Volume 15, Number 50 - December 18, 2006 Archives

Let’s Be Frank

December 18, 2006 Dan Burger

We can’t all be Frank Soltis, IBM‘s chief scientist for the System i. It’s a shame there aren’t a few more Franks to go around, though. Makes me wonder whether Big Blue has thought about having him cloned. His engineering accomplishments inside Fortress Rochester have made him a legend. He’s the personification of the AS/400, despite the name changes. And he’s the most important spokesperson the platform has–regardless of whether you call it the AS/400, the iSeries, or the System i.

The AS/400 faithful love Frank. His sessions at COMMON are standing room only. Same thing when he speaks

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What 2007 and Beyond Might Have in Store for the System i

December 18, 2006 Timothy Prickett Morgan

Human beings are forward-looking animals, which is probably why we have our eyes in the front of our heads. (Well, actually, we have our eyes in the front of our heads so we can see in 3-D, and the effect is that we are turned into forward-looking creatures.) In any event, as the year winds down and we all approach the holiday season, it is a natural time to extend our view to a more panoramic vista. And so, with this special edition of our flagship AS/400, iSeries, and System i5 newsletter, that is what we intend to do.

Before

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As I See It: Predictions and Poetry

December 18, 2006 Victor Rozek

It’s that time of the year when pundits predict the coming sunrise and other longshots. Let’s face it though, whether the guesswork is educated or not, it’s still guesswork; and if you’re in the prediction business, it’s best to have a short memory. Or hope that your readers do. Unlike picking stocks, however, which dart-throwing monkeys do as well as stock brokers, IT offers even the most obtuse prognosticator the opportunity not just to get lucky, but to get it right. So here goes. Drum roll please. . . . I predict computer components will become smaller and faster and

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Mad Dog 21/21: Greetings Season

December 18, 2006 Hesh Wiener

When it comes to getting mail, the best thing that happens this time of year is the arrival of Christmas cards. It’s nice to hear from people who, without the greeting card tradition, might not get in touch at all. The same can’t be said about e-mail, particularly this year. Any electronic greetings you receive will be grains in a mountain of spam chaff. This year’s spam mountain is likely to be the biggest ever. When the holiday season ends, the spam will not stop; if anything, it’s likely to increase. And there’s worse to come.

The number of spam

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In Memorium: Christian Scott Ward

December 18, 2006 Timothy Prickett Morgan

The people in your life matter, but some people matter more than others. For all of us, there are a handful of people who set the path of our lives as it twists and turns, who steer us toward our future and the people who are waiting for us there. Christian Ward was one such person in my life.

Although we did it 25 years apart, Christian and I both came from rural America to New York to become writers. Christian hired me straight out of college nearly 18 years ago to work with him at Columbia University. It was

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