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Comment by herge | Hacker News Reader

"Using OPO (Other People’s Objects)"

Oh boy! Who is Jon Paris, and what is this article? It's as if somebody was writing about python circa 1997.

Very odd. It's like somebody's been hiding in a cave since 1995 and just discovered python, object-oriented programming and HTTP.

He's previously been writing RPG for the AS/400. That's pretty much exactly like living in a cave since 1975.

People write for the AS/400 in 2015?

What?

Yes. Check your local job listings.

Why? Never underestimate the inertia of a working legacy system.

I did just that, check it out: "Position is in a well-lighted office environment"

http://jobview.local-jobs.monster.com/Programmer-Analyst-Job...

Zwicker & Associates - a debt. collection agency.

Yep, and good RPG programmers can charge very high rates!

I spent a few weeks talking to recruiters while looking for a new job in South-eastern PA and at least half of the jobs that were pitched to me involved at least some amount of AS/400 development.

The other weekend, I grabbed a bit of the Washington Post classifieds to set a paint can on. The first or second ad that I spotted specified JCL, COBOL, and CICS.

> It's as if somebody was writing about python circa 1997.

Sorry about the lack of warning. I found the perspective really interesting as it's pretty much the impressions of a traveler that came from distant exotic lands about a tool I use daily.

I was coming to comment the exact same thing. I actually stopped reading halfway through the article to check the published date because I thought it must be at least 10-15 years old!

It's like culture shock: "Speaking of the function library, massive is not really an adequate word to describe it. The range of capabilities available is simply staggering."

http://www.partner400.com/AllAboutUs.htm

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