Featured Image is an original screenshot by the Author From the Techopedia, “An app store refers to an online shop where customers can purchase and download various software applications. Generally speaking, the apps sold through app stores are intended for mobile devices.” A long way from the technology that built the app store is COBOL (Common Business-Oriented Language), a 63-year-old programming language, which is normally compiled and run on a Mainframe computer system in a legacy environment. To see if these two worlds meet in 2022, I did a quick search on “COBOL” in the App Store. It ga ..read more

Common Business-Oriented Language (COBOL) is a computer language that was developed in 1959–63 years ago this year. COBOL is “primarily used in business, finance, and administrative systems for companies and governments”; by applications that are run on Mainframe computers. If anyone is questioning the continued relevance of such an old language, it can be validated by the fact that it still shows up in a Google search several times a week. Google Alerts To follow any subject on Google and have search results delivered to your inbox daily, you can create a Google Alert. Several ..read more

Feature Photo Courtesy of Pexels “There seems to be no mainframe explanation for the PC world in which we’re living.” — William J. Clinton, President of the United States, in 1995. In current technology, the PC still frequently interfaces with the Mainframe. One example of this connection is to use a PC to access backend Mainframe programs that process large amounts of data more efficiently. We are thought to have entered the 14th year in the era of the iPhone, and I have not personally used a connection between the Apple (iPhone/iPad) and the Mainframe. I wondered if there was one, so I did a ..read more

Background from Canva, Edited in Canva to add text Computer programming can often be a stressful career with the deadlines and the continuous problems to solve. It’s all part of the routine of working in a team in a fast-paced environment with different personalities and characteristics involved. No two people are the same, and sometimes the differences can make the workplace difficult to maneuver. One of the biggest challenges about learning how to work in that environment is understanding how to work on a team. Like any other skill, it must be developed and honed during years of experience ..read more

Background from Canva, Edited in Canva to add text Being an older programmer in the Information Technology field, I can definitely relate to dealing with the introduction of new technology. During my over 25-year career, there were times when I had to decide whether the time and energy that I would have to invest in learning new technology was worth it. This is basically what I went through when I switched from my warm and fuzzy job in Mainframe/COBOL programming to a job in–something new for me—Personal Computer (PC)/Java programming. If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them COBOL (Common Business-O ..read more

Image from Canva, Edited in Canva to add text The Common Business Oriented Language (COBOL) computer programming language is over 60 years old. Some consider it to be outdated, and those that program in it have been jokingly called dinosaurs. However, COBOL is still widely in use in banks, insurance companies, governments, and other financial institutions to efficiently and securely process large amounts of data through computer programs run on Mainframes. There are basically 2 different forms of COBOL program processing: Batch and Online. Batch Processing Batch COBOL programs are scheduled th ..read more

Background from Canva, Edited in Canva to add text “A ship in port is safe, but that is not what ships are built for” is a version of this famous quote attributed to Grace Hopper, often referred to as the Mother of COBOL (Common Business Oriented Language). Even though she played a significant part in the history of computers for her many technical accomplishments, particularly for her role in the development of the COBOL Language, there were other women who were involved in COBOL’s history as well. For example, Mary K Hawes is another key figure, who reportedly recognized the need for a Commo ..read more

Original photo, Edited to add text “Loving life is easy when you are abroad. Where no one knows you and you hold your life in your hands all alone, you are more master of yourself than at any other time” is a quote by Hannah Arendt, a famous political philosopher and Holocaust survivor. It is about the joy of moving to an unfamiliar country, out of your comfort zone. In the process of demystifying COBOL, it’s good to recognize that the language is still in use in several different countries in the world.  COBOL is far from becoming obsolete, as was predicted 30, or even 40, years ago and ..read more

Image from Canva, Edited in Canva to add text “Millennials want to find meaning in their work, and they want to make a difference. They want to be listened to. They want you to understand that they fuse life and work. They want to have a say about how they do their work. They want to be rewarded. They want to be recognized. They want a good relationship with their boss. They want to learn. But most of all, they want to succeed. They want to have fun!” The above is a quote by Chip Espinoza, an expert on generational diversity, referring to the Millennial generation (that group of people born 19 ..read more

Image from Canva, Edited in Canva to add text “Each generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it” is a famous quote by George Orwell. Generations in the Overall Workplace It’s probably safe to say that the general workplace of today encompasses people ages 18 to 70. This range includes 4 of the recognized generations: Baby Boomers, Generation X, Millennials and Generation Z. In the articles, Main Characteristics Per Generation  and  Hiring Tips for a Multigenerational Workforce: From Baby Boomers to Gen ..read more