired you for, what >>>> you turn out to be good at is what they use you for. At one location I >>>> was the only one who bothered to figure out what was wrong with the big >>>> greenbar printer when it went haywire; before I left, therefore, I was the >>>> one folks came to when it misbehaved, and I was the one ordering supplies >>>> for it. At another place my boss remarked, during an annual review, that >>>> "we gotta get you on some of these team projects; we keep using you as the >>>> lone fire-fighter for odd problems, but team projects will look good an >>>> your resume". I nodded enthusiastically and agreed aloud, but the fact is >>>> I ~liked~ being the guy in the corner who did the odd jobs, figuring out >>>> the software that no one else had time for. >>>> >>>> I always recommend to young folks that they keep on doing what they're >>>> interested in doing. Obviously this doesn't mean neglecting assigned >>>> tasks that sound boring; if I don't do what my boss wants me to do then >>>> I'm useless to him. But eventually he'll discover that he wants me to do >>>> some of the things I'm especially good at too. >>>> >>>> --- >>>> Bob Bridges, robhbrid...@gmail.com, cell 336 382-7313 >>>> >>>> /* The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a >>>> little way past them into the impossible. -[Arthur C] Clarke's 2nd law. */ >>>> >>>> -----Original Message----- >>>> From: IBM Mainframe Discussion List <IBM-MAIN@LISTSERV.UA.EDU> On Behalf >>>> Of Arthur Fichtl >>>> Sent: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 04:18 >>>> >>>> As a now retired freelance z/OS guy based in Munich/Germany I had to find >>>> a market niche at my employer. Therefore I specialized on debugging, >>>> analysis of dumps and the like. For those tasks HLASM was inevitable. >>>> >>>> My colleagues preferred more comfortable tasks and languages and therefore >>>> I for myself had a quite secure job. >>>> >>>> And I liked it. My 1st language was the Siemens 4004 Assembler with punch >>>> cards as the user interface. Quite funny. >>>> >>>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, >>>> send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN >>> >>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >>> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, >>> send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, >> send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN >> >> >> >> >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, >> send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, > send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- For IBM-MAIN subscribe / signoff / archive access instructions, send email to lists...@listserv.ua.edu with the message: INFO IBM-MAIN
