←back to thread

Ask HN: Any active COBOL devs here? What are you working on?

234 points _false | 1 comments | 18 Jul 25 13:05 UTC | HN request time: 0.327s | source

COBOL legacy systems in finance and government are somewhat of a meme. However, I've never actually met a single person who's day job is to maintain one. I'd be curious to learn what systems are you working on?
Show context
perakojotgenije ◴[18 Jul 25 15:51 UTC] No.44606132[source]▶
My father is 75 and he still works, has his own software development company with his own back-office program written in cobol. He started a company back in 1991 with two other cobol programmers, they are retired now, and while almost all of the code they wrote has been replaced with c# code by younger programmers there are still some parts of the code written in cobol that he still maintains.
replies(1): >>44606907 #
coryrc ◴[18 Jul 25 16:47 UTC] No.44606907[source]▶
Random OT question: I was raised by, erm, relatively uneducated folks. Is there anything especially great about having a software programmer for a father? (As my kids have one)
replies(2): >>44607421 #>>44614402 #
1. specproc ◴[18 Jul 25 17:23 UTC] No.44607421[source]▶
Having your kids also be technical and bail you out of the shit you've built for yourself. Or at least nudge you away from bad ideas, do listen to them.

I'm being a little unkind to my Dad. He moved to management fairly early on and didn't really keep up with things.

He taught me a hell of a lot though, and did really know his shit at one point. It worries me how much his skills and understanding have declined over the years.