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  3. As useful as a COBOL programmer

As useful as a COBOL programmer

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  • M meaningoflights

    Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers, PC repair technicians and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He’d become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions. Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he’d wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life. He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that. The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting “I can’t believe it!” and “It’s a miracle” and “He’s alive!”. There were cameras (unlike any he’d ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie. Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Is it over?” he asked. “Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?” The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack’s cryogenic receptacle, it hadn’t been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet. “That sounds terrific,” said Jack. “But I’m curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?” “Well,” said the spokesman. “The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL”.

    W Offline
    W Offline
    wizardzz
    wrote on last edited by
    #2

    I swear I just read this somewhere, was it in the codeproject daily email of links? :cool:

    M P 2 Replies Last reply
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    • W wizardzz

      I swear I just read this somewhere, was it in the codeproject daily email of links? :cool:

      M Offline
      M Offline
      meaningoflights
      wrote on last edited by
      #3

      Thanks for pointing that out. I hope it wasn't in the code project news letter - I atleast didn't see it, a colleague sent this to me, thought I would share.

      _ 1 Reply Last reply
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      • M meaningoflights

        Thanks for pointing that out. I hope it wasn't in the code project news letter - I atleast didn't see it, a colleague sent this to me, thought I would share.

        _ Offline
        _ Offline
        _Damian S_
        wrote on last edited by
        #4

        meaningoflights wrote:

        I hope it wasn't in the code project news letter

        No, it was in the codeproject daily news...

        I don't have ADHD, I have ADOS... Attention Deficit oooh SHINY!! If you like cars, check out the Booger Mobile blog | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!

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        • W wizardzz

          I swear I just read this somewhere, was it in the codeproject daily email of links? :cool:

          P Online
          P Online
          PIEBALDconsult
          wrote on last edited by
          #5

          I made a reference to the Y10K problem a week or so ago.

          _ 1 Reply Last reply
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          • P PIEBALDconsult

            I made a reference to the Y10K problem a week or so ago.

            _ Offline
            _ Offline
            _Damian S_
            wrote on last edited by
            #6

            PIEBALDconsult wrote:

            Y10K problem

            Isn't that the same problem, just written in binary? :laugh:

            I don't have ADHD, I have ADOS... Attention Deficit oooh SHINY!! If you like cars, check out the Booger Mobile blog | If you feel generous - make a donation to Camp Quality!!

            1 Reply Last reply
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            • M meaningoflights

              Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers, PC repair technicians and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He’d become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions. Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he’d wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life. He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that. The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting “I can’t believe it!” and “It’s a miracle” and “He’s alive!”. There were cameras (unlike any he’d ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie. Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Is it over?” he asked. “Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?” The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack’s cryogenic receptacle, it hadn’t been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet. “That sounds terrific,” said Jack. “But I’m curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?” “Well,” said the spokesman. “The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL”.

              M Offline
              M Offline
              Mark_Wallace
              wrote on last edited by
              #7

              Old COBOL wallahs never die, they simply lose their ENVIRONMENT DIVISION. Or they simply PERFORM VARYING, one or the other.

              I wanna be a eunuchs developer! Pass me a bread knife!

              1 Reply Last reply
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              • M meaningoflights

                Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers, PC repair technicians and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He’d become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions. Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he’d wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life. He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that. The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting “I can’t believe it!” and “It’s a miracle” and “He’s alive!”. There were cameras (unlike any he’d ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie. Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Is it over?” he asked. “Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?” The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack’s cryogenic receptacle, it hadn’t been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet. “That sounds terrific,” said Jack. “But I’m curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?” “Well,” said the spokesman. “The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL”.

                D Offline
                D Offline
                Dalek Dave
                wrote on last edited by
                #8

                This joke is Circa 1999. Can't believe it is being regurgitated again. Still wait until the next Y2K problem in 2038 and it will resurface once more.

                ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC League Table Link CCC Link[^]

                S 1 Reply Last reply
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                • M meaningoflights

                  Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers, PC repair technicians and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He’d become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions. Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he’d wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life. He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that. The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting “I can’t believe it!” and “It’s a miracle” and “He’s alive!”. There were cameras (unlike any he’d ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie. Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Is it over?” he asked. “Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?” The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack’s cryogenic receptacle, it hadn’t been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet. “That sounds terrific,” said Jack. “But I’m curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?” “Well,” said the spokesman. “The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL”.

                  G Offline
                  G Offline
                  Ger Hayden
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #9

                  ... or they could just geneticly re engineer us from exhumed dna when the time comes ...

                  Ger

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                  • D Dalek Dave

                    This joke is Circa 1999. Can't believe it is being regurgitated again. Still wait until the next Y2K problem in 2038 and it will resurface once more.

                    ------------------------------------ I will never again mention that I was the poster of the One Millionth Lounge Post, nor that it was complete drivel. Dalek Dave CCC League Table Link CCC Link[^]

                    S Offline
                    S Offline
                    Stefan_Lang
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #10

                    Well, according to one other link from a CP mail, COBOL is one of the top 7 programming languages 'on the rise'! :wtf: So I suspect there will be no shortage of COBOL programmers by 2038 ;)

                    1 Reply Last reply
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                    • M meaningoflights

                      Jack was a COBOL programmer in the mid to late 1990s. After years of being taken for granted and treated as a technological dinosaur by all the Client/Server programmers, PC repair technicians and website developers, he was finally getting some respect. He’d become a private consultant specializing in Year 2000 conversions. Several years of this relentless, mind-numbing work had taken its toll on Jack. He began having anxiety dreams about the Year 2000. All he could think about was how he could avoid the year 2000 and all that came with it. Jack decided to contact a company that specialized in cryogenics. He made a deal to have himself frozen until March 15th, 2000. The next thing he would know is he’d wake up in the year 2000; after the New Year celebrations and computer debacles; after the leap day. Nothing else to worry about except getting on with his life. He was put into his cryogenic receptacle, the technicians set the revive date, he was given injections to slow his heartbeat to a bare minimum, and that was that. The next thing that Jack saw was an enormous and very modern room filled with excited people. They were all shouting “I can’t believe it!” and “It’s a miracle” and “He’s alive!”. There were cameras (unlike any he’d ever seen) and equipment that looked like it came out of a science fiction movie. Someone who was obviously a spokesperson for the group stepped forward. Jack couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “Is it over?” he asked. “Is the year 2000 already here? Are all the millennial parties and promotions and crises all over and done with?” The spokesman explained that there had been a problem with the programming of the timer on Jack’s cryogenic receptacle, it hadn’t been year 2000 compliant. It was actually eight thousand years later, not the year 2000. Technology had advanced to such a degree that everyone had virtual reality interfaces which allowed them to contact anyone else on the planet. “That sounds terrific,” said Jack. “But I’m curious. Why is everybody so interested in me?” “Well,” said the spokesman. “The year 10000 is just around the corner, and it says in your files that you know COBOL”.

                      K Offline
                      K Offline
                      Kasson
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #11

                      :laugh: :laugh:

                      With Regards, CP

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