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> They touch on the fact that computer systems have evolved for so long that nobody really knows most of the code anymore. This isn't far from the current real
by smt88 3y ago
> They touch on the fact that computer systems have evolved for so long that nobody really knows most of the code anymore.
This isn't far from the current reality, where critical systems rely on nearly-dead skills like COBOL programming.
- JohnFen 3y agoIndeed so. The highest-paid devs I personally know earn their living working with old COBOL code. It's highly paid simply because there aren't that many expert COBOL programmers around anymore. In a prior job I had, we developed enterprise software aimed at large corporations. We had to support several old mainframes that don't actually exist anymore outside of museums -- but these companies ran emulators of the mainframes solely to continue to use the software they'd been using for decades. Nobody at those companies even has the source for that software, let alone know how it really works. It just works and they can't justify the expense of reworking their entire system just to get rid of it.
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- FirmwareBurner 3y ago>It's highly paid simply because there aren't that many expert COBOL programmers around anymore. They're highly paid not because they're part of a short supply of COLOB devs, but because they have COBOL experience and the battle scars to know how to solve production issues that those new to Cobol might not know about, but which the old timers saw several times already in their careers and know how to fix If you start learning Cobol now to cash in on the this market, as a Cobol junior you won't be remotely as valuable as those Cobol graybeards with battle scars, which is why nobody's pivoting to Cobol.
- DiggyJohnson 3y agoI don’t think this is as mutually exclusive as you imply. Good COBOL programmers are expensive because they’re rare, and the only way to become a good COBOL programmer is to spend a decent fraction of your education and/or career working with it. That doesn’t happen organically anymore for any significant fraction or junior devs.
- charlie0 3y agoSo what you're saying is, unlike the web dev market, which is oversaturated, there exists an unsaturated market in COBOL? Hmmmm
- smt88 3y agoYes, exactly. If you can find a way to get good enough to do it, you're guaranteed a great income.
- FirmwareBurner 3y ago>Yes, exactly. If you can find a way to get good enough to do it, you're guaranteed a great income. You can't replicate years or decades of Cobol project experience to "get good at it", out of thin air by doing some side projects at home. No amount of individual self study can prepare you for industry specific cruft and issues you've never encountered. If it were that accessible, a lot of people would do it.
- JohnFen 3y ago> they have COBOL experience and the battle scars to know how to solve production issues that those new to Cobol might not know about, but which the old timers saw several times already in their careers and know how to fix Right, this is what I meant by "expert COBOL programmers".
- mech422 3y ago>>Indeed so. The highest-paid devs I personally know earn their living working with old COBOL code. It's highly paid simply because there aren't that many expert COBOL programmers around anymore. Heh - my backup retirement plan :-) Hell, COBOL paid really well during Y2K just add 2 characters to the date field :-P
- dehrmann 3y agoBut that's because taxpayers don't want to foot the bill to modernize systems.