Re: Comment on the recent article on Madoff's scam

[Vern Hamberg <vhamberg@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Larry

I agree with you to some extent - maybe I am just a bit paranoid - the 
title put more focus on the technology and not enough, IMO, on the 
people misusing that technology.

Vern

Larry Bolhuis wrote:
> First, IOS is a trademark of Cisco Systems and was purchased by Cisco in 
> 1987. So be very careful using that name for our IBM i operating system.
>
> Second, I read the article on the Madoff scheme. Seems to me it puts the 
> AS/400 in a pretty good light doing exactly what Madoff wanted it to do 
> and convincing his clients very thoroughly that he was doing good things 
> with their money. It is referenced as an "Energizer Bunny" and "Very 
> Capable". It reports a team of developers there contributing to the 
> ponzi scheme. But then maybe I missed something between the lines??
>
>   - DrFranken
>
> Mike Cunningham wrote:
>   
> > "(Unix came out over 40 years ago - shall we talk legacy?)"
> >
> > First version of Windows came out in 1985, first version of i/OS (S/38) in 1979 - only 6 years older. I guess everything is "legacy". 
> >  
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:midrange-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Vern Hamberg
> > Sent: Monday, November 09, 2009 4:10 PM
> > To: thomas.granahan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Subject: Comment on the recent article on Madoff's scam
> >
> > Mr Granahan
> >
> > I read with interest the article by John Dodge about technology behind 
> > the Madoff scam 
> > (http://www.iddmagazine.com/issues/2009_42/the-technology-behind-the-scam-199529-1.html?partner=thestreet). 
> > It appears, from a quick read, to put much of the blame squarely on the 
> > AS/400 - the technology in question. I strongly object to this - it is, 
> > in my opinion, completely wrong-headed. I learned long ago that 
> > computers are stupid - they do exactly what you tell them, not what you 
> > want. If things were done on these systems that allowed Madoff to carry 
> > out his Ponzi scheme, it is not the system's fault. It is some 
> > programmer, some auditor, some whatever human being behind it all.
> >
> > I am a computer professional who works on these so-called legacy systems 
> > - a false categorization, unless you lump Unix systems in along with it. 
> > (Unix came out over 40 years ago - shall we talk legacy?) The IBM 
> > midrange systems have a tremendous feature, backward-compatibility - 
> > anything you wrote 20 years ago can be compiled on current systems 
> > without any change in source code. Talk to us about VB.net - about API 
> > calls in Windows that don't work in the next release.
> >
> > This strength of the system was exploited by a human - the extreme 
> > segregation of computing resources that let Madoff get away with his scheme.
> >
> > Mr Dodge's report of the printing characteristics - well, it is a very 
> > narrow presentation of the system's capabilities. That seems completely 
> > beside the point. And this is not unique to these systems. At all!! A 
> > distinction without a difference.
> >
> > I appreciate you taking the time to read this. I ask you to publish a 
> > retraction or clarification - e.g., that the technology behind it was 
> > NOT to blame. Perhaps something about the true strengths of the platform 
> > and how human beings were able to take those strengths and fleece other 
> > people in such a way. THAT would be an interesting study in human nature 
> > - not the veiled suggestion of culpability of any technology as against 
> > that of those who use it.
> >
> > Regards
> >
> > Vernon M. Hamberg
> > Software Architect
> > RJS Software Systems
> > www.rjssoftware.com
> >
> >   
> >