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From: rbowman <bowman@montana.com>
Newsgroups: comp.os.linux.misc
Subject: Re: Rewriting SSA. Is This A Chance For GNU/Linux?
Date: 2 Apr 2025 22:36:02 GMT
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On Wed, 2 Apr 2025 22:46:00 +0200, Carlos E.R. wrote:

> So, to the complexity of handling old code, you add the complexities of
> translating to another language.
> 
> Keep it simple: use today's COBOL. Less translation effort. Fewer
> errors.

The problem may be finding competent COBOL programmers. That leads me to 
another question. Presumably the SSA and other government agencies 
currently employ COBOL programmers. What have they been doing the last 
fifty years? 

A more important question might be what have their managers been doing? 
There is no question a re-write would be very painful and expensive. For a 
government agency there isn't a market force to improve so what would 
trigger them doing anything to rock the boat?