[Info-vax] What does VMS get used for, these days?

[Dave Froble]

On 10/23/2022 7:18 PM, Arne Vajhøj wrote:
> On 10/22/2022 5:09 PM, Bill Gunshannon wrote:
>> When Banner was brought in to replace the custom apps on VMS at the
>> University it was understood upfront that everything was going to
>> change the users were the one's that would have to adapt.
>>
>> Compare that to where I worked in 1980 where I was tasked with
>> developing a microcomputer based data entry system to get the
>> "keypunch" people off the mainframe to free it up for production
>> and development work.  The first requirement was that what I was
>> to develop had to present itself to the users exactly like what
>> they had been using on the Univac-1100.
>> How times change.
>
> Usually adapting usage to the standard packages way of doing things
> is the smart approach.

This is where Arne departs from reality ...

He seems to believe in "lowest common denominator" ...

> The argument for buying the standard packages in the first
> place is to get a lot of functionality without paying a fortune
> for development.

One gets what they pay for ...

If specific requirements do not exist, then sure, but if they do exist, there 
can be a very good reason.

> Most standard packages can be customized as much as the customer
> want (read: are willing to pay 250-350 USD per hour for).

Well, sure, if one is stupid enough to drink the SAP kool-ade ...

Reality is that some people suffer with poor tools, and if a well designed 
package can be found, it can be an improvement.

The other side of that is that some people are working with tools that have been 
designed and refined over time to be exactly what they need, and anything else 
will affect their work, sometimes quite drastically.  When someone who most 
likely doesn't actually understand the requirements, for example someone who 
declares "we should be using WEENDOZE", things can get rather bad.

That is the reality ...

-- 
David Froble                       Tel: 724-529-0450
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