Lingolol

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GreenSkyOverMe (Monika)Oh, and I checked - <a href="https://ohai.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> developers don’t actually get paid super highly 😢

GreenSkyOverMe (Monika)Banks and Social Security are not using <a href="https://ohai.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> because it’s so great, but because it’s so hard to migrate to something else. They should and do migrate away … very slowly and carefully. (I‘m in banking.)I don’t dislike COBOL. I program daily in <a href="https://ohai.social/tags/ABAP" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ABAP</a>, which looks like a COBOL dialect. I don’t mind verbosity, verbosity increases readability and debuggability. No devs? Train some. But COBOL developers tell me it has serious limitations. It’s just old.

Benjamin Carr, Ph.D. 👨🏻‍💻🧬What could possibly go wrong? <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> to rapidly rebuild <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> codebase. A safe and proper rewrite should take years not months. The project organized by <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Musk</a> lieutenant <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/SteveDavis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SteveDavis</a>, multiple sources who were not given permission to talktell WIRED, and aims to migrate all <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a> systems off <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a>, one of the first common business-oriented programming languages, and onto a more modern replacement like <a href="https://hachyderm.io/tags/Java" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Java</a> within a scheduled tight timeframe of a few months. <a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/what-could-possibly-go-wrong-doge-to-rapidly-rebuild-social-security-codebase/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/what-could-possibly-go-wrong-doge-to-rapidly-rebuild-social-security-codebase/</a>

Autoerotic DefenestrationAm I the only one who's thinking of learning <a href="https://mastodon.cloud/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> just to see whether the idea of replacing the US Social Security codebase is *exactly* as delusional as I think or whether it is far more delusional than that?<a href="https://gizmodo.com/doge-plans-to-rewrite-entire-social-security-codebase-in-just-a-few-months-report-2000582062" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://gizmodo.com/doge-plans-to-rewrite-entire-social-security-codebase-in-just-a-few-months-report-2000582062</a>

Dusk To Don :raccoon:There’s [intentionally] so much to keep track of right now as <a href="https://todon.eu/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> et al flood the zone with shit.I’ve enjoyed chuckling at the doge-bags’ foolish / impossible shenanigans, like the rewriting of the Social Security database.However, this wise commenter reminds us of the over-arching goal:> The point of this isn't to rewrite SSA, it's to funnel SSA through Musk's burgeoning American WeChat and, as a stretch goal, break SSA so badly that they can just do away with it entirely. > We need to stop sanewashing and positing that these twerps' intent is something noble but their methods are misguided. > They aren't. > They want to break the state and make money on the pieces. Everything else is window dressing.Hat tip to <a href="https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@arstechnica</a> for all of your great reporting.<a href="https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/what-could-possibly-go-wrong-doge-to-rapidly-rebuild-social-security-codebase/?comments=1&post=43623499" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/what-could-possibly-go-wrong-doge-to-rapidly-rebuild-social-security-codebase/?comments=1&post=43623499</a><a href="https://todon.eu/tags/cobol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cobol</a>

Infinity Counter 🟦I have no doubt that at least some of the legacy COBOL code at the SSA needs a rewrite. Having had to maintain 20+ year old legacy COBOL code, it can get pretty ugly. Having had to maintain 20+year old COBOL code that calculated various kinds of benefits for 80,000+ people located in different states with all the various odd situations that exist with the complexities that are humans, thinking a complete rewrite of the SSA system can be successfully coded, tested, and implemented in a few months . . . is to be expected from someone who doesn't really have a functional understanding of how computers or computer systems work. You know, like someone who would think that there were people 150+ years old in the SSA system who were receiving benefits. <a href="https://lor.sh/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://lor.sh/tags/USPol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#USPol</a> <a href="https://lor.sh/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a>

RobOh dear. "DOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Code Base in Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse. Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in <a href="https://toot.community/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a>, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—<a href="https://toot.community/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> wants it done in months." <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/</a> All the world's computer science professors just sat up like meerkats, sensing the imminent arrival of a new high-profile disaster case study in how not to do a major software project.

Matthew MartinYour periodic reminder that old <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> isn't only old COBOL. It is IBM assembler with some COBOL for the easier parts. Business apps written in assembler because the COBOL wasn't fast enough.I can get the gist of code in most languages, but when I look at edin (assembler!) I can't figure out what is going on despite profuse comments.

jackcole<a href="https://mastodon.social/@arstechnica" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@arstechnica</a> <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> Boys get rid of mean ugly <a href="https://mstdn.social/tags/cobol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cobol</a>, use their favorite language they understand and with which they are familiar.What do they not understand and have no familiarity with? The functions, needs, use cases, and other features served by the current software.So they will create what *they* "think" is correct while breaking many things. It will take added years beyond doing it right the first time to correct the mistakes. Meanwhile, no functioning SSA. Oh, now I see.

Axel Gutmann<a href="https://cyberplace.social/@GossiTheDog" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@GossiTheDog</a> I asked <a href="https://sueden.social/tags/Grok" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Grok</a>: "What are the chances of success for Elon Musk's / DOGE's plan of rewriting (in two month's time) the SSA's COBOL codebase using AI?""[…] the chances of success […] are extremely low, likely in the single-digit percentage range (e.g., 5-10% at best). This estimate assumes DOGE has exceptional resources and AI capabilities beyond what’s publicly known […] The stakes are high, and the margin for error is razor-thin." <a href="https://x.com/i/grok/share/n9svocmPv28oPUXlCbbJruxTS" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://x.com/i/grok/share/n9svocmPv28oPUXlCbbJruxTS</a><a href="https://sueden.social/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Musk</a> <a href="https://sueden.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> <a href="https://sueden.social/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a> <a href="https://sueden.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a>

PUPUWEB BlogDOGE plans to migrate all Social Security Administration systems off COBOL in months, risking the integrity of SSA infrastructure. ⚠️ <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TechNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TechNews</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/GovernmentTech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#GovernmentTech</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Infrastructure" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Infrastructure</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ITNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ITNews</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TechChallenges" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TechChallenges</a>

Gina Intheburg 🇺🇦 🌻 🥥🌴<a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> plans to rebuild <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a>'s antiquated <a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> code base in months instead of the years it'd take to do it safely, risking benefits & system collapse.But, hey, when did Musk/Trump/DOGE ever give a crap about doing anything safely? Or right?<a href="https://mastodon.world/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/</a>

-0--1-<a href="https://hachyderm.io/@inthehands" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@inthehands</a> I think I agree with you. I was on the bleeding edge of <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/InformationWareHousing" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#InformationWareHousing</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/TeraData" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#TeraData</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Oracle" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Oracle</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Cobol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Cobol</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Cscripts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Cscripts</a> when Merck vertically integrated with Medco which became <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/ExpressScripts" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ExpressScripts</a>. Layer on <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Y2K" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Y2K</a> and <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/AnthraxEnvelopes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#AnthraxEnvelopes</a>. The question is what is the cost for the damage in human lives compared to the cost of code. With the <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/NewNihilism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#NewNihilism</a> there will be <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/Wreckage" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Wreckage</a> if <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/RedStates" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#RedStates</a> are wrecked more than <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/BlueStates" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#BlueStates</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/WeAreWinning" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#WeAreWinning</a>.

ThePdogI think the system fails if they try to do this. I understand the desire to convert off of Cobol, but this doesn't seem feasible to me, especially if you are performing unit testing and qa before the release to make sure the code actually works.Any thoughts on if this is possible to accomplish?<a href="https://mas.to/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/CodebaseConverion" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#CodebaseConverion</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/cobol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cobol</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Doge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Doge</a> <a href="https://mas.to/tags/Musk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Musk</a><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/</a>

Flipboard Tech DeskDOGE is putting together a team to migrate the Social Security Administration’s computer systems entirely off one of the oldest programming languages in a matter of months, potentially putting the integrity of the system—and the benefits on which tens of millions of Americans rely—at risk. Read more at <a href="https://flipboard.com/@WIRED" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@WIRED</a> (subscription may be required). <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/SocialSecurity" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SocialSecurity</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/ElonMusk" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ElonMusk</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Tech" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Tech</a> <a href="https://flipboard.social/tags/Technology" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#Technology</a> <a href="https://flip.it/98qM1j" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://flip.it/98qM1j</a>

BrettAnybody that suggests a decades old COBOL codebase be replaced with Java is someone you don’t have to take seriously anymore.<a href="https://vmst.io/tags/cobol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cobol</a> <a href="https://vmst.io/tags/ssa" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ssa</a> <a href="https://vmst.io/tags/doge" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#doge</a>

Paul Wermer, CC BY-NC-SA 4.0<a href="https://mstdn.social/@GottaLaff" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@GottaLaff</a> When you're building Facebook and Twitter, moving fast and breaking things is fine.In this case moving fast and breaking things means real people suffer real injuries.The <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/arrogance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#arrogance</a> combined with <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/ignorance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#ignorance</a> is astonishing and distressing. The history of migrating large, complex systems is not encouraging ( <a href="https://sfba.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a>, anyone? Even SSA still uses it, for a reason)

Steve Thompson PhDDOGE Plans to Rebuild SSA Codebase In Months, Risking Benefits and System Collapse<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.wired.com/story/doge-rebuild-social-security-administration-cobol-benefits/</a>Social Security systems contain tens of millions of lines of code written in COBOL, an archaic programming language. Safely rewriting that code would take years—DOGE wants it done in months. <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/SSA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#SSA</a> <a href="https://mastodon.social/tags/PRESS" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#PRESS</a>

Greengordon<a href="https://mstdn.social/@GottaLaff" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@GottaLaff</a> As a retired IT PM, I can confidently say this will end in disaster. First, why break something that's working? Because arrogant tech bros who think they known it all, that's literally the only reason. (Also, they don't care if it breaks.)"DOGE is starting to put together a team to migrate the SSA's computer systems entirely off one of its oldest programming languages in a matter of months"<a href="https://spore.social/tags/uspol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#uspol</a> <a href="https://spore.social/tags/cobol" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#cobol</a> <a href="https://spore.social/tags/DOGE" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#DOGE</a>

Marty Heyman<a href="https://mastodon.social/@bruces" class="u-url mention" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">@bruces</a> Ya know? I wouldn't ask anything but a VERY QUALIFIED tax accountant to approve a software change to address complex regulatory complicance! <a href="https://symas.social/tags/COBOL" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">#COBOL</a>

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