From: utzoo!decvax!watmath!jcwinterton
Newsgroups: net.jokes
Title: Re: pathetic jokes (n.f. / flame)
Article-I.D.: watmath.2563
Posted: Wed Jun  9 19:43:06 1982
Received: Thu Jun 10 01:02:05 1982
References: pyuxbb.125

With respect to COBOL as a joke (stuctured or not), it is doubless here to stay.
I don't think COBOL is a joke, as I happen to have written several programs
in it, and I seriously doubt whether some of them could have been written in
any other language with the ease and facility with which these were done.
Of course, the programs were used in business and were essentially performing
accounting and reporting functions.  One of the more recent ones had nine (9)
RD descriptions in it and it worked the first time with no modifications in
the report writer until new reports were requested.  At that time, the
maintenance programmer added a few new detail lines and control breaks to
the REPORT SECTION only, and the revised program ran the first time.

All flaming aside, you who speak from slight acquaintance with the grande
dame of programming languages, should put up or shut up!  Let's see a better
langauge for file bashing and reporting than COBOL.  Well????

John Winterton.