Read the original at i Can.
It is all about perception! If you look at it one way, you call it one thing. If you look at it another way, you call it something else. How is your perspective?
Read the original at IBM i for everyone!.
Read the original at iDevelop.
Read the original at You and i.
Trolling the IBM i related groups on LinkedIn (ok, to post the survey link), I caught up on some of the interesting discussions about our platform, and of course, what particular name should be used. One in particular can be found here – I will leave you to read the entire conversation.
I am mentioned frequently as the antagonist in the game – for example:
“To be honest i got tired of fighting endlessly with Trevor Perry’s disciples over the topic.“,
“I’m not Trevor Perry (nor his disciple)“,
“his fervor sometimes borders on that of the Sharia police“.
The most interesting part was this comment: “when i actually met Trevor for the first time in London a few weeks ago, he seemed such a nice bloke, so i thought “why not?” So IBM i it is.“. Me being a “nice bloke” shouldn’t be a reason, really. Nor should my police activity. It would be nice if the community would come together on the platform – name included – for reasons that our platform will die on its past, and live on its future. Referring to the platform or the tools as though it were the same as 5, 10, 20, or 24 years old, seems to be a backward thinking philosophy, but there is always some excuse on offer.
The best comment was a perspective that needs to be spread as far as possible. I definitely plan on using it for my IBMi2 effort. Here it is, verbatim.
“In fairness to the Mother Ship, IBM (along with most other marketing driven companies) has always believed that you have to change the names of lines/brands periodically. It’s not that there is anything wrong with the products. You just need to change things to keep interest in the products current.
Microsoft Windows has had, what, seven renames. GM has dropped dozens of brands over the years, only to resurrect them under a new name with a slightly different body style. Everything from refrigerators to PCs changes from time to time. Candy gets “lite” versions. M&Ms get almond versions. Coke gets polar bear cans (then withdraws them). And on and on. It’s the nature of product marketing. You change things to get attention and reflect improvements. It’s like talk radio – angst creates interest….
Is it distracting to those who want things to be the way they always were – of course. Otherwise we’d still be calling it a System/3 running SCP version 2000.1.1.
What we really object to, subconciously, is the complexity of dealing with everything in the computer industry. And it’s not really so much IBM’s fault. The longer I work in the I/T industry, the more I marvel at how the whole thing keeps from falling from the sky from the weight of all the details that have to be accounted for and managed.
IBM will change the name of the hardware and the operating systeme again. You can count on it. As followers of the technology, we just need to keep up and stay current. We need to learn new skills and blend new application technologies. And we need to call it what it is, not what we’d like it to be called.
I used to do carpentry on the side with a hammer, a hand saw and some nails. Now I have to carry around nail guns, power saws (I wonder if those secretly run on IBM i?), compressors, and more. But do I yearn for the days of doing it all manually – nope. I just adjust and move forward.
For the most part, POWER technology is sold, not bought. Very few buyers of technology that costs this much Google it and buy it on the web. IBM has failed repeatedly at trying that. IBMers and business partners have to get in front of customers and sell this stuff. Same-same with HP-UX (HP3000 is gone) systems, Sun Microsystems (OK, now Oracle) and other complex, integrated computer systems costing thousands of dollars.
As consumers, we Google everything. We think of YouTube as the answer. And it’s nice to be able to find information about stuff using Google.But Google is not the answer to everything. IBM does a good job of making all kinds of information available to us via the web – probably too much information. We get confused trying to find it all, so we add countless blogs and forums to make it even more difficult to find everything.
Our job is to soldier on and try to keep up with the madness that is I/T. It’s a hard job. But it pays OK and keeps us out of the Occupy Wall Street camps……….”
Thanks Doug!
Read the original at Angus' Blog.
After 100 survey takers, there are some trending results – mostly in that there is a lot of different perspectives of what this platform is, and what it can do. Without doubt, every response is fabulous information, and will help build the first ibmi2.com site.
And yes, that includes the responses that are pointed at me personally. 
The first thought that comes to mind is simply this. Wouldn’t it be great if we, the IBM i proponents, were to spread a unified message about the platform. Including the name, the modern tooling, the integration capabilities, the business case? This is how ibmi2.com will be built – not focused on the past, but focused on a unified message, and how we can deliver that.
Thank you to everyone who has participated. Send the ibmi2.com link to everyone you know and ask them to spend a few minutes with their answers. The IBM i industry press will be mentioning the survey in the next week or so, and that will spread the word further!
20i2 – a year of unity in the IBM i community!
Read the original at Angus' Blog.
If you’ve installed Zend Server for IBM i and are planning to remove the older Zend Core for i5/OS, first check that Zend Core’s version is at least 2.6.1.
Zend Core must be at 2.6.1+ because if you uninstall version 2.6.0 or lower, portions of Zend Server will be uninstalled as well. Therefore, update your old Zend Core to 2.6.1+ before uninstalling.
Read the original at Alan Seiden's PHP and Technology.
The next stage in the IBMi2 campaign is to survey the community about their perception of the platform. You can participate – anonymously – by starting at ibmi2.com. Navigate to that site, then click the link to take the survey. The poll will be open for a few weeks…
I appreciate everyone’s feedback.
Read the original at Angus' Blog.
The next stage in the IBMi2 campaign is to survey the community about their perception of the platform. You can participate – anonymously – by starting at ibmi2.com. Navigate to that site, then click the link to take the survey. The poll will be open for a few weeks…
I appreciate everyone’s feedback.
Read the original at Angus' Blog.
Read the original at i Can.
