From: Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@...>
Date: 2010-11-26T20:51:38+09:00
Subject: Re: Ruby 1.8 vs 1.9

On Fri, Nov 26, 2010 at 1:42 AM, David Masover <ninja@slaphack.com> wrote:
>
> I'm really curious why anyone would go with an IBM mainframe for a greenfield
> system, let alone pick EBCDIC when ASCII is fully supported.

Because that's how the other applications written on the mainframe the
company bought 20, 30, 40 years ago expect their data, and the same
code *still runs*.

Legacy systems like that have so much money invested in them, with
code poorly understood (not necessarily because it's *bad* code, but
because the original author has retired 20 years ago), and are so
mission critical, that a replacement in a more current design is out
of the question.

Want perpetual job security? Learn COBOL.

-- 
Phillip Gawlowski

Though the folk I have met,
(Ah, how soon!) they forget
When I've moved on to some other place,
There may be one or two,
When I've played and passed through,
Who'll remember my song or my face.