[Info-vax] VMS - what is the current thinking amongst the user community

[Sector7]

On Mar 25, 9:20 am, DaveG <david.gudew... at abbott.com> wrote:
> I work in the health care segment where VMS used to have a (much)
> larger presense.  Over the years, it has shrunk considerably here and
> elsewhere.  We ran several divisions here on VMS - mail, database, in-
> house development, PC/MAC connectivity etc.  Mostly gone but not
> totally.  Nothing new this century.  When we get summer interns here,
> they ask "what do you do?" I answer " I help support VMS systems".
> They respond "What's VMS, never heard of it".  Draw your own
> conclusions.  I already have.
>
> Today I'm more or less a fireman.  I come to the station everyday,
> make sure all the remaining equipment is working, patch the hoses when
> needed, feed the dog and long (less now than before) for yesteryear.
> Don't get me wrong, I am feeding my family, sending the kids to school
> (seen college costs lately?) and am very grateful that I'm still
> employed.  I'm lucky.
>
> Since I'm in the winter of my career, it doesn't matter to me as much
> as it would to the generations that followed us baby-boomers.  I would
> not recommend to someone in his or her 20s, 30s, 40s, to bother with
> VMS.  I'm also (very) sorry to have to say that, but reality is what
> it is, and please no Beta is better than VHS stories.  We've all heard
> those before, over and over again.
>
> Visit a school.  Check out your local library.  Buy something today,
> web or otherwise.  Look in people's homes if allowed.  Wander through
> cube city at most places of employment.  What will you most likely see
> and use?  I'll give you 3 guesses.  The first 2 don't count.

damn - you make a good point - there seems to me that eventually -
there will be big bucks in remote / standby system maintenance - there
will also probable be big bucks in VMS programming in general - its
not as if it can be outsourced to India - If the systems are not being
migrated then they are either being replaced with new packaged
products or new code written for UNIX/Windows - or - maintained - by
one "Guru" - this seems an ideal opportunity - as you say - to make
hey while the sun shines - (in so many words) - As for S7 - I dont
care how the $$'s come in - I'm equally happy - maintaining VMS
systems as I am migrating them - actually - maintaining them - is less
risk and a higher profit margin - There will come a time where the
hourly rate for any VMS work will be as high as it is for MVS
mainframe work - it seems a real shame not to plan on how to
capitalize on this -