Briefing for the CMG AE Mainframe Forum in Vienna, 14.4.2011.

[ThSITC]

Hello Dagmar,

... just as an info before our meeting at the CMG AE mainframe meeting tomorrow
 at the local IBM Forum here in Vienna:

Interestlingly,

   NetRexx has been invited by M.F.Cowlishaw, IBM Fellow, UK, also the original author
of 'classic Rexx', and also the Author of the hughe BigDecimal project (as far as I do know).

   I want to say that MFC (Mike F.Cowlishaw) is real genious. And does react like a time clock (instantly)
 
   I do hope, I might say, thru inviting Rexx2Nrx (see www.Rexx2Nrx.com, or nowadays
www.thsitc.com, products Rexx2Nrx, and REyC, soon), the following:

1.) Netrexx is the best designed Computer Language I've ever seen in my live.
   
     (and I do know a lot them, TRUST me please ;-)

2.) By design, NetRexx is a TINY language (as C).

3.) Lot's of so called 4GL's (Fourth Generation Languages, as Natural, Craigmore House 4GL, etc, etc etc)
 did arrive before the 'OO' hype we currently do have ;-)
.
4.) Computer Software Technology has a DESASTER:

*We don't have an UPWARDScompatible 'TECHNOLOGY'*

   I'm trying to change that, as far as I can...

Massa Thomas ;-)  
 

-------- Original-Nachricht --------

Betreff:	Re: [Ibm-netrexx] NetRexx problems: when would they be resolved?
Datum:	Tue, 12 Apr 2011 22:17:32 +0200
Von:	Thomas Schneider [hidden email]
Antwort an:	[hidden email]
Organisation:	IT-Consulting
An:	IBM Netrexx [hidden email]
CC:	Bill Fenlason [hidden email]

Hi Bill,
   I *do* currently have a totally other point than you:

I'm in active negotiations with IBM Austria here in Vienna, as they do 
want to use my PP (The Program Porting Machine, see www.thsitc.com,
company profile) by a couple of major Austrian companies...

I'm just introducing them to the powers of IBM NetRexx.

They didn't even know it (IBM NetRexx) , at all, as all this 
conversion/migration/porting Business is currently done using iBM 
Rational Rose products.

As a matter of fact: They *are* now interested, but we (the ibm-netrexx 
community) must cme up as quick as possible with a
functioning URL (I think, www.netrexx.org has been founded for this reason).

When I will not get a valid reply with some realistic release days, I 
will do the following:

-- Copy all references I do find, to www.thsitc.com, product ReyC
-- use the fact, that IBM NetRexx is owned by IBM as a sales argument 
for my PP.
--  and get some reference implementations here in Austria :-)

.. As I did say to Mike Cowlishaw, years ago, when I did write Rexx2Nrx:

NetRexx is the *best designed* Computer Language I've ever seen (and I 
do know and did use  a LOT of them, trust me ;-))

I do, meanwhile, think, that open sourcing NetRexx is *NOT* as important 
than *spreading knowledge* of this marvelous language:

-- by an OPEN USER GROUP
-- by an ACTIVE user GROUP
-- by quickly adapting to customer/user requirements.

I do agree: That's my personal point of view.

My personal attitude is to improve the 'ideas' and 'concepts' of NetRexx 
in Rey ;-)

Thomas.
=================================================================================================================



Am 12.04.2011 21:35, schrieb Bill Fenlason:
> Thomas, questions about the source release schedule have been asked 
> here since 2008 or 2009.  None have been answered in substance.
>
> As you may recall, I suggested quite some time ago that a letter of 
> inquiry should be sent to IBM legal, but everyone thought that was a 
> bad idea.  If a major company announces an intention to do something 
> and then fails to do it, they may be responsible for damages.  
> Certainly I'm not going to sue IBM because I spent a lot of time and 
> effort based on their promise to open source NetRexx, but you can see 
> why IBM is normally very careful about its public intentions.
>
> Last week I sent an email to a high level IBM manager who is very 
> knowledgeable in the open source business.  I asked him to help in 
> moving the process along, and I sent copies to the principles (V. 
> Hein, Rene and MFC).  To date none of the four have responded.  
> Possibly they have decided to ignore me as well as the issue, but it 
> has only been a few days and it is too soon to draw that conclusion.
>
> My next suggestion is that a public information campaign be carefully 
> planned and started.  That would include such things as email and 
> snail mail letters to IBM, all of the "open source community" 
> organizations, the leading computer industry publications, news sites 
> and blogs, and the major public discussion groups.  Did you know that 
> Slashdot (Alexa global traffic rank 1323) gets 5.5 million hits per 
> month?  Or that StackOverflow, Reddit and Digg have Alexa ranks better 
> than 135?  (Google is 1, Facebook is 2).
>
> A public "open letter" to "The IBM Corporation" might actually be 
> answered, particularly if the story went viral.  An amazing number of 
> people have very strong feelings about open source.
>
> The basic question is: "It has been over three years.  When is IBM 
> going to keep its promise to open source NetRexx?"
>
> Perhaps IBM will be responsive to some gentle public pressure.
>
> Bill
>
>
> On 4/12/2011 11:28 AM, Thomas Schneider wrote:
>> Hello there all,
>>
>>    since a couple of years (e.g. since MFC abandoned NetRexx Support, 
>> and speaking has been about
>> opening it's source) NetRexx, as a matter of fact, is a FROZEN 
>> product :-(
>>
>>    Whil'st I can live with that, I'm encountering a couple of 
>> minor/major issues I would like to
>>
>> a) report to the proper parties.
>> b) get resolved before the next release.
>>
>> As some (most) of them do occur only with more hughe NetRexx 
>> pplications (like mine),
>> I cannot report them properly, as I cannot attach the samples on 
>> ibm-netrexx.
>>
>> As already said, I can live with it, but I do personally think time 
>> has come that some
>> actions will be needed.
>>
>> Hence, my question:
>>
>> What is, nowaday, the realistic time-frame of the IBM NetRexx Open 
>> Source release (when
>> it will happen at all) ?
>>
>> Could Rene and/or Mike give us all, please a guestimate (best 
>> estimate), at least?
>>
>> As all of my software does now rely on NetRexx stability, I would 
>> need an answer, please,
>> as most of us, to make our own proper schedules!
>>
>>
>> Thanks for any insight into this issue, in advance. :-)
>>
>> Thomas.
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Ibm-netrexx mailing list
> [hidden email]
>
>


-- 
Thomas Schneider (www.thsitc.com)

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