NJ looking for endangered species...

[46er]

"State Looking for COBOL Programmers: The State is looking for skilled COBOL programmers to help maintain and update legacy computer systems that will improve the State’s response to the crisis. Sign up here. "

COBOL - Common oriented business language

From the Wiki;

During the 2019–20 coronavirus pandemic, during which numerous companies were forced to lay off or furlough employees and subsequently sent those employees to seek unemployment benefits, several states including New Jersey, Kansas, and Connecticut reported an immediate need for skilled COBOL programmers to help with their legacy unemployment systems. Many of these systems had been in the process of conversion to more modern languages prior to the pandemic, but had to be put on hold.

Used to write it a long, long, long time ago.

 

[Boyd]

I learned ALGOL as a college freshman in 1967. Never really worked with COBOL. It does not inspire confidence that the state is using 40 year old software and I shudder to think what kind of hardware it runs on!

 

[46er]

I cannot recall the last time I saw a job ad for someone with COBOL experience.

 

[old jersey girl]

I learned ALGOL as a college freshman in 1967. Never really worked with COBOL. It does not inspire confidence that the state is using 40 year old software and I shudder to think what kind of hardware it runs on!

The problem with the low bid system, and that purchasing is often not informed or done by end users.
The definitive comment made by Alan Sheppard decades ago.

 

[46er]

The problem with the low bid system, and that purchasing is often not informed or done by end users.
The definitive comment made by Alan Sheppard decades ago.

We would need more than God's help if the state IT systems were selected by the end users.

 

[old jersey girl]

We would need more than God's help if the state IT systems were selected by the end users.

Whups, I forgot that group. I should have specified the state IT people who had to install/maintain the systems, and answer questions. Sometimes really stupid questions: "Why doesn't it work?" Because you dislodged the plug when you moved your desk.

 

[enormiss]

https://www.zdnet.com/article/cobol-turns-60-why-it-will-outlive-us-all/

 

[RednekF350]

https://www.zdnet.com/article/cobol-turns-60-why-it-will-outlive-us-all/

Awesome photo in the article. There is an open pack of Lucky Strikes on the console of the computer.
Ahhhh, the good old days. Back when a good tasting non-filter cigarette was actually good for you and smoking in the workplace was encouraged !

 

[46er]

Awesome photo in the article.

There are a whole bunch of memory lane photo's on that site.