Last year I had the privilege to learn about the IBM mainframe, and the mainframers converted me. It is one of the most advanced systems I have ever seen. IBM solved most cloud-issues 30 years ago, and the backwards compatibility is insane. Everyone is worried about 'code from the eighties' still running, but this just proves that the system is reliable. And in this datacenter (that I was learning about) the mainframe did 80% of calculations while only using 8% of the datacenter's power, because the machine is so terrifyingly efficient.
This is not just about converting COBOL code. This is about converting the JCL (batch processing) jobs to whatever cool real-time processing solution the new architecture is going to have, and about translating the security boundaries from RACF to new security controls. Using AI to 'convert' it might prove difficult, because I don't think we have the datasets to train an AI to do this properly.
Regardless of facts about how much doctors actually care, he still perceives the world as one where almost nobody does. I'm glad he expressed himself as such because I feel the same way sometime, even though I know that most people try to fill their role in society well. It's like a special kind of loneliness that grows quick. I like how he describes the development of this loneliness. Once he put on its glasses, he thinks carelessness is everywhere, even in doctors who do care, so he develops existential hopelessness of some sort.
Loneliness is a really good way to describe it. I definitely have had similar experiences to the author. It can make you feel really pessimistic and like a freak outcast for actually caring. It makes me feel arrogant or overly confident too.
I think ironically it does show that the author thinks highly of people and their potential. A truly bitter person would have long stopped expecting anything of anyone, which I think is very unhealthy. You expect people to care but only about things that harm you.
I'm guessing there's more people out there who feel this way, and likewise I'm glad the author shared this experience even if it's not the healthiest mindset to always be in.
This book teaches excellent hacking techniques. Everything is build from scratch (c/assembly) so you get to understand things like buffer overflows to the core.
At the risk of sounding naive and unrealistic, one could say your negotiating power should be based on the value your abilities add to a company. If we'd all share our income, we might create a union type of construction from which we can deduce a fair price for our services.
This is not just about converting COBOL code. This is about converting the JCL (batch processing) jobs to whatever cool real-time processing solution the new architecture is going to have, and about translating the security boundaries from RACF to new security controls. Using AI to 'convert' it might prove difficult, because I don't think we have the datasets to train an AI to do this properly.